Portugal Golden Visa Cost — Complete 2026 Breakdown

The Portugal Golden Visa is often described by its headline investment amount, but that is only part of the cost. The complete picture includes the qualifying investment itself, government fees paid to AIMA at each stage, legal fees, the costs of the investment product (for the fund route), travel and ongoing compliance costs, and applicable taxes. Each family member adds to the total.

This page explains each cost category under the current (post-2023) framework. We do not quote legal-fee ranges, fund-fee percentages or all-in totals: we cannot tie them to an official source and they vary by provider and file. Official amounts are linked below. Ask every adviser and every fund for a written breakdown of what you will pay, and who receives it.

Investment amount by qualifying route

The investment amounts and requirements are set by Article 3.º(1)(d) of Lei n.º 23/2007 and published by AIMA on its AIMA ARI page (Art. 90.º-A). In summary:

• Qualifying investment funds: €500,000 minimum, in non-real-estate collective investment undertakings set up under Portuguese law with a maturity of at least five years and at least 60% invested in companies based in Portugal.
• Scientific research: €500,000 minimum.
• Cultural patronage: €250,000 minimum.
• Capitalisation of Portuguese companies: €500,000 minimum, with the job-creation or job-maintenance conditions set by law for at least three years.
• Job creation: at least 10 jobs, with no minimum capital specified. A 20% reduction can apply in low-density territories (8 jobs, per AIMA).

The law requires the investment activity to be kept for a minimum of five years, and it may not be directed, directly or indirectly, at real estate. There is no capital-transfer route and no real-estate route. A fall in the value of a fund does not by itself change the amount you invested, but ask your lawyer how the rule applies to your instrument before you redeem anything.

AIMA government fees

AIMA charges separate fees for analysing the request, for granting the permit and for renewal, and the fees apply to each applicant, including family members. They are set by Portaria n.º 307/2023, as amended, and under its Article 3 they are updated automatically every 1 March by the consumer-price index (AIMA: fee table update). Because the amounts change every year, we do not quote them here. Use AIMA's current fee table (the ‘Taxas’ section of the AIMA ARI page (Art. 90.º-A)) and ask your lawyer to confirm the amounts that apply to your file.

• Analysis of the application: payable when the file is filed on AIMA's Portal ARI.
• Grant of the residence permit: payable per applicant.
• Renewal: payable each time the permit is renewed, per applicant.
• Permanent residence: holders and family members may be charged specific fees when they apply for permanent residence.
• Replacement cards: second and later copies have their own fees.

Legal fees

Legal fees depend on family size, the route chosen, the complexity of the source-of-funds file and how long the engagement lasts. Ask for a written scope and fee, and check what it covers (set-up, filing, renewals, family members, appointments).

• Fund route: usually the most standardised file, but ask what the fee includes.
• Cultural and research routes: additional work to select and document the receiving entity and obtain the entity's declaration.
• Company and job-creation routes: more work, because employment obligations must be proved over several years.
• Family members: ask whether each added person has a separate fee.

Intermediaries who are paid by the investment provider may quote a low visible legal fee and be paid through the product. An engagement paid only by you usually shows the full price up front but has no hidden investment-economics drag. Ask any adviser how they are paid.

Costs of the investment product (fund route)

Funds charge fees that reduce what you get back over the holding period. Read the fund's documents and ask for a written summary of all of them:

• Subscription fee: whether any is charged when you invest.
• Management fee: charged periodically on the fund's assets or on commitments; see the fund's regulation.
• Performance fee: whether one applies, and above what hurdle.
• Custody, audit and other expenses: normally part of the fund's total expense ratio; check how it is calculated.
• Placement commissions: ask whether the fund or manager pays any commission to the person advising you. That is funded from investor economics even when it does not appear in the subscription documents.

Family members

Each family member applies for their own permit and pays AIMA fees for it. AIMA lists the family members who can be included: spouse; children up to 17 or incapable and dependent; unmarried dependent children aged 18 to 25 who are studying; dependent first-degree ascendants; and minor siblings under the applicant's guardianship (AIMA ARI page (Art. 90.º-A)). Dependency has to be proved. Legal fees for added family members depend on the engagement.

Ongoing costs over the five-year period

• Renewal AIMA fees: per applicant, at each renewal (see above).
• Renewal legal fees: ask whether renewals are included in your engagement.
• Investment product costs: as above, for the fund route.
• Travel to Portugal: for biometrics and to meet the minimum-stay requirement (AIMA states at least 7 days in the first year and at least 14 days in the following years).
• Health insurance or SNS coverage: AIMA asks for proof of health coverage.
• Documents: apostilles, translations and certificates, which differ by country.
• Banking costs: a Portuguese bank account in your name, with the bank's fees.

Taxes

The investment is an asset, not an expense, but returns, distributions and exit proceeds can be taxable. Whether you are a Portuguese tax resident, which treaty applies and how your home country taxes the same income all change the outcome. The tax regime has changed in recent years, so take advice from a cross-border tax adviser and check the Portuguese Tax Authority (AT).