Golden visa investment in June up 35 percent which represented a total of €52.8 million.
Last month (June) 90 permits were issued, of which 87 were for property purchases. Of these, four were granted for urban rehabilitation.
Between July of 2016, when the urban rehabilitation clause was introduced, a total of 164 permits have been issued for this type of investment.
Since October of 2012, the Portuguese Golden Visa investment ‘brought’ a total investment of €3.895 billion, of which €3.529 is for property purchases.
In all 6,369 permits have been issued over the last five-and-a-half years. China accounts for the largest number of foreign citizens securing there permits: 3,890 so far. That is followed by Brazil with 561, South Africa with 254, Turkey with 224 and Russia with 222.
One of the main routes for applicants has been investing in real estate. Investors can expect return on their investments, in the main cities, of around 10-12 percent every year. Tourism is increasing 50 percent on the last three years, allowing investors to place their properties on the short rental market, renting these properties to tourists, and generating per year around five to 10 percent rental income.
About the Portuguese Golden Visa program
The Portuguese Golden Visa program allows investors to freely live, work, and study in the whole Schenghen area; and after six years they can even apply for a Portuguese passport.
Who can request a residence permit for investment activities?
Third country nationals who either carry out investment activities personally or through a company that lead to least one of the following situations in Portuguese territory for a minimum period of five years:
- The acquisition of real estate with a value of 500 thousand Euros or more.
- Transfer of capital worth 1 million Euros or more (including investments in company stocks or shares).
- The creation of at least 10 jobs.
- The transfer of capital in values greater than or equal to 250 thousand Euros, applied to support artistic production, recovery or maintenance of cultural heritage.
- Transfer of capital in values greater than or equal to 350 thousand Euros, applied to scientific and technological research activities
- The purchase of real estate with a global value greater than or equal to 350 thousand euros
(in an area of urban rehabilitation, or buildings over 30 years old and the implementation of recovery works to the property purchased). - Transfer of values with a global value greater than or equal to 500 thousand euros for the purchase of participation units in investment funds or risk capital aimed at the capitalization of small and medium companies which, for this purpose, present the respective capitalization plan which is deemed viable.
