By Explorer Investments • Updated December 29, 2025
In 2026, the Portugal Golden Visa fund route is no longer just a tool for individual investors. Increasingly, it is being used by global families from the US, UK, Canada, the Middle East and Asia as a way to secure EU residency, education options and long-term citizenship for children and future generations – without having to move to Portugal full-time right away.
“The real question in 2026 is no longer “should we get a second residency?” but “which structure gives our family the best long-term European options?””
Main route
€500k Fund
Focus
Families
Stay
~7 days/year
Horizon
5–10 years
The Portugal Golden Visa is a residency-by-investment programme, not a “passport for sale”. You make a qualifying investment in Portugal and, in return, receive a renewable residence permit that:
A critical design feature – and the reason families like it – is the low minimum stay requirement. You typically only need to spend around 7 days per year in Portugal on average to keep your residence status. That makes it possible to:
For most families, the Portugal Golden Visa decision is not primarily about yield or IRR. It blends lifestyle, safety, mobility and education in a way that’s hard to replicate elsewhere.
Typical family goals we hear include:
A Portugal Golden Visa application usually starts with one main investor, then adds family members through family reunification. Subject to current law and your lawyer's advice, this often includes:
Each family member receives their own residence card and the same Schengen mobility rights as the main applicant. For many households, this means a single €500,000 fund investment can cover two or even three generations.
After recent housing reforms, classic residential real estate in Lisbon, Porto and most coastal hotspots no longer qualifies for the Golden Visa. In 2026, the flagship route for serious applicants is the €500,000 investment into a CMVM-regulated fund.
In practice, this usually means exposure to:
For families, the fund route offers clear advantages versus buying another apartment:
The trade-off: capital is at risk and returns are not guaranteed. Families should treat the Golden Visa as part of their core allocation – not as a “free passport” product.
Every situation is unique, but most family cases follow eight main steps.
Clarify your objectives: mobility, education, tax, or full relocation. Map which relatives must be included now and how Golden Visa timelines interact with school years, career plans and retirement.
At minimum, you will normally work with:
Before investing, you will obtain:
Together with your advisers you will analyse eligible funds, review strategy and risk, confirm Golden Visa compatibility and subscribe at €500,000 or more. The fund issues evidence of your subscription for your immigration file.
Your legal team compiles the application, including:
The application is submitted online to the immigration authority. Once pre-approved, you can schedule biometrics.
You and your family travel to Portugal to provide fingerprints and photos, sign forms and confirm card details. Many families combine this with a first exploratory stay in Lisbon, Cascais, Porto or the Algarve.
After biometrics, residence cards are issued. You then:
Beyond the core €500,000 investment, families should budget for:
Total fees depend on your structure and adviser choices, but it is common for a family of four to see costs in the low five-figure range, spread across initial applications and renewals. Many investors view part of this as a “mobility premium” paid to secure long-term EU options for their children.
Two concepts are often confused: holding a residence permit and being tax resident.
As a rule of thumb, you are treated as tax resident in Portugal if:
Many Golden Visa families purposely stay below that threshold and keep their economic life elsewhere, which can mean no Portuguese tax residence at the outset. Others choose to become tax resident to access favourable regimes and the public healthcare system.
Portugal has operated variations of a special tax regime for new residents (sometimes called “NHR 2.0”), offering preferential treatment on certain types of foreign income for a limited period. Rules can change and eligibility is not automatic, so you should work with a cross-border tax adviser in both Portugal and your home country.
For family planning in 2026, the main Portuguese options are:
| Feature | Golden Visa | D7 | D8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main requirement | €500k+ qualifying investment (funds, etc.) | Stable passive income (pensions, rentals, investments) | Remote work / earned income above set thresholds |
| Need to live in Portugal? | No – typically ~7 days/year | Yes – mostly full-time | Yes – mostly full-time |
| Ideal for | Busy families wanting a flexible Plan B | Retirees and passive income households | Remote professionals and entrepreneurs |
| Tax residence | Optional / case-by-case | Very likely | Very likely |
| Path to citizenship | Yes (if criteria met) | Yes (if criteria met) | Yes (if criteria met) |
In simple terms: if you are ready to move now and live in Portugal full-time, D7 or D8 may be more cost-efficient. If what you need is a low-touch, long-term Plan B while life continues elsewhere, the Golden Visa fund route is usually the only realistic option.
