Posted: Monday January 10, 2022
Changes to the Portugal Golden Visa in 2022
For almost a year, we have known that changes to the Portugal golden visa were coming.
If you are reading this, the changes are now live, coming into effect on January 1st 2022. So, with the new laws in place, what does this mean for the golden visa landscape?
The changes made to the Portugal golden visa will impact two key areas – real estate and capital transfers.
This article will look at those two areas and the impact of those changes on expats looking to obtain a Portugal golden visa.
Changes to property investment
Some areas have benefitted more than others when it comes to property investments. While locations such as Porto, Lisbon and the Algarve have a thriving property market, other parts of the country have not seen the same kind of benefits from foreign investment. According to the Portuguese government, the new laws are intended to create a more even spread of foreign investment across the country. Because the changes affect residential and commercial properties differently, let’s look at both separately.Residential property
- You will no longer be able to invest in properties in major cities or coastal towns.This means that locations such as Lisbon and the Algarve are off the table
- Real estate must be in specified interior areas of the country and worth at least €500,000. This amount drops to €300,000 if you invest in a rehabilitation project
- Properties in ‘low-density’ areas benefit from a 20% discount
Commercial property
- Commercial property can be purchased anywhere in the country, as long as it is worth at least €500,000. Again, this drops to €300,000 if you invest in a rehabilitation project
- Commercial Properties in ‘low-density’ areas also benefit from a 20% discount
Capital transfer changes
The main takeaway here is that the minimum investment amounts have increased. The table below details the changes:What is not changing?
Although a lot has changed with the Portugal Golden Visa, some things will remain the same. The following investment options did not change:- €250,000 contribution in arts
- Launching a company in Portugal and employing a minimum of 10 new local employees