Portugal Golden Visa in 2026: the routes that remain and the new 7/10-year citizenship rule
Portugal’s Golden Visa (officially the ARI residence permit) remains one of Europe’s most popular residency-by-investment routes thanks to its low physical-presence requirement. Two big changes define it in 2026: the investment options have narrowed, and the path to citizenship has lengthened. The programme is administered by AIMA, Portugal’s immigration agency.
The real-estate route is gone
Since October 2023, buying property no longer qualifies for the Golden Visa. The routes that remain are:
- Investment fund subscription — typically €500,000 into a Portuguese regulated fund that is not real-estate focused. This is now the most common route.
- Cultural or heritage donation — from €250,000 (less in low-density areas).
- Scientific / research investment — from €500,000.
- Job creation — creating at least 10 full-time jobs, with no fixed capital minimum.
The headline attraction is unchanged: you only need to spend an average of about seven days a year in Portugal to keep the permit.
The 2026 nationality law
The most important 2026 development is Portugal’s new Nationality Law, in force from 19 May 2026, widely reported across the investment-migration press. It replaces the old five-year path to citizenship with:
- Seven years for nationals of EU and Portuguese-speaking (CPLP) countries, and
- Ten years for everyone else.
Crucially, the clock now generally runs from the date the first residence permit is issued. Applications for citizenship filed on or before 18 May 2026 are assessed under the previous five-year rules. The Golden Visa’s residency rights and minimum-stay rules themselves did not change — only the citizenship timeline.
What this means for applicants
Portugal is still an excellent choice if your goal is flexible EU residency with a genuine (if longer) path to an EU passport. Budget realistically for the fund route, factor in the longer citizenship horizon, and be aware that AIMA has worked through a significant processing backlog, so timelines can be long. Get independent advice on fund selection — it is the part of the process where quality varies most.
Legal timelines and thresholds change. Verify current rules with AIMA or a Portuguese immigration lawyer before applying.
Portugal AIMA · IMI Daily — Europe
Verified 2026-07-21. Figures change — confirm with the official source before acting.