PORTUGAL'S GOLDEN VISA STAY REQUIREMENTS: UPDATE
2 April 2014
This is a piece of good news to Golden Visa applicants and holders.
SEF, the Portuguese border agency, has clarified that the minimum stays in Portugal required from Golden Visa holders are as follows:
- During the first year, 7 days, whether or not consecutive;
- During each of the two subsequent 2 year periods (i.e. years 2 and 3 and then 4 and 5), 14 days, whether or not consecutive. Please note that these are not calendar years. Rather, they are counted from the Golden Visa issue date.
The way the statutes had been written led most people to interpret them as requiring a 14-day stay per year during years 2 to 5. However, the wording was ambiguous and the SEF's interpretation is a welcome clarification.
More than 70,000 Alojamento Local units in Portugal are at risk of losing their licenses, which could lead to the cancellation of their short-term rental status.
A new legal change is now in effect in Portugal: Decree-Law No. 85-B/2025 introduces key updates for foreign residents, including permit validity extensions.
