Portugal is a wonderful country with interesting and beautiful tourism destinations. It is a fairly progressive country with opportunities for development. A residence permit in Portugal opens up great prospects, among which the main one is the opportunity to live in a European country.
For investors, a residence permit in Portugal through the purchase of real estate is the easiest and most affordable way to obtain citizenship in the future and settle in Europe.
Also, foreigners are attracted by the possibility of moving around the Schengen zone without the need for a visa. The stability of the economy allows business development, and tax breaks only contribute to this.
In order to simplify and speed up obtaining a residence permit in Portugal, we advise you to use the services of a licensed migration agent. My Portugal Residency migration agency will help you to take care of legal issues and logistics.
There are several ways to move to a residence permit in Portugal, and they are all legal. Each person wishing to change their place of residence must choose the most suitable basis for themselves, applying to their life situation.
Residence permit for students
It is easiest for students to obtain a residence permit in Portugal. To do this, they must present a paper on admission to a Portuguese university and a bank statement confirming financial independence.
The money should be enough to pay for tuition and living. On average, the cost of studying at a university costs 900-1200 euros. You can live on the territory of the country for the entire period while training is underway.
Residence permit by investment
Investors are welcomed by the country’s authorities and greatly appreciated as they play an important role in raising the country’s economic performance.
Purchasing a residence permit in Portugal by investment is one of the most popular options to stay in the country. The conditions are simple – it is enough to buy a house for a total amount of 500,000 euros.
The option of investment finance in historic buildings and their subsequent reconstruction will be cheaper. 350,000 euros will be enough.
Investment in the economy, business ideas, and entrepreneurship development will cost 350,000 – 1 million euros.
After 5 years, the property can be sold, and the residence permit will remain with the owner. In order not to lose the status, you must live in the country 7 days a year.
Golden Visa Portugal
Golden Visa Portugal is issued automatically if you buy real estate in the country from 500,000 euros. If it is a poorly developed city or region, then the starting amount is reduced to 400,000 euros.
Also, to obtain this type of visa when investing in entrepreneurship, it is necessary to create at least 30 jobs and spend 500,000 euros on a small business support fund.
Startup visa
Obtaining a residence permit in Portugal through the Startup Visa program is designed for residents of non-EU countries. The project allows you to start the work of a branch of your business within the country or start a business from scratch.
The requirements for opening are as follows:
- Relevance in the modern world and usefulness for people are welcomed
- The investor must have team management skills
- The applicant must have enough money to launch his idea
- A startup must be profitable and provide jobs
The term of a startup visa is unlimited, and an application for its registration can be submitted all year round using the online form. You must write an application in Portuguese or English.
EU Blue Card
A blue card is a document that grants the right to legal residence and employment in EU countries. This is a kind of analog of a green card in the United States. The main condition for obtaining a card is the presence of higher education and lack of citizenship in any of the EU countries.
The application form is filled out online and after that, the applicant waits for it to interest one of the Portuguese employers. If the result is positive, the candidate receives a call to work. It is quite difficult to work on a blue card because the salary should be 1.5 times higher than the national average.
Residence permit for financially independent persons
For financially independent foreigners, there is a separate program that implies the issuance of a visa for 1 year with an extension. To issue a residence permit, you must provide:
- Certificate of opening a bank account in the country
- Register with the tax office
- At the request of the migration services, provide a contract and prove qualifications
Work immigration
The most common way to immigrate and obtain a residence permit in Portugal is through employment. To do this, you need to find a company that is ready to hire a foreigner. The firm sends a contract for work and a rental agreement, and the applicant collects the remaining necessary documents and submits them to the consulate.
If the national type D visa is issued, for example, for 4 months, then the immigrant works and simultaneously applies for residence for the entire duration of the contract. If you can’t find a company remotely, then you can enter the country with a tourist visa and look for work on the spot.
Family reunification
Family reunification is also a fairly simple way if relatives live in Portugal who are ready to make an invitation. Marrying a Portuguese citizen will also speed up the legalization process in the country.
You have to live in marriage for 3 years but be prepared for the fact that the migration services will check the attitude for fictitiousness. The request for a receipt costs 250 euros.
This method is much easier than going all the way through naturalization. A standard package and a marriage certificate will be required from the documents.
Other ways to obtain a residence permit
One of the alternative ways of obtaining a residence permit in Portugal is merit to the country. For example, identifying a dangerous terrorist group.
List of required documents
The package of required documents may differ in the number of certificates, depending on the situation and the basis that was chosen as the goal. To obtain a residence permit in Portugal, you must prepare the following documents:
- international passport
- photo in color (2 pieces)
- a detailed description of the justification that is the reason for moving to the country
- a bank statement confirming the availability of a sufficient amount of money in the account
- agreement on the availability of housing – your own or rented
- certificate of no criminal record
- application form for a residence permit
- additional documents that may be requested separately (medical insurance, tax extract, etc.)
Visa application
There are no difficulties in obtaining permission to cross the border. It is required to have one of the visas with you, issued at the consular center and corresponding to the reason for the visit:
- labor visa
- tourist
- entrepreneur visa
- student
- visa for scientific activities
- religious organization member visa
The document is issued in the home country and requires translation into English or Portuguese.
To apply for a child visa, you will need to present a birth certificate, a child’s travel card, and a certificate from the school. If the child travels with one parent, then the permission from the other parent must be certified by a notary.
For pensioners, a visa is issued free of charge upon presentation of a pension certificate. In addition, you will have to pay the insurance and consular fees. Document processing takes no more than 7 working days.
The following documents will be required:
- international passport
- application form in duplicate
- photo in color (3 pieces)
- copy of civil and foreign passport
- bank statement on the availability of funds
- for pensioners – a copy of the pension certificate
- certificate from work or study
- booked hotel room or rental agreement
- medical insurance
Terms of obtaining a residence permit in Portugal
The primary residence permit in Portugal is issued for a period of 1 year. It can be renewed 2 times and each time for 2 years. The term for obtaining a residence permit depends on the justification that was chosen by the immigrant.
How to renew a residence permit?
A residence permit obtained under a Golden Visa Portugal is issued for 5 years. It can be extended in a year, but the conditions must be met:
- Live in the country 7 days a year
- Save investment
If you sell real estate earlier than 5 years later, then the grounds on which a foreigner had the right to legally reside in the state will disappear. To renew, you must first make an appointment with a specialist at the migration service.
The date of submission of the application must fall within the period from 90 to 30 days before the end of the primary residence permit. Required documents:
- questionnaire
- notified of the confirmation of the meeting with the employee
- old residence permit
- passport
- salary certificates for the last 3 months
- rental of property
- statement on the absence of debts and violations
- employment contract
- a certificate from the employer about the validity of the contract
You will have to pay a fee of 163 euros for the renewal. It is advisable to have cash with you and without change.
Why can they refuse and what to do?
The authorities that consider the submitted documents may refuse the applicant. Typically, the reasons are simple and can be quickly corrected in order to apply again. Among the main reasons are the following:
- documents are filled in incorrectly
- lack of any papers
- false data revealed
Within a month, you can file an appeal, making sure that all documents are correctly completed and present in sufficient quantity. To avoid problems with filing documents, it is best to contact special organizations that will not only help you draw up the application correctly but also collect the entire package of documents.