Investment Raised Through Golden Visa Programme Up to €122.2 Million in 1Q21

24 May 2021 – Ana Custódio

Investments raised through the Golden Visa Programme rose by 2.1% in the first quarter of 2021.

Investment raised through the golden visa programme totalled 122.2 million euros in the first quarter of 2021, up 2.1% y-o-y, according to a report by Diário de Notícias based on data from Lusa and the SEF – Foreigners and Borders Service.

Investment resulting from the Residence Permit for Investment (ARI) programme totalled 119.6 million euros in the first quarter of last year.

In March this year, investments totalled €36,758,269.30, up 31.5% y-o-y, but down by 29.8% m-o-m (€52.3 million).

According to SEF, the Portuguese government awarded 73 golden visas last month. Of those, 64 were due to purchases of real estate (25 for urban rehabilitation) and nine through capital transfers.

Real estate purchases totalled 31.3 million euros (€8.7 million for urban rehabilitation). In turn, capital transfers accounted for 5.4 million euros. Once again, no visas were granted due to job creation.

Twenty-seven visas were issued to Chinese nationals, six to Brazilians, five to North Americans, five to Turkish nationals and four to Pakistanis.

In the first three months of the year, 228 golden visas were granted, of which 55 were in January and 100 in February.

The programme for granting Residence Permits for Investment – ARI, launched in October 2012, has raised a total of €5,761,184,542.33 since its inception.

Most of the total corresponds to the real estate purchases, which after more than eight years of the programme amounts to €5,208,795,293.69, with the purchase for urban rehabilitation totalling €297,622,790.99. Investments resulting from the capital transfer amounts to 552,389,248.64 euros.

Translation: Richard D. K. Turner