The Application Process

Residency applications must begin in your home country (unless you’re applying for the Golden Visa, which can be started in country). In addition to your passport and a visa application, you must do the following:

• Prove that you’ve made your chosen investment or prove sufficient income for subsistence;
• Be in Portugal legally (have an address to show);
• Show that you are covered by health insurance;
• Stay in Portugal for six months of the year;
• Prove that you have a clean criminal record in Portugal and your country of origin;
• Obtain certification from the Portuguese tax authority and social security system that you don’t owe them any money.

The requirements for the Golden Visa application are the same as above, however, you must also provide an affidavit saying that you promise to comply with the ongoing terms of the visa. These include a requirement to:

• Keep the investment five years,
• File for local taxes;
• Stay in Portugal 7 days for the first year, and 14 days for each subsequent 2-year period.

Before applying for a Golden Visa, you must also create an online account and pre-register so that you can submit the remaining documents online (your residency attorney will do this for you).