Golden Visa Process - GoldenVisaPortugal Limited

Am I able to apply for a Portugal Golden Visa?

If you are a non-E.U. or E.E.A. citizen, have no criminal record, are willing to purchase health insurance and have the means to afford one of the investment routes with no encumbrance, then you are eligible!

What are the main investment options?

Property Investment comprises over 90 % of all Golden Visa investments. The full list of options is as follows:

Capital transfer of at least EUR 1 million into Portugal
The creation of at least 10 jobs in Portugal
The purchase of property in Portugal worth at least EUR 500,000
The purchase of property in Portuguese urban regeneration areas at least 30 years old to the value of at least EUR 350,000
The purchase of property in certain low population density areas within Portugal, worth at least EUR 280,000
Investment of at least EUR 350,000 in scientific research in Portugal
Investment of at least EUR 250,000 in Portuguese culture, arts, and heritage
Investment of at least EUR 500,000 in medium sized businesses in Portugal.

What are the advantages of a Portugal Golden Visa?

The process is easy and transparent and provides for free movement within the Schengen Area and a clear path to European citizenship within 6 years. The visa is also cheaper than other European residency-by-investment schemes.

What are the advantages of the Portugal Golden Visa over Greece, Cyprus or Malta?

Efficient and transparent process
Investment into an economy that has entered a golden period of economic growth located on mainland Europe so your investment value is low risk
Very short stay requirements in Portugal
A clear tax environment, which taxes only local income until you settle in Portugal and become a tax resident. Even then, most foreign income is exempt for the first ten years. There is no wealth tax and no tax on inheritances within the immediate family
Allows you to bring 3 generations of the same family to live in Portugal through one property investment
Fast and proven to work over many years with a clear path to full E.U. citizenship, so low entry risk to achieve your focused outcomes compared to newer schemes on the market.
English is widely spoken and the environment is very welcoming
The 3^rd most peaceful nation on Earth
Easy travel access in and out of Portugal as it is an international hub
Great modern infrastructure especially the new road system

What do I have to do in order to achieve Permanent Residency?

Remember The Golden Visa scheme is only available to non-E.U. or E.E.A. citizens who must do the following:

Make a qualifying investment and maintain it for 5 years
Spend just 7 days per year in Portugal, for each of the 5 years
Maintain a clean criminal record

Can I bring my family and how many members?

Under the Portugal Golden Visa Scheme you can bring your spouse, any children under the age of 18 or dependent children aged 18-26 if they are unmarried and in full-time education, as well as the parents of either spouse if they are aged over 66, or aged over 55 and dependent on the main applicant. You can also bring siblings under the age of 18 of either spouse, if they are your legal responsibility.

Should I be careful with certain companies offering Golden Visas and related services?

It is always good to be careful, particularly where companies make fast over promises.

A mixture of legal, property and immigration companies are taking advantage of Golden Visa applicants by offering investment options that both look great on paper and meet the investment requirements – however, these options, mainly property, are often priced way above market price to take advantage of foreign investors, and often the developments are not clear of horizontal planning. This means that after 1 year of the initial Golden Visa if the property is not fully legalized then the Golden Visa process is stopped at year 2. We at GVP Life Limited with our partner lawyer CCA only work with property partners who sell clear developments to our Golden Visa clients.

It’s not uncommon to see firms offering properties to Golden Visa applicants for the convenient sum of €500,000 when the property is in fact worth much less. At GVP Life Limited, we pride ourselves on helping you make investment decisions which are in your interests and based on our own experience in investing in Portugal where we see a solid investment with good rental and capital returns.

Also many companies charge very high fees compared to GVP Life Limited, and are often three or four times more and often charge the buyer a sales commission on each property sale. We at GVP Life Limited do not expose our clients to properties that charge sales commission.

The Company Founders are permanently based in Hong Kong, staffed by Hong Kong Residents, whose founders have made the successful move to Portugal, and GVP Life Limited is accountable under Hong Kong law to our International clients, and to Hong Kong people who use our services. The Hong Kong legal system is one of the best in the World as it is based on common English law.

Can same-sex couples also apply for the Portugal Golden Visa?

Yes, same sex couples in Portugal can apply for the Golden Visa, and have all the same rights as heterosexual couples. The children of same sex couples are also eligible for residenency as dependents as long as under 18 years of age. Same Sex Marriage is recognized in Portugal.

What documents and paper work can I help prepare to make things easier?

You need 3 months of original utility bills as proof of registered address to be able to open a Portuguese bank account, national I.D. cards. You need to provide all original birth and marriage certificates, secure a certificate of non criminal record from your place of permanent residence, have a valid passport of at least 2 years, get a valid health certificate from a recognized Doctor approved by the Portuguese Govt.

A full list of all the documents will be provided to you once you enrol with GVP Life Limited.

Note: If you lack any of the above then start applying for them asap or the Golden Visa process will be slowed down. For a Certificate of No Criminal record this can take a month to secure.

Why does GVP Life Limited only advise property investment as the route to a Golden Visa?

We have studied all the other options and this simply the best, fastest, least complicated, safest and most rock solid method as it generates returns on your investment and property is a key tangible that Asian investors understand and trust.

Is the growth in Portugal a property boom only and other parts of the economy are not performing?

No it is undergoing a dynamic structural change, tourism is a mainstay but one key sector which has attracted major multinational investment is the new I.T. knowledge based economy especially in cities such as Lisbon and Porto. The Government invested heavily into education during the financial crisis and it is now paying dividends, for this reason the property rental markets are very healthy and capital growth. Following links show recent big investments:

https://www.eenewsautomotive.com/news/bmw-launches-software-jv-portugal

https://www.volkswagenag.com/en/news/2018/04/Software_development_center.html

https://econews.pt/2018/12/24/google-will-hire-800-more-people-in-portugal/