The Portuguese Golden Resident Visa (or “GRV”) is an immigration program that allows you to acquire residency through a qualified investment in the country. It is considered by many advisors as the best program of this kind due to the wide variety of its investments, flexible investment requirements and to its limited minimum required presence in the country.
This program was launched in 2012 and it has grown in popularity during its 10 years of existence: according to data from the Foreigners and Borders Service, between October 2012 and July 2022, 10,983 residence permits were granted under the GRV program, 18,068 family members were regrouped and EUR 6,459,984,421.99 were invested by investors from the most diverse markets, including the US, Brazil, Turkey, South Africa and China.
Although there are several types of investments available, the most popular ones for this residence permit are real estate investments through the acquisition of properties with a minimum value of either EUR 500,000.00, EUR 350,000.00 or as little as EUR 280,000.00, depending on the type of property, state of conservation and location of the property. It is also possible to acquire Portuguese residency under the GRV through capital investments, based on transfers of at least EUR 1,500,000.00 or more and in some cases through investments of at least EUR 500,000.00 if intended for the acquisition of shares in investment or venture capital funds dedicated to the capitalization of Portuguese companies.
Among the advantages of this program, we can highlight the visa waiver to enter Portugal and a pathway to Portuguese citizenship after 5 years of legal residence.
Holders of Portuguese residence obtained through GRV also have the ability to circulate in the European Union and the Schengen Area; and enjoy a reduced required presence in the Portuguese territory to maintain their resident status (7 days in the first year and 14 days in the two following periods of two years). The status also allows the possibility of wide-ranging family reunification benefits.
Should you become a citizen, the Portuguese passport opens travel to 186 countries without a visa, being one of the most powerful passports in terms of mobility, according to the Global Passport Power Rank 2022.
