PORTUGAL: Portugal might make Golden Visa Citizenship harder

Thinking about Portuguese citizenship through investment? You may want to act fast.

If you’re one of the many people who’ve been eyeing Portugal’s Golden Visa as a route to European citizenship, things might be about to get a bit trickier. A new proposal from the centre-right AD coalition could mean stricter requirements for those hoping to become Portuguese citizens — and Golden Visa holders are right in the spotlight.

So what’s changing? Well, nothing just yet. But if the AD coalition wins the next election in May 2025, they’ve made it clear: they plan to tighten up the rules around who qualifies for Portuguese nationality, especially when it comes to time actually spent in the country.

Portugal golden visa 2025: More residency time likely needed

At the moment, Portugal’s Golden Visa is pretty flexible. Investors only need to spend around seven days a year in the country to keep their residency valid. Even better? That time counts toward the five years of residency needed to apply for citizenship. Because of long visa processing times, many investors end up qualifying after very limited physical presence in Portugal.

But under the new proposal, that could all change. The AD coalition wants to extend the minimum residency period and make sure applicants are actually living in the country — not just popping in for a quick visit each year and calling it good. Basically, they want your presence in Portugal to be real and regular, not symbolic.

They say it’s about making sure people genuinely connect with the country, not just use it as a stepping stone to an EU passport.

Golden Visa rule changes in Portugal: What could happen next

Now before anyone panics: nothing’s official yet. These changes are part of the AD coalition’s election platform, which means they’d only move forward if the party wins the upcoming national election and manages to get enough support in parliament.

Even then, changes like this don’t happen overnight. Experts say it could take 12 to 18 months from the time a new government takes office to actually draft and approve any updates to Portugal’s Nationality Law.

Still, not everyone’s thrilled about the idea. Madalena Monteiro, an immigration lawyer based in Lisbon, says the changes would be a step backwards — especially since Portugal has spent the past few years trying to simplify the citizenship process to attract more people, not fewer. She expects a fair bit of backlash, particularly from immigrant groups who are already dealing with a residency system that many say is frustratingly inconsistent.

There’s also concern about how this will affect Portugal’s image among international investors. The Golden Visa has been a huge draw for people looking to settle — or at least invest — in Europe. Shifting the goalposts now could undermine confidence in the programme.

Will Portugal’s new Golden Visa rules affect current holders?

That’s the big question. The proposal doesn’t say whether the new rules would apply to people who already hold a Golden Visa or just to future applicants. For now, there’s no indication that anyone currently in the system would be affected retroactively — but with politics, you never really know until the ink is dry.

Pedro Catão Pinheiro, a partner at the law firm Next Lawyer, says the plan faces “significant hurdles” before becoming law — but warns that investors should keep a close eye on how things unfold.

If you’re already on the path to Portuguese citizenship, you’re probably fine. But if you’ve been on the fence about applying, it might be smart to move sooner rather than later — just in case the rules change.

One thing’s for sure: the outcome of the May 2025 election will be one to watch closely. For anyone hoping to call Portugal home — permanently — the clock might just be ticking.