Golden Visa (Autorização de Residência para Atividade de Investimento, ARI) for Portugal (2026 guide)
An investor residence permit for non-EU nationals who commit qualifying capital to Portugal, requiring as little as 7 days presence per year and leading to permanent residence or citizenship after 5 years. Every number below comes from the route itself: the income bar, the documents, the fees, the clock. Check yourself against the real requirements before you commit to Portugal, so the consulate is a formality instead of a surprise.
The Golden Visa (Autorização de Residência para Atividade de Investimento, ARI), in numbers
What Portugal actually asks of you on this route. If a fact is not confirmed in the Nomad knowledge graph, it is not shown here.
- Renewable
- Yes
- Renewable up to
- 5 years total
- Family can come
- Yes
- Remote work for a foreign employer
- Allowed
- Tax treatment
- Becomes Portuguese tax resident only if >183 days in country. Low presence requirement (7 days year 1, 14 days years 2-3, 14 days years 4-5) makes non-tax-resident structure common. If non-resident, only Portuguese-source income taxed.
The 8 documents your application stands on
Applications rarely fail on eligibility. They fail on one missing paper, discovered at the appointment. Gather these before you book anything and the filing week goes quiet.
- Passport 6mo Validity
- FBI Background Check
- Hague Apostille US
- NIF Portugal
- Portuguese Bank Account
- Investment Proof Golden Visa
- Health Insurance Proof
- Portuguese Translation Certified
How this route fits your move
A visa is not a decision on its own. It sets your move date, the documents you chase first, and in some cases where your taxes land. The facts above tell you whether the Golden Visa (Autorização de Residência para Atividade de Investimento, ARI) clears your situation on paper. What they cannot tell you is the order: which document to start first because it expires, when to book the appointment, what has to be apostilled before it crosses a border.
That sequencing is where moves stall. If this route fits, work backward from your target date. If the income bar or the document list rules it out, compare the other Portugal routes below before you rule out the country, because most destinations have more than one way in.
Other ways into Portugal
- Citizenship by Naturalization (Aquisição da Nacionalidade Portuguesa por Naturalização)
- D2 Entrepreneur Visa (Visto para Imigrantes Empreendedores)
- D3 Highly Qualified Activity Visa (Visto para Atividade Altamente Qualificada)
- D7 Passive Income Visa (Visto de Residência para Aposentados ou Titulares de Rendimentos)
- D8 Digital Nomad Visa (Visto para Imigrantes Trabalhadores Remotos)
- Family Reunification (Reagrupamento Familiar)
- Job Seeker Visa (Visto para Procura de Trabalho)
- Permanent Residency (Autorização de Residência Permanente)
- Sephardic Jewish Citizenship (Aquisição da Nacionalidade para Descendentes de Judeus Sefarditas)
- Student Visa (D4 / Visto para Estudo, Estágio Não Remunerado ou Voluntariado)
- Tech Visa (Portugal Tech Visa Program)
The Golden Visa (Autorização de Residência para Atividade de Investimento, ARI), answered
- How much income do I need for the Golden Visa (Autorização de Residência para Atividade de Investimento, ARI)?
- Portugal asks for $0 per month for a single applicant on the Golden Visa (Autorização de Residência para Atividade de Investimento, ARI).
- How long does the Golden Visa (Autorização de Residência para Atividade de Investimento, ARI) last?
- The initial grant runs 2 years. It is renewable for up to 5 years in total.
- Can my family come with me on the Golden Visa (Autorização de Residência para Atividade de Investimento, ARI)?
- Yes, this route allows dependents.
- What does the Golden Visa (Autorização de Residência para Atividade de Investimento, ARI) cost?
- The application fee is $605. All in, expect about $30,000 once supporting documents and filings are counted.
Turn the Golden Visa (Autorização de Residência para Atividade de Investimento, ARI) into a dated plan.
Start a plan and this route becomes dated tasks: each document sequenced backward from your move date, alongside the taxes, the logistics, and everything else Portugal will ask of you. About 90 seconds to a real plan.
Free to start. No card required for the plan preview.
Not immigration, tax, or legal advice. Always confirm requirements with the official source before you file.