Portugal, which is located in the southwestern part of the European continent and next to Spain, borders Spain to the east and north and ends at the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south. It also has two islands of its own in the western part and in the same ocean, of course, those two islands have autonomous political status. According to the latest statistics, Portugal has a population of about 10 million and 200 thousand people and an area of ​​92 thousand square kilometers. Portugal is generally divided into two metropolitan areas, Porto in the north and Lisbon in the south, with Lisbon as its capital, and the country’s provincial areas are divided into 7 regions and 18 districts. The climate of Portugal is generally temperate, with the northern part generally having a wetter climate. The government of this country is a parliamentary republic and, in terms of economy, it had a gross domestic product of 240 billion dollars last year and has an advanced economy that continues to grow rapidly, and at a remarkable pace. This issue is not limited to the economy, but rather the rapid progress of Portugal in welfare, quality of life, living conditions, human rights, happiness and satisfaction of the people, the high quality of the labor market and education system, and dozens of other things have received much attention, and therefore immigration to this country by any possible method, especially the more popular methods such as educational immigration, investment immigration, startups, entrepreneurship, work, etc., has been attracting the attention of the world, especially developing countries, for several years.

In addition to the various popular methods of immigration to this beautiful country, a few of which have been mentioned, immigration to this country through investment has received much attention in the last decade. The government of this country has been offering a Golden Visa for foreign investors since 2012, and in this program, generally buying property, startups and entrepreneurship, and financial security visas are among the most popular and common methods of immigration through investment. The country offers one of the best investment programs in the world, and investment immigration to Portugal has gained popularity in recent years due to its flexibility and simplicity. Citizens of countries outside the European Union and Switzerland can obtain permanent residency in Portugal through this method.

Benefits of Immigration for Investment and Startups to Portugal

Speed ​​and ease of immigration file execution and processing compared to other popular countries for investment

Having a Schengen visa and the ability to travel to all European Schengen member countries

Lower cost for some types of investments such as startups and entrepreneurship compared to other popular countries for investment

Possibility of obtaining permanent residence for family members (generally spouse and children under 18)

Possibility of accompanying parents over 66 years of age without the need to prove their financial independence, and also in some cases, permission to accompany siblings under 18

Possibility of accompanying parents between 55 and 65 years of age, provided that they prove their financial independence

Work and residence permit in Portugal, as well as work permit for spouse and study permit for children under 18

Less required period of presence compared to investment programs in other countries,

Obtaining permanent residence in Portugal after 5 years
Application for citizenship and nationality after the fifth year and obtaining a valid passport Portugal
General conditions for investment immigration to Portugal
Investment must remain in place for at least 5 years
Ensure that the source of capital is foreign
Entering Portugal using a Schengen visa
No history of immigration or Schengen laws
No criminal record in Portugal and the country of origin
Duration of stay in Portugal: at least 7 days in the first year and 14 days in subsequent years
Documents required for investment immigration to Portugal
Identity documents
Financial documents related to the type of investment (you must make the investment before applying for a visa to provide the relevant documents)
Valid passport and Schengen visa
Portuguese tax number
Certificate of no criminal record
Certificate from the Portuguese Tax and Social Security Authority stating that you have no debt to this country
Health care coverage in Portugal
Supplementary documents indicating the individual’s employment and educational history
Obtaining a Portuguese visa by investment (Golden Visa)
Investment through the purchase of property:

Purchase of property or assets worth at least 500 thousand EUR
Or purchase of property or assets worth 350,000 euros for properties located in areas with a dilapidated fabric, where the building is more than 20 years old and in need of renovation, and in areas undergoing renovation and with fewer facilities in Portugal.

Financial investment:

Investment in research activities worth 350,000 euros
Investment in the restoration of cultural and historical sites worth 250,000 euros
Purchase of shares in investment funds or venture capital worth 500,000 euros
Purchase of shares worth 1 million euros

Investment through business:

Creation of a business that leads to the creation of 10 jobs and the actual employment of 10 new Portuguese citizens or more.
Or investment in shares of a company worth at least 350,000 euros. (Equivalent to creating or maintaining 5 permanent jobs for three years)

In the Golden Visa method, if you maintain your capital and do not encounter any specific problems, including legal problems, etc., the temporary residence card will be extended for 5 years, and after 5 years, you will be able to apply for permanent residence in Portugal.

