At the end of 2020, the Government approved a set of changes to the legal framework for residence permits for investment. Initially, the new rules were supposed to take effect in July 2021. However, a diploma – published in February 2021 – postponed them to January 1, 2022. See what changes with the new Golden Visa law.
The major change comes from the fact that the regime provides for the granting of Golden Visas to invest in residential properties located only in the autonomous regions of Madeira and the Azores and in the interior regions. In this way, investments in properties made in the Lisbon and Porto metropolitan areas are no longer eligible.
Investment via capital transfer now has a minimum amount of 1.5 million euros (instead of 1 million euros).
Investment through capital transfer applied to research activities carried out by public or private scientific research institutions, integrated in the national scientific and technological system, now has a minimum amount of 500 thousand euros (instead of 350 thousand euros) .
The same applies to the transfer of capital intended for the acquisition of participation units in investment funds or venture capital funds. In this situation, the minimum amount rises to 500 thousand euros.
Likewise, the transfer of capital intended for the constitution of a commercial company with its head office in the national territory, combined with the creation of five permanent jobs, or for the reinforcement of the share capital of a commercial company with head office in the national territory, now has a minimum amount of 500 thousand euros (instead of 350 thousand euros).
Thus, it is possible to verify that the new Golden Visa rules, although they do not end with this regime, strongly reduce its application in Portugal and impose higher investments.
