PORTUGAL

By Sugee Portugal    The Council of Ministers approved the diploma that puts an end to gold visas in the metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto, as well as the entire coast of the country. The instrument only remains for the interior and autonomous regions of Madeira and the Azores. The new regime will be gradual and it will not take effect before June 2021 at least.   As we all know there is a lot of uncertainty in the mind of investors for Golden Visa Portugal about the changes proposed in the budget of Feb 2020 by the Portuguese...

IMMIGRATION BY INVESTMENT EXPERT INSIGHTS 2021

By Schengen Visa Info   Portugal has registered an increasing number of Chinese citizens who are rushing to ‘buy’ citizenship in Portugal, through the Golden Visa Scheme, before the government puts the program to an end.   Investors from China are considering Lisbon and Porto as appropriate investment locations before both cities are removed from the passport for cash scheme, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.   “A total of €37 million (S$58.90 million) have been invested in Portugal from Chinese nationals, during the second quarter of this year, “which is twice their spending in all of 2019,” director of Maia International Properties, Luiz Felipe Maia pointed...

IMMIGRATION BY INVESTMENT NEWS 2020

By Natasha Donn   Brussels today is demanding that the EU Member States “immediately end” golden visa programs that give applicants European residency and/or citizenship.   The reason is that after years in which warnings have been sounded by NGOs and ‘lone voices’ against corruption, MEPs recognize these schemes enable “a rapid entry of criminals” into the bloc.   Says a statement released by the European Parliament: “EU citizenship cannot be marketed as a commodity”.   But that is of course what has been happening – in Portugal’s case since 2012.   Admittedly, Portugal doesn’t confer Golden Visa applicants with citizenship....

IMMIGRATION BY INVESTMENT NEWS 2020

By Latitude Residency and Citizenship   The Portugal Government is set to make significant changes to their popular Golden Visa program that will have major implications for clients considering this popular EU residence by investment option.   Why is the program so popular?   The Portugal Golden Visa program has been one of the world’s most successful residence by investment programs due to its minimal residence requirements and flexible path to citizenship. Portugal residence permit holders also gain the right to live and work year-round in Portugal and enjoy visa-free access to the entire EU.   They offer several qualifying investment options...

IMMIGRATION BY INVESTMENT NEWS 2020

  Investment raised through golden visas almost tripled (192 percent) in May, compared to the same month of 2019, to €146 million, according to statistics from the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF). Last month, the total investment resulting from the granting of Residence Authorisation for Investment (ARI) reached €146,168,473.40, which represents an increase of 192 percent compared to the €50 million recorded in May 2019.   May recorded the highest monthly investment amount raised since March 2017, when €192.4 million were raised in ARI. In relation to April (€28 million), the investment raised more than quintupled (421 percent).   In...

IMMIGRATION BY INVESTMENT NEWS 2020