Benefits of the Golden Visa: You will usually not be required to be present in Portugal; except for 2 weeks per year for the first 2 years and 1 week per year for the next 3 years; in other words, a total of 7 weeks (50 days). Another advantage is that while you have temporary residence in Portugal, you are getting closer to your goal of obtaining citizenship in this country.

Disadvantages of the Golden Visa: One is that it requires a high cost to obtain this type of visa, which not everyone can afford. (For example, 500 thousand euros at the rate of the end of 1400, is equivalent to 15 billion and 500 million tomans) and another disadvantage is the high cost of visa renewal; for example, the cost of visa renewal for other investment or startup methods is about 150 euros, while the cost of renewing this type of visa is about 5 thousand euros.

Portugal residency through startup

Residence in Portugal through startup is for people who have an innovative plan in the field of entrepreneurship; especially focusing more on technology-based businesses. Among the advantages of this visa are the lack of language knowledge, ease of obtaining (citizenship after 5 years), the possibility of accompanying a spouse and children under 18 years of age (or children over 18 years of age with a special problem such as a disability who depend on your help). The main requirements for obtaining a Portuguese startup visa are:

At least 18 years of age

No criminal record

No regular residence in the Schengen area (the visa is most popular with immigrants from the European Union and the Schengen area)

Having an entrepreneurial plan to develop it in Portugal (in this regard, the person does not necessarily need to have implemented the desired plan in their own country or have a management, entrepreneurial, etc. background)

Having an amount of 5,146 euros in a bank account for each year per person

Proof that your startup focuses on technology

Proof that your startup creates jobs

Within 5 years after the start of your project, your company and business turnover will reach 325,000 euros annually.

The cost required to start a startup is usually not mentioned in terms of having a specific amount to start; except for the financial means of 5,000 euros in the bank account; and only your presented plan and the implementation of the necessary estimates are the criteria. But in this regard, if a person does not have a specific plan, the suggested amount is around 150,000 euros to start with; unless the person has a unique plan that, depending on the type of plan, the way in which that plan convinces the officers to issue the visa, and also on its strength, will reach the stage of meeting the mentioned requirements sooner and more profitably, so in this case the need for initial capital can be much less (about one fifth).

Therefore, if you, as an applicant for a Portuguese startup visa, have less capital and on the other hand, according to the above, you do not have a very comprehensive, creative and convincing plan for the Portuguese Immigration and Economic Administration to achieve this goal.

Portugal Residency through Financial Independence Visa (FIP)

Investment Immigration to Europe through Financial Independence Visa (FIP) There is another immigration program for several European countries, including Portugal, which stands for Financial Independent Person (FIP), which is actually used to obtain residency in several European countries through financial independence. In fact, in this case, you must prove that you have a fixed monthly income and are financially independent without having to work and will not be a burden on the government of the destination country. Also, this income does not necessarily have to be provided from Portugal.

Your fixed monthly income can be through property rental, profit from buying stocks, profit from bank deposits, or a combination of them. The FIP immigration program is more suitable for retired people or those about to retire. 6 European countries, Portugal, France, Spain, Greece, Switzerland and Austria are among the countries that are well-active in the FIP program. Like other methods, this method also requires a 5-year temporary residence and maintaining the necessary capital for up to 5 years to obtain permanent residence.

The conditions for the Portugal FIP visa are:
Not being a resident of the European Union
No criminal record
Minimum annual income of more than 7,600 euros (plus 3,800 euros for a spouse and 3,200 euros for each child)
Providing financial means evidence that the above-mentioned minimum income can be estimated
During the 5 years until the application for permanent residence, you must be present in Portugal for at least 6 months (187 days to be exact) per year.

One of the advantages of the Portugal FIP visa is that it requires less means and capital than many other investment methods in Portugal, and one of its disadvantages is the requirement to be present in Portugal for at least 187 days of the year.

Requirements for obtaining permanent residence and Portuguese citizenship

All people who move to Portugal through capital migration can apply for permanent residence after 5 years and for citizenship and a Portuguese passport after the fifth year. To obtain permanent residence, applicants and their family members must not have a criminal record in the past five years. They must provide evidence of financial independence, that is, adequate and sufficient income to live in Portugal. Having a place to live and basic Portuguese language knowledge are also requirements for obtaining permanent residence in Portugal. To obtain citizenship, it is also required to be at least 18 years old, have no criminal record, and pass a Portuguese language test.