Important Update: Portugal approved revisions to its nationality law in 2026 that may affect Portugal Golden Visa holders seeking Portuguese citizenship through naturalization.
The approved changes include:
- Extending the general citizenship eligibility period from 5 years to 10 years for most applicants (7 years for EU and CPLP nationals)
- Starting the residence counting period from the issuance of the residence permit
After revisions, the law was reapproved by Parliament on April 1, 2026, with a two-thirds majority. On May 3, 2026, the President signed the law.
For more details, please read Portuguese Nationality Law Change News
The Portuguese Golden Visa is a residency by investment program that allows non-EU nationals to make an investment in Portugal and get a residence permit. The permit allows applicants to live, work, and study in Portugal, travel freely across Europe, and eventually become Portuguese citizens at the end of five years.
In this article, you will find all the data and statistics surrounding the Golden Visa program in Portugal.
What You Will Find in This Article
AIMA Portugal Golden Visa Statistics for September 2023
2023 total number:
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- A total of 4,455 applicants applied for the Portugal Golden Visa in 2023
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- 2,901 applied as family
- 1,554 applied as individuals
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- A total of 4,455 applicants applied for the Portugal Golden Visa in 2023
In terms of nationalities, the breakdown for the month of September 2023 is:
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- 567 USA
- 306 China
- 234 United Kingdom
- 219 Brazil
- 199 India
In terms of investment type, the breakdown for the month of September 2023 is:
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- 99 applicants purchased real estate
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- 49 for €500,000+ or €400,000+ properties
- 50 for €350,000 or €280,000 renovated properties
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- 57 applicants pursued capital transfer
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- 50 for Portuguese investment funds
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- 99 applicants purchased real estate
All-Time Portugal Golden Visa Statistics: 2012-2023
Nationalities (2012-2023)
Until today, 12,718 main applicants have been granted Portugal Golden Visa. 20,424 dependent family members have accompanied them.
The largest number of applicants have consistently been from China every year since the launch of the Golden Visa program in Portugal. A far second in terms of nationalities is Brazil, and then comes the UAE.
Discover AIMA’s latest report insights here: “Portugal Breaks Records: 1 Million+ Foreign Residents in 2023“.
You can clearly see the top five Portugal Golden Visa nationalities and their volume in the table below.
Family Reunification: Number of Dependents
Under the family reunification rule of Portugal Golden Visa, the dependents of the main applicants can also benefit from the program.
In the below chart, you will see the number of main applicants (investors) and the number of family members that they tagged on to their applications.
Golden Visa Investment Types
The below chart displays the breakdown of investment types that applicants pursued their applications.
It is important to point out that, although real estate dominates the chart, Portuguese venture capital/investment fund is a trending investment method. The reason it has such a low representation in the pie is that it only gained popularity as of 2019 when the minimum required investment amount dropped from €500,000 to €350,000. The amount increased back to €500,000 on January 1st, 2022.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the backlog of the golden visa in Portugal?
According to AIMA, there are many applications awaiting. Their aim is to solve this issue with the new digital system. This solution will help the investors not to wait because of the backlogs in the system.
How long does it take to get Portuguese citizenship through a golden visa?
In May 2026, the President signed the new Nationality Law extending the general residence period required for citizenship from five to ten years for most applicants. As implementation details and transitional rules may still evolve, applicants should verify the latest requirements with official Portuguese government sources before applying.
How many people have applied for the Portugal Golden Visa since the program started?
In total, around 13,000 residence permits have been issued to Portugal Golden Visa investors since 2012, the beginning of the program.
What's the most popular Portugal Golden Visa investment option?
After the elimination of the real estate option, the fund investment has been the most popular investment type for Portugal Golden Visa applications.
