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Farol Residency
Farol Residency

Portugal's Residence Permit for Investment

Portugal's Residence Permit for Investment (ARI) gives third-country nationals who make a qualifying investment a temporary residence permit, with no residence visa needed to enter Portugal. ARI has been in force since 8 October 2012.

Source: AIMA — Autorização de Residência para Investimento (Art. 90.º-A) (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026

Official facts on this page were checked against their sources on 19 September 2026.

What ARI gives you

Holders may:

  • live and work in Portugal
  • travel within the Schengen area without a visa
  • bring eligible family members through family reunification
  • apply for permanent residence
  • apply for Portuguese nationality by naturalisation, if they meet the Nationality Law's other requirements

Source: AIMA — Autorização de Residência para Investimento (Art. 90.º-A) (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026

Holders can enter Portugal without a residence visa. The permit is valid for 2 years from the date the card is issued.

Source: AIMA — Autorização de Residência para Investimento (Art. 90.º-A) (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026

Qualifying routes

  • Investment funds

    Minimum
    €500,000
    What it involves
    Buying units in Portuguese-law collective investment undertakings that are not real-estate funds.At the time of investment, the fund must have a maturity of at least 5 years, with at least 60% of its investments in companies headquartered in Portugal.

    Subalínea vii

  • Company creation or recapitalisation

    Minimum
    €500,000
    What it involves
    Setting up a company headquartered in Portugal, or recapitalising an existing one.A new company must create 5 permanent jobs. A recapitalised company must create at least 5 permanent jobs, or keep at least 10 jobs (at least 5 of them permanent), for at least 3 years.

    Subalínea viii

  • Scientific research

    Minimum
    €500,000€400,000 in low-density territories
    What it involves
    Capital for research carried out by public or private scientific institutions in the national science and technology system.

    Subalínea v

  • Arts and cultural heritage

    Minimum
    €250,000
    What it involves
    Capital for artistic production, or for restoring or maintaining national cultural heritage, through eligible public or public-interest entities.

    Subalínea vi

  • Job creation

    Minimum
    10 jobs8 in low-density territories
    What it involves
    Creating jobs in Portugal. The minimum is set in jobs, not in capital.

    Subalínea ii

All amounts are minimums. Official fees are payable in addition to the investment. They are set in AIMA's fee table (Portaria 307/2023). Buying property does not qualify. The investment cannot go, directly or indirectly, into real estate.

Sources: AIMA — Autorização de Residência para Investimento (Art. 90.º-A) (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026, AIMA — Pedido de ARI, subalínea ii) (criação de postos de trabalho) (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026, Portaria n.º 307/2023, de 13 de outubro — Diário da República n.º 199 (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026, Lei n.º 56/2023, de 6 de outubro — Diário da República n.º 194 (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026

The investment must be kept for a minimum of 5 years. Applicants sign a sworn declaration that they will meet the investment's minimum amount and time requirements.

Sources: AIMA — Autorização de Residência para Investimento (Art. 90.º-A) (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026, AIMA — Pedido de ARI, subalínea ii) (criação de postos de trabalho) (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026

You can invest personally, or through a company set up in Portugal or in another EU state with a permanent establishment in Portugal.

Source: AIMA — Autorização de Residência para Investimento (Art. 90.º-A) (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026

Time you need to spend in Portugal

You must spend at least 7 days in Portugal in the first year and at least 14 days in each following year.

Source: AIMA — Autorização de Residência para Investimento (Art. 90.º-A) (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026

Who can apply

ARI does not apply to Portuguese nationals, or to nationals of the EU, the EEA, Andorra or Switzerland.

Source: AIMA — Autorização de Residência para Investimento (Art. 90.º-A) (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026

ARI applicants must show proof of legal entry into, and stay in, Portugal. AIMA advises allowing time to prepare your trip to Portugal for the appointment, including getting a visa where one is needed, arranging travel and certifying foreign documents.

If you need a Schengen visa to enter Portugal, plan one for the AIMA appointment. Your coordinator will confirm whether this applies to you.

