The Golden Visa offers foreign investors, in some circumstances, the possibility of obtaining a residence permit in Portugal through investments in specific areas, such as real estate, job creation, or capital transfer.
At issue is a program, formally known as the Residence Permit for Investment Activity (ARI) scheme, which has been one of the most popular residency-by-investment schemes in Europe.
According to Bloomberg, the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) has informed potential investors that it will replace the paper application system with a digital one. There are currently between 45,000 and 50,000 golden visa applications awaiting review, according to data provided by AIMA, and applicants can now migrate their applications to the online system.
“Good news”
“This is good news for investors,” said Bettino Zanini, an immigration lawyer at Lisbon-based FiO Legal, who has participated in several group meetings with AIMA to discuss the issue.
The measure is intended to help resolve the backlog of pending cases, the news agency writes, noting that dozens of investors have resorted to legal action to try to force AIMA to speed up the processing of their applications. Some have waited years to schedule a mandatory biometric appointment, where fingerprints and other personal data are collected.
Bettino Zanini predicts that with this new system, AIMA will automatically schedule biometric appointments between 30 and 90 days after candidates complete their online applications.
The Golden Visa program requires people to spend around seven days a year in Portugal and has raised more than 7 billion euros since it was created in 2012. Most of those interested are Chinese, Brazilian and American citizens.
Would you also give an update for those with a D7 visa who have yet to obtain an AIMA appointment?
By Geo from Porto on 14 Feb 2025, 21:24
What about golden visa resident permit renewal and application for permanent resident permits which are also in the same situation in getting an appointment with AIMA to submit the required documents.
By Kadri from Other on 15 Feb 2025, 04:29
I apply work visa appointment in Portugal ammbassy but they don't reply from last 1 month and they don't give the appointment
Thanks
By Talal from Other on 16 Feb 2025, 15:25
How about tje thousands more useful workers waiting for their papers at AIMA? Instead this current admimistration shows their true colors and prioritizes resource leeches
By nunof from Lisbon on 17 Feb 2025, 11:17
THe good news is solely for people who have filed lawsuits against AIMA and people who have not yet had biometric appointments. Those of us who applied multiple years ago and have already had biometric appointments are not migrated to the new system and have been relegated to the back of the line. For Golden Visa applicants like me who have lived in Portugal for multiple years without the benefit of a residency card, cannot travel within the Schengen zone, cannot benefit from the public health system, exchange a drivers license or obtain the other benefits of residency. Giving much more recent applicants priority over those of us who have already waited for years and who have made the move to Portugal in good faith is a disgrace that reflects poorly on the integrity of the Portuguese State.
By Maxine Borcherding from Lisbon on 17 Feb 2025, 15:49
Golden Visa is the type of legislation that not just implies, but openly and unashamedly says: "one set of rules for the rich, an entirely different one for everyone else". A bit like the average Portuguese mentality: "rules are for everyone else, but not for me."
By Bo Hansen from Lisbon on 18 Feb 2025, 09:24
There are no ways 40,000-50,000 Golden Visa applications. Just not true. There might have been a few hundred per year. I think the article is mixing up all the D classifications, the golden visas, and the digital nomad applications all in one number.
By Rob from Other on 19 Feb 2025, 09:50
About time that Portugal makes it to the 21st Century.
By Martim from Lisbon on 21 Feb 2025, 14:44
Brexit MEANS Brexit #winning
By Mark Barber from UK on 22 Feb 2025, 21:21