Introduced in October 2012, Portugal’s Golden Visa has helped the country receive foreign investments worth around EUR 3.4 billion and has helped 5506 investors and 9212 family members to qualify for fast-track permanent residence in the country.
With investments worth EUR 54.6 million in November 2017, which is a 14.6% increase as compared to EUR 47.6 million in November 2016, the program continues to remain a popular investment immigration program among the global elite.
As has been the trend since the program’s introduction, purchase of property remained the preferred option in terms of number of permits issued and total investments received. In November, property investments totaled EUR 52.4 million while equity investments accounted for the rest.
Of the 93 Golden Visas issued in the month, only two permits were issued against equity investments. Of the 91 permits issued for property purchases, 14 visas were issued under the Urban Rehabilitation category. Introduced in July 2017 with a lower investment threshold, this category has received 77 successful applications till date.
Portugal has consistently introduced necessary changes to the program, including equity investments in Portuguese companies, to retain the preferred status of this residence by investment program.
A look at cumulative figures clearly highlights the preference of Chinese investors for the program and the popularity of the property investment category among investors. Close to 5200 permits have been issued against real estate investments while Chinese investors account for around 65% of total permits issued. Ranked next is Brazil with just 8% of all permits followed by South Africa, Russia, and Lebanon.
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