Golden Visa
For a residential property to be eligible for the golden visa, there are two main things to consider: location and price.
Golden Visa Location Criteria: As of January 2022, residential properties purchased in certain areas (basically coastal Portugal, including Lisbon, Porto, and most of the Algarve) are no longer eligible for the golden visa. Properties purchased in most of the interior and the islands of Madeira and the Azores still qualify.
Golden Visa Price Criteria: Typically for a property to qualify for the golden visa, it needs to cost €500k or more. However, there are some exceptions where it can cost less.
•€400k if it’s in a low population density area
•€350k if the property is at least 30 years old or in a designated urban rehabilitation area
•€280k if the property meets the criteria for the €350k price and is also in a low-density area
The €280k and €350k price points can include the cost of renovation, but this needs to be already paid and documented at the time of application if it’s to be factored into the golden visa application.
The D7 visa doesn’t require you to purchase a property to qualify – the focus is generally on passive income such as a pension, although it does ask for an address in Portugal which could be a property you purchase but equally could be a rental.
If you do decide to apply for the D7 and also purchase a property, there are currently no restrictions on where the property can be.
More information: https://www.sef.pt
Regular visa
Once you’ve decided that you’re moving to Portugal and you’ve chosen which city you want to call home, you’ll need to work out your visa options. Portugal is a member of the European Union (EU). Therefore, it has a two-tier immigration system that means citizens of other EU/EEA member states have the right to move there through Freedom of Movement. Following the United Kingdom’s exit from the EU, this right no longer applies if you’re a UK citizen. Be sure to check the latest visa requirements to find out more.
If you’re not from an EU/EEA country, however, then you may require a visa to enter Portugal, even for a short period of time. However, the requirements largely depend on your nationality and circumstances, so make sure you check well ahead of time to avoid any last-minute disappointments. If you plan to stay longer than 90 days, you’ll need to apply for a short-term visa which lets you stay up to a year. For stays longer than this, a long-term visa will be required.