Portugal Golden Visa 2026 Guide - CMVM Funds, Law Freeze & 5-Year Citizenship

Golden Visa Explorer Investments Editorial Team
Wed, 03 Dec 2025 18:37:00 GMT
Golden Visa Portugal, Residency by Investment, Investment Funds

Updated 2026 guide to the Portugal Golden Visa. Understand the CMVM-regulated €500k fund route, the nationality law freeze and how to secure a 5-year path to Portuguese and EU citizenship via regulated investment funds.

Portugal’s Golden Visa has evolved from a property-led program into a regulated financial product. In 2026, the blue-chip route is clear: a €500,000 allocation into a CMVM-regulated fund that provides low-presence residency in Portugal and a potential 5-year path to EU citizenship.

CMVM supervision means Golden Visa funds must be licensed, audited and professionally managed, with transparent reporting and full compliance under Portuguese securities law. For investors, this transforms the Golden Visa into a recognisable portfolio allocation rather than a standalone real estate bet.

The current nationality law freeze has created a time-sensitive window: the existing 5-year citizenship rule remains valid while Portugal’s Constitutional Court reviews proposed changes. New investors can still enter the program under today’s framework and seek to “lock in” the current rules before any future reform applies to incoming applicants.

To qualify, non-EU investors typically subscribe a minimum of €500,000 into an eligible Portuguese fund, pass full AML/KYC checks, obtain a Portuguese tax number (NIF), open a local bank account and appoint a licensed immigration lawyer. The program’s low physical presence requirement—an average of seven days per year in Portugal—allows families to maintain their primary base elsewhere while building a structured route to EU residency.

For many globally mobile families, the Portugal Golden Visa via CMVM funds is now used as a strategic wealth and mobility tool, sitting alongside private equity, fixed income and public markets, while potentially delivering the long-term “return” of European citizenship.