In many cases, yes. A single qualifying investment can support the application of your spouse and eligible dependants through family reunification. Your immigration lawyer will confirm this based on current rules and your family structure.
The Golden Visa is designed around minimal physical presence. The technical calculation can change, but in practice families often meet the rules by spending around 7 days per year in Portugal on average.
No. Children can remain at school or university in your home country, yet still accumulate years of legal residence in Portugal for future permanent residence or citizenship, as long as the Golden Visa is maintained.
Often they can, if they are genuinely financially dependent and have appropriate health coverage. You will need to document this carefully and work closely with your lawyer.
Portugal allows naturalisation after several years of legal residence, subject to conditions such as good conduct, a basic A2 Portuguese language exam and proof of effective ties. Exact timelines and criteria can evolve and should always be checked with a specialist immigration lawyer.
Many families do exactly that – they keep their time in Portugal below the 183-day threshold and maintain their main economic life elsewhere. However, tax residence is fact-specific, so you should always confirm with a cross-border tax adviser.
No. These are real investments, not fixed deposits. Funds charge fees, carry risk and may perform above or below target. The decision must make sense as part of your overall asset allocation, not just as a visa expense.
Portugal has a track record of reforming its programmes. Historically, there has often been some form of transitional arrangement, but you should not assume any rule will remain frozen. Legislative risk is part of any long-term immigration and investment strategy.
Yes. The Golden Visa gives you the right to reside in Portugal; it does not prevent you from moving full-time. Many families start with minimal stays and gradually increase time in Portugal as careers, businesses and schooling allow.
Portugal offers a mix of international schools and local public schools. Golden Visa families often start with international curricula and later consider Portuguese schools or EU universities as the plan matures.
For citizenship, a basic A2 level is required. For daily life, English is widely spoken in Lisbon, Cascais, Porto and the Algarve – but learning some Portuguese will make integration easier and strengthen your “effective ties” to the country.
Timelines vary with workloads and backlogs, so you should plan with a multi-year mindset, not a “quick passport” mentality. The Golden Visa works best for families who are thinking in 5–10 year horizons.
If the Portugal Golden Visa fund route fits your family’s goals, the next step is to move from reading articles to building a structured plan:
Done well, the Portugal Golden Visa becomes more than a visa. It becomes a long-term, regulated bridge between your family’s capital and one of Europe’s most attractive countries – with the option, not the obligation, to turn that bridge into a permanent European home.
Whether you are exploring the Portugal Golden Visa for EU residency or you simply want to allocate capital to private equity funds in Portugal, our Investor Relations team can help. We will walk you through CMVM-regulated fund options, clarify how they work for residency and for pure investment, and coordinate with trusted immigration and tax advisers. Schedule your confidential, no-obligation strategy call today.
André Bandeira
ab@explorerinvestments.com
Maria Campos Silva
mcs@explorerinvestments.com
Portugal’s Golden Visa has shifted decisively toward CMVM-regulated investment funds. Learn how the €500,000 fund route works in 2026, the key benefits (Schengen mobility, family reunification, minimal stay), and a practical due diligence checklist—built for investors who think in private equity terms.
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Get your complete, free guide to the Portuguese Golden Visa. Learn how to invest with confidence through Explorer Investments, the country's largest private equity fund.
André Bandeira
ab@explorerinvestments.comMaria Campos Silva
mcs@explorerinvestments.comCopyright © 2025 Explorer Investments
It is recommended to consult Chapter V of Decree-Law nº 162/2014, of October 31st, published in the Official Gazette, as well as its revision by Law nº 2/2020, of March 31st. The information included here is of a general nature, and therefore each potential investor should seek independent advice (e.g., legal, financial, tax, etc.)