Sources: AIMA — Autorização de Residência para Investimento (Art. 90.º-A) (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026, AIMA — Atividade de investimento, Art. 122.º, n.º 1, al. r) (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026, AIMA — Perguntas frequentes: ARI (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026

Family members

Family members' requests can be filed at the same time as the investor's, but they depend on the investor's permit being granted.

Source: AIMA — Autorização de Residência para Investimento (Art. 90.º-A) (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026

Eligible family members:

  • spouse
  • children aged up to 17, or incapacitated children dependent on the couple or on one spouse
  • children aged up to 17 adopted under a decision recognised by Portugal
  • single, dependent children aged 18 to 25 who are studying
  • dependent parents of the investor or of the spouse
  • siblings aged up to 17 under the investor's guardianship by a recognised decision

Source: AIMA — Autorização de Residência para Investimento (Art. 90.º-A) (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026

What can block a permit

A permit cannot be granted if any of these apply:

  • any fact that, had the authorities known it, would have prevented a visa
  • a conviction for a crime punishable in Portugal by more than 1 year in prison
  • being within an entry ban period following removal from Portugal
  • an alert in the information system for refusal of entry or stay

Source: AIMA — Autorização de Residência para Investimento (Art. 90.º-A) (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026

Documents a Portuguese lawyer will need

Core documents include:

  • a valid passport (every passport, if you hold more than one nationality)
  • certificates showing no debt to Social Security and the Tax Authority, or showing you are not registered with them
  • a sworn declaration that you meet the investment's minimum amount and time requirements
  • your tax identification numbers from your country of origin or residence, or proof that you have none
  • a criminal record certificate from your country of origin or permanent residence, issued within the last 3 months, translated into Portuguese and certified by the Portuguese consulate or apostilled
  • up-to-date evidence of the investment for your route

Source: AIMA — Perguntas frequentes: ARI (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026

What ARI does not give you

Buying property does not qualify. The investment cannot go, directly or indirectly, into real estate.

Sources: Lei n.º 56/2023, de 6 de outubro — Diário da República n.º 194 (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026, AIMA — Autorização de Residência para Investimento (Art. 90.º-A) (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026

Nationality is a separate process, decided by the Portuguese state under the Nationality Law. ARI lets you apply if you meet that law's requirements; it does not grant nationality.

Sources: Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026, de 18 de maio — Diário da República n.º 95 (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026, AIMA — Autorização de Residência para Investimento (Art. 90.º-A) (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026

Certainty of approval. AIMA decides every application, and nobody can promise approval or a processing time.

Nationality is a separate process

Nationality is not part of ARI or of our service. We set out the main rules because many applicants ask about them.

Portugal's amended Nationality Law has been in force since 19 May 2026. Naturalisation requires at least 10 years of legal residence for nationals of countries outside the EU whose official language is not Portuguese. The requirement is 7 years for EU citizens and for nationals of countries whose official language is Portuguese. Periods of legal residence are added together if they fall within a maximum window of 12 years, or 9 years for EU citizens and nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries.

Source: Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026, de 18 de maio — Diário da República n.º 95 (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026

Other requirements include:

  • sufficient knowledge of the Portuguese language and culture, history and national symbols, shown by test or certificate
  • sufficient knowledge of the fundamental rights and duties of Portuguese nationality and of Portugal's political organisation
  • a solemn declaration of adherence to the fundamental principles of a democratic state under the rule of law
  • the ability to support oneself
  • meeting criminal-record and security criteria

Source: Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026, de 18 de maio — Diário da República n.º 95 (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026

What changed

  1. 7 October 2023

    Since 7 October 2023, buying property no longer qualifies. Law 56/2023 revoked the real-estate routes.

    Source: Lei n.º 56/2023, de 6 de outubro — Diário da República n.º 194 (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026

  2. 16 February 2026

    Since 16 February 2026, ARI renewals are filed online only, through AIMA's Renewals Portal.

    Source: AIMA — Portal ARI (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026

  3. 19 May 2026

    Since 19 May 2026, naturalisation requires 10 years of legal residence, or 7 years for EU citizens and nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries.

    Source: Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026, de 18 de maio — Diário da República n.º 95 (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026

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