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.
Many individuals aspire to get Portuguese citizenship and enjoy the associated benefits, particularly the tax advantages that Portugal provides.
The Portuguese government has announced updates to the tax incentive programme promoting the adoption of zero-emission vehicles.
