Applications for Portugal’s Golden Visa have faced several delays over the last two years. Where it once took only a few months to receive a decision from the Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo (AIMA), the timeline from submission to biometrics now stretches anywhere from 6 to 24 months, depending on the AIMA office and when you applied.
It can take a further 6 to 18 months from your biometrics being captured to the issuance of your residency card. Reports from late 2026 put a realistic wait time at 12 months for files submitted by the end of 2025, to more than three years for some applications.
According to Portugal’s Article 82 of Law 23/2007, AIMA has 90 days to decide on a complete application. If that deadline is missed, you can go to court to force AIMA to make a decision, but you can’t use the courts to force AIMA to approve your application.
Portugal Golden Visa Delays: Key Takeaways
Why is the Portugal Golden Visa taking so long?
While unforeseen circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukrainian war caused some delays, the largest contributor to Portugal Golden Visa delays was the disbanding of SEF and its subsequent replacement with AIMA.
In 2024, AIMA was estimated to have a backlog of over 400,000 applications, of which 350,000 were inherited from SEF, which made delays of over a year common.
To address this, the newly elected government at the time implemented an action plan to resolve pending issues by June 2025. In addition to hiring more workers, AIMA’s then-president Luís Pinheiro confirmed that the Council of Ministers approved extending the validity of residency visas and documents by one year, until 30 June 2025.
However, that has only eased the pressure on the agency somewhat. As more Golden Visa and residency visa holders waited for an update on their application status, the government was forced to extend the validity of residency visas and documents to 15 October 2025.
Other steps that the government took included modernizing computer systems and an enhanced method for scheduling appointments and expressions of interest, which has since ended.
Due to these delays, the analysis and pre-approval of the Golden Visa can take up to 24 months, and the biometric data collection and residence card issuance can take a further 6 to 18 months.
Speeding up the process
In late October 2025, AIMA announced that it would resolve all outstanding Golden Visa applications in 2026. According to Minister of the Presidency António Leitão Amaro, residency applications such as the D3, D7, and D8 visas are being prioritized, and Golden Visas are deliberately handled last.
“Next year we will resolve the outstanding issues that, for reasons of social equity, we left until the end, which are those that pay the most, the ‘golden visas,'” he said.
But this isn’t the first time that AIMA or the government has announced a timeline and then missed it. AIMA asked all Golden Visa applicants in early 2025 to resubmit documentation with the expectation of 30- to 90-day approvals.
That was never achieved, and the agency scheduled biometric appointments between January and March 2026.
However, to put in context just how massive a task it is for AIMA and the government to process all Golden Visa applications, Amaro said that 93% of pending immigration cases (all types) had been resolved, and that the agency was processing 500,000 criminal records and collecting biometric data from applicants.
Current Portugal Golden Visa Processing Times
There is no consensus on the current processing delays for the Golden Visa, as they differ wildly depending on where you apply, the strength of your application, and when you submitted your application.
There are several crowdsourced “trackers” that rely on people submitting their application and processing dates.
As a rough guideline from Nomad Gate’s Golden Visa Timeline Tracker, the average wait time from application to pre-approval was 338 days, and from pre-approval to biometrics was 277 days.
Keep in mind that these are user-submitted data and vary by case.
| Stage | Typical duration | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Investment and document preparation | Varies by applicant | You complete the qualifying investment (fund subscription or eligible donation) and assemble your document file, including proof of funds, criminal record certificates, and NIF. |
| Submission to biometrics appointment | 6 to 24 months | AIMA reviews your file and schedules you for fingerprinting. Timing varies significantly by office and by when you applied, with some 2025 applicants seeing faster scheduling than those still in the earlier backlog. |
| Biometrics appointment | Single appointment | You and any dependents attend in person to provide fingerprints. This step cannot be completed by a legal representative on your behalf. |
| Biometrics to card issuance | 6 to 18 months | AIMA finalizes your approval and a separate state body produces your physical residence card. |
| Realistic total (submission to card) | 12 months to 3+ years | Applicants who submitted more recently are generally seeing shorter timelines. Those still working through pre-2023 backlog cases have in some instances waited three to five years. |
The 90-Day Legal Decision Requirement
According to Article 82 of Law 23/2007 of Portugal’s Immigration Law, AIMA must decide on a residence permit application within 90 working days.
This is the pre-approval stage, but several applicants have noted that there is no notification email from AIMA and that the process moves straight to appointment scheduling.
Evidence to Collect for a Delayed Case
If you have waited longer than 90 days for correspondence from AIMA and decide to take it up with the agency, there are a few documents that you’ll need to present your case:
- In the ARI portal, download copies of your application reference, submission date, proof of fee payment, and status history
- Gather all previous AIMA notifications
- Provide proof of the date that your application was complete and filed, as this starts the 90-day count and the one-year Article 69 window that follows it
- Provide proof that your qualifying investment is still held
In 2026, more than 500 Golden Visa holders began preparing a collective lawsuit over the 2026 Nationality Law changes and the absence of a transitional regime for applicants.
A consortium of law firms also filed a complaint with Portugal’s Ombudsman on behalf of 1,260 clients, targeting both the nationality law overhaul and the AIMA backlog.
Recent Golden Visa Changes
Since its inception in 2012, several Portugal Golden Visa changes have led many to speculate that it might be canceled.
- In 2022, a law restricted the ‘qualifying’ areas for real estate investment and made several investment options more expensive
- In 2023, the government passed the Mais Habitação housing bill, and all real estate investment routes were abolished
- In 2024, the government announced a new Residence Permit for Solidarity Investment
- Also in 2024, Golden Visa applications had to be submitted digitally
Benefits of Having a Second Residency or Citizenship
Residency by investment gives people the freedom of choice to start over in a new country and build a future for themselves and their families.
It further protects one’s personal, professional, and financial interests. People of all different non-EU nationalities can apply for the program.
As of 2025, more than 19,000 main applicants have received a Portugal Golden Visa, according to our Portugal Golden Visa Statistics article, bringing billions of euros worth of foreign investment into the Portuguese economy.
There are numerous advantages to holding a permanent residence permit or citizenship of an EU country, as well as being able to operate and reside in another country abroad.
Legal residence enables visa-free travel in the Schengen Area, and European citizenship (such as Portuguese citizenship, which the Portugal Golden Visa can lead to) enables you to live and work anywhere in the EU. The main benefits include:
- Visa-free travel to 187 countries with a Portuguese passport
- A fiscal and asset protection backup plan
- Access to public education and healthcare
In addition to these benefits, Portugal Golden Visa investors put their money into a qualifying investment, which provides the opportunity for a return on investment or a sense of well-being from a philanthropic donation.
The options available in 2026 include investments into local heritage projects, scientific research, job creation, or an investment fund. An investment fund is a type of financial product that collects investors’ money and invests it in certain assets to increase capital.
Why Work with Global Citizen Solutions?
- Local presence with in-house legal and investment expertise
- Trusted by 15,000+ clients worldwide
- Over a decade of advisory expertise
- Dedicated relationship manager
- Transparent fees and guidance
- Support beyond approval
