The Portugal Golden Visa is one of the most popular residency-by-investment programs in the world.
The scheme effectively provides a ‘goldenpassport’ that enables visa-free access to the Schengen Area and the opportunity to live in a safe and stable country.
However, not everything has been going as smoothly as many Golden Visa applicants would hope. Due to a wide range of factors, there have been delays in processing applications.
In this article, we’ll cover:
⚠️ Portugal Nationality Law Changes 2025
On June 23, 2025, the Portuguese Government announced plans to amend the Nationality Law and the legal framework governing immigration. The proposals have passed the plenary vote on October 28, 2025, which marks a significant step forward in the legislative process.
Among the measures under discussion are an increase in the residence requirement for nationality from five years to ten years – seven years for nationals of CPLP and EU countries – and a change to how residency time is calculated, so that the clock would start when residency is issued rather than when the application is submitted.
These changes are not yet law. They must still undergo Presidential review. At that stage, the President may promulgate the law, issue a veto, or request a review by the Constitutional Court. The final text may still be amended, including any transitional provisions or possible grandfathering rules, but they might not be enacted because the law is not final until its promulgated.
For the latest information regarding these changes, read Portugal Nationality and Citizenship Changes 2025
Portugal’s Golden Visa Delays
While unforeseen circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukrainian war caused some delays, the largest contributor to untimely Portugal Golden Visa applications was the disbanding of SEF and its subsequent replacement with AIMA.
In 2024, it is estimated that AIMA had 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 president Luís Goes Pinheiro confirmed that the Council of Ministers approved the validity of residency visas and documents by one year until 30 June 2025.
However, that has only eased the pressure of the agency somewhat. As more Golden Visa and residency visa holders wait 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.
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 proclaimed that it will resolve all outstanding Golden Visa applications in 2026. According to Minister of the Presidency António Leitão Amaro, residency applications such as D3, D7, and D8 Visa 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 revealed a timeline – and not sticking to it. AIMA asked all Golden Visa applicants in early 2025 to resubmit documentation with the expectations of 30 to 90-day approvals. That was never achieved and the agency has been scheduling biometric appointment from January through 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 percent of pending immigration cases (all types) have been resolved, and processing 500,000 criminal records and collecting biometric data from applicants.
Recent Golden Visa Changes
Since its inception in 2012, several Portugal Golden Visa changes has led many to assume that it will eventually 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.
- The government introduced the New Residence Permit for Solidarity Investment in 2024.
- Also in 2024, Golden Visa applications would need be submitted digitally.
Below are the available investments that are eligible for the Golden Visa in Portugal, as well as the minimum investment requirements:
- Fund subscription: Contribute to a qualified investment fund (such as private equity funds or venture capital funds) worth at least €500,000
- Investment or donation in the arts or reconstruction of national cultural heritage with a donation of at least €250,000. This is the lowest minimum investment threshold.
- Scientific research: Science or Technology research contribution of at least €500,000
- Creation of ten jobs: Creation and maintenance of ten jobs during the required period
- Share capital and job creation: Incorporation of a commercial company in the national territory or reinforcement of a company’s share capital (this company must have its head office in the national territory), in either case with an investment of €500,000, combined with the creation of five or maintaining ten jobs (five of them permanent)
Positive News for Golden Visa Investors
Residency waiting time now counts toward nationality
In January 2024, the Portuguese parliament approved crucial changes to the nationality law, bringing relief to thousands of applicants affected by delays in residency application processing by AIMA. This major revision addresses the waiting period required for Portuguese nationality applications.
Under this new law, the time between the submission of the temporary residency permit application and its final approval will be taken into account when calculating the required legal residency period for nationality, as long as the residence permit is granted. The significant changes to Portugal’s nationality law add a layer of anticipation to the positive changes for Golden Visa applicants.
⚠️ Update on Portugal's Nationality Law Changes
On 28 October 2025, Portugal's parliament approved key amendments of the Nationality Law, including increasing the residency requirement for citizenship from 5 to 10 years, and 7 years for CPLP nationals and EU citizens. This will significantly impact how visa holders and residents acquire citizenship.
However, these changes are not yet law. They must still undergo Presidential review where the President may promulgate the law, issue a veto, or request a review by the Constitutional Court. The final text may still be amended but they might not be enacted because the law is not final until its promulgated.
For the latest information regarding these changes, read Portugal Nationality and Citizenship Changes 2025
The proposed law will also overturn the previous revision, stating that the time to citizenship begins from the date the first residence permit is issued, not from the date of application.
Golden Visa renewals are processing very fast, but there are still delays
Golden Visas could be renewed online until December 31, 2023. While this option is no longer available, the automatic online renewal process introduced by the former SEF was reported to be efficient at that time. Some early applicants who renewed their Golden Visa this way received their new residency cards in less than two weeks. One significant advantage of online renewals was that there appeared to be no requirement to submit documents already available to SEF from the initial application.
Although the initial application still requires an in-person biometrics visit and there remains a considerable backlog, renewing existing applications was expected to help clear this backlog more quickly.
Many investors have taken legal action regarding delays in obtaining a Golden Visa to expedite the process, with reports indicating that SEF has lost hundreds of these cases. Courts have made favorable decisions for foreign investors based on legal appointment deadlines, stating that such delays in the process are not lawful.
Benefits of Having a Second Residency or Citizenship
Citizenship or permanent 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 September 2023, there have been a total of 12,718 Portugal Golden Visa investors, 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. While legal residence enables visa free travel in the Schengen Area, and European citizenship (such as Portuguese citizenship), which there’s a pathway to through the Portugal Golden Visa program, enables you to live and work anywhere in this zone.
The main benefits can be summed up as follows:
As well as 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 2024 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 choose Global Citizen Solutions for your Portugal Golden Visa?
- Global approach by local experts: A team of experienced local case executives, immigration lawyers, and investment specialists based in Portugal.
- Independent service:We are not a marketing agency for any projects. You will access all eligible routes for the Golden Visa, with over 40 vetted qualifying investment options, so you can decide on the best option for you.
- 100% approval rate: We have the unique distinction of never having had a Golden Visa case rejected and have helped hundreds of clients from more than 35 countries.
- All-encompassing solution: Our dedicated onboarding and immigration teams will assist you throughout the process and beyond with a single channel of communication.
- Transparency: Our fees are clear and detailed, covering the entire process with no hidden costs.
- Privacy: Your personal data is stored within a GDPR-compliant database on a secure SSL-encrypted server.
To see the full list of reasons why to work with Global Citizen Solutions for your Portugal Golden Visa, you can find out more here: Why Work with Global Citizen Solutions for Your Golden Visa Portugal Application?
