Opinion: Why the Portugal Golden Visa Fund Route Still Beats Global Residency Programmes in 2026

André Bandeira
Wen, 17 Dec 2025 09:00:00 GMT
Opinion, Portugal Golden Visa, Private Equity

Opinion piece by André Bandeira, Investor Relations at Explorer Investments, explaining why he still believes the Portugal Golden Visa fund route and private equity platform should sit at the centre of global families’ residency-by-investment planning in 2026, even after comparing programmes in the US, Greece, the UAE and beyond.

In this opinion article, André Bandeira, Investor Relations at Explorer Investments, shares his personal view on why the Portugal Golden Visa fund route continues to stand out against global residency-by-investment alternatives in 2026. Drawing on conversations with hundreds of families from the US, UK, Canada, the Middle East and Asia, he explains why he sees Portugal as the most balanced option when you consider legal stability, regulated funds, lifestyle and long-term family planning.

The piece compares Portugal with investor visas in the US, real estate Golden Visas in Greece, long-term visas in the UAE and other global programmes covered in the Era of Global Golden Visas comparison. It also shows how Explorer’s Portugal Private Equity & Golden Visa Guide 2026 and the Portugal Golden Visa Fund Route Application Checklist fit into a coherent strategy for deploying capital into CMVM-regulated funds while structuring a Golden Visa application.

For readers who want to understand the human side of the Portugal decision, the article links to other editorial pieces such as Maria Campos Silva’s opinion on why global families invest in Portugal private equity and the guide to 7 things American expats wish they knew before moving to Portugal. The result is a strongly SEO-optimised, high-intent opinion article that positions the Portugal Golden Visa fund route at the centre of global residency planning for sophisticated investors.