No changes to Portugal Golden Visa until the end of the 2020
13 February 2020
The restriction to invest in real estate in the areas of Greater Lisbon, Porto and coastal regions will not be implemented in the residency by investment programme, commonly known as Golden Visa, until the end of 2020, according to Tiago Antunes, Secretary of State for the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.
Tiago Antunes stated his opinion in a local broadcast radio that the changes approved by the parliament, “which are perfectly justifiable and make total sense”, should only be implemented at the start of 2021 in order to prevent any ongoing business transactions and residency applications under the Golden Visa scheme.
“We need to explain to the market that there isn’t any kind of disturbance that justifies the cancelling of any ongoing business”, he said.
From 2021, real estate investment as an option to obtain a Golden Visa will be limited to the interior and autonomous regions of Madeira and Azores. So far, it is not fully clear which areas will be subjected to the announced restriction. The other eligible investment routes are not to suffer any changes.
More than 70,000 Alojamento Local units in Portugal are at risk of losing their licenses, which could lead to the cancellation of their short-term rental status.
A new legal change is now in effect in Portugal: Decree-Law No. 85-B/2025 introduces key updates for foreign residents, including permit validity extensions.
