Portugal, Considered

The Portuguese Golden Visa, today

Since the 2023 reforms, residence by investment in Portugal is no longer obtained through direct property purchase. It is granted through qualifying investments in regulated funds, scientific research, cultural production, or the capitalisation of Portuguese companies, with a minimum commitment that begins at 500.000 euros for most programmes.

The route grants residency from day one, with a path to citizenship after five years of legal presence. Family reunification covers spouses, dependent children, and dependent parents. Physical presence requirements are amongst the most flexible in Europe: an average of seven days per year over the five year period.

We work alongside a small circle of independent lawyers, fund managers and notaries chosen for their record with discreet international families. We do not sell the Golden Visa, we coordinate it.

IFICI, the successor to NHR

The Non Habitual Resident regime closed to new entrants in 2024. Its successor, the Incentivised Tax Status for Scientific Research and Innovation, known as IFICI, is narrower in scope but materially generous for those it admits: ten years of preferential treatment on qualifying Portuguese sourced income, and a foreign income framework designed for genuine relocation.

Eligibility is granted by occupation rather than wealth, with categories that cover senior research, qualified investment management, and senior roles within companies certified as strategic to the Portuguese economy.

A careful read of the personal situation, before any move, is the difference between an elegant arrival and a costly one. We make the introduction to specialists; we do not give advice ourselves.

A house, once held

Acquiring a Portuguese residence is a beginning, not an event. We coordinate the legal, fiscal, architectural and household teams that allow a family to live in the country with ease, whether in residence for several months or for a single weekend in autumn.

We maintain a discreet roster of architects, conservators, gardeners, household staff and security advisers. None of them is on our payroll. All of them are known to us personally.