In February 2021, investment into Portugal resulting from the Residence Permit for Investment (ARI) or ‘golden visa’ programme totalled 52,318,353 euros.

This was 13% more than a year earlier (46.2 million euros), and a 58% rise compared to January 2021  (33 million euros), according to accounts made by Portuguese news service Lusa, based on SEF statistics.

According to the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF), 100 golden visas were granted in February, of which 89 were via the purchase of real estate (24 for urban rehabilitation) and 11 via capital transfers.

Real  estate totalled an investment of 47.5 million euros, of which 8.6 million euros went on urban rehabilitation, while capital transfer was responsible for 4.7 million euros.

In February 46 golden visas were granted to China, seven to Brazil, five to the United States, four to Pakistan and three to Russia.

The ARI programme, launched in October 2012, has up to February this year – in cumulative terms – attracted investment into Portugal of more than €5.7 billion. Of this amount, most went into the purchase of real estate, which after eight years of the programme amounts to €5.1 billion, with the purchase for urban rehabilitation totalling €288 million.

The investment raised through the capital transfer criterion amounts to €546 million.

Since their creation, 9,544 golden visas have been granted in Portugal : two in 2012, 494 in 2013, 1,526 in 2014, 766 in 2015, 1,414 in 2016, 1,351 in 2017, 1,409 in 2018, 1,245 in 2019, 1,182 in 2020 and 155 in 2021.

Until February, 8,970 visas were granted by way of the purchase of real estate, of which 801 were for urban rehabilitation.

For capital transfer, the visas granted total 557 and 17 remain for job creation.

China leads the allocation of visas (4,837), followed by Brazil (1,001), Turkey (456), South Africa (397) and Russia (366).

Since the beginning of the programme 16,265 residence permits have been granted to extended family members, of which 215 this year.

Source: Aicep Portugal Global