CHOICE OF A PORTUGAL RESIDENCE PERMIT BY A NON-EU CITIZEN
6 November 2018
In some cases, such as, for example, those of employees, students, eligible relatives of resident persons, choosing the most appropriate residence permit type is quite easy. But in the case of freelancers, entrepreneurs, investors or people having sufficient passive income, the main factor to take into consideration is whether or not they intend to actually live in Portugal.
In case the intention is to merely hold Portugal residency, so as to enjoy visa-free travel in the EU/EEA/Switzerland and eventually qualify for EU permanent residency or citizenship, then the so-called "Golden Visa", Portugal's residency-by-investment programme, is the permit to go for, given its minimal stay requirements (7 days during the first year and 14 days during each subsequent 2-year period).
But for someone who does intend to live in Portugal, it will be faster, more efficient and more cost-effective to apply for a permit other than the Golden Visa, in which case the general minimum stay requirements are nevertheless quite reasonable (4 months during the first year and 16 months during each subsequent 2-year period, provided in either case that no single absence exceeds 6 consecutive months), and may be waived for proven professional or force majeure reasons.
The so-called "Passive Income Visa" is a popular alternative to the "Golden Visa" for someone who intends to live in Portugal and has a sufficient net regular passive income, given that it does not preclude the holder from having a professional activity in Portugal.
When applying for a temporary stay or residence visa in Portugal, one of the key requirements is the submission of a recent criminal record certificate.
Under Portuguese Nationality Law (Law no. 37/81, as amended), grandchildren of Portuguese citizens may be eligible to apply for Portuguese citizenship.
Parents of under-18s with Portuguese nationality or residence can apply for residency under Art. 122 if they prove parental responsibility.
On 23 June 2025, at the Council of Ministers meeting, the Portuguese Government announced sweeping reforms to nationality law, immigration policy.
Hiring in Portugal imposes numerous obligations on employers, many of which are not always intuitive to those unfamiliar with the national legal framework.
To summarise, if you are a Portuguese citizen who got married abroad, you are legally required to register your marriage.
The deadline to submit the Portuguese Personal Income Tax return (IRS) for income earned in 2024 is 30 June 2025.
Company dissolution in Portugal starts liquidation, a legal process. The business stops but exists until formally closed. Shareholders decide the legal path.
Portugal protects tenants, but landlords have legal ways to reclaim property and unpaid rent, with eviction and debt recovery procedures, lease or not.
Portuguese nationality is a right that can be acquired through various means: birth, marriage, parentage, length of residence, or Sephardic Jewish ancestry.