Portugal Golden Visa keeps minimal stay rule while EU rivals tighten

Portugal’s Golden Visa program continues to attract global investors by requiring only a short physical presence. Applicants must spend an average of seven days in the first year and fourteen days for each subsequent two‑year renewal period, which can be split across multiple trips and does not need to be consecutive. The visa does not automatically create tax residency; tax status depends on spending over 183 days a year or owning a permanent home in Portugal. Investors can qualify with a €250k+ donation or fund contribution of €500k, cultural donations, scientific research funding, or job‑creating business investments; real‑estate investment stopped being a qualifying route in 2023. Permanent residency is granted after five years and citizenship after ten years under the May 2026 Nationality Law, with an A2 language requirement at those stages.

Compared with other European residency‑by‑investment schemes, Portugal’s program remains open. Spain ended its Golden Visa in April 2025, Malta’s citizenship‑by‑investment was struck down, and Greece and Italy have raised investment thresholds and tightened conditions. Portugal, however, has extended the citizenship wait from five to ten years but kept its low stay requirement, making it a leading option for absentee investors seeking EU residency.