How Much Is Portugal Golden Visa 2026: Fees for Every Family Size

Reviewed by Jane Katkova, Founder & Licensed CICC Consultant· Last updated: September 2026

How much is the Portugal golden visa in 2026? €500,000 in a CMVM-registered fund, or €250,000 as a cultural donation, plus government fees of about €605 at filing and about €6,045 at card issuance for each family member, plus legal, fund and bank costs. A single applicant on the fund route needs about €506,650 before professional fees; a family of four about €526,600.

Portugal golden visa cost: fees and key figures (2026)

• Qualifying Investment of €500,000. CMVM-registered fund, returned at maturity if the fund performs; not a fee
• Lowest Minimum Investment of €250,000. cultural or heritage donation, €200,000 in low-density areas; not returned
• Analysis Fee of About €605 per Applicant. paid at filing and again at each renewal; AIMA revises its table (Portaria 307/2023) periodically
• Issuance Fee of About €6,045 per Applicant. paid at biometrics for the first card; a lower card fee applies at renewals
• First-Card Government Fees of About €6,650 per Person. every family member pays it, including children
• Professional Costs Quoted in Writing. Portuguese counsel, fund subscription and custody, bank compliance, translations, apostilles, insurance
• 5-Year Holding Period. fund units held to maturity through the renewals
• Citizenship Eligibility After 10 Years. from first residence card; naturalisation fee at the IRN is modest; law in force 19 May 2026

Cost of the Portugal golden visa by investment route

Government fees are identical on every route and are charged per person. The routes differ in whether the money comes back.

CMVM-registered investment fund: €500,000

• Covers: Whole family on one subscription
• Holding: 5-year maturity; returned if the fund performs; management fees typically deducted inside the fund
• Best for: Nearly all clients: the only route with capital return

Subscription and custody fees vary by fund; we show them line by line before you choose.

Cultural or heritage donation: €250,000

• Covers: Whole family
• Holding: Not returned; €200,000 in a low-density area
• Best for: The lowest capital outlay, accepting that the donation is not returned

Total outlay is lower than the fund route only if the fund would have returned less than half your capital.

Scientific research: €500,000

• Covers: Whole family
• Holding: Not returned
• Best for: Philanthropic applicants

Same government fees.

Company capital and jobs: €500,000 + 5 jobs, or 10 jobs

• Covers: Whole family
• Holding: Business must run through the renewals
• Best for: Existing Portuguese business owners

Operating costs make this the most expensive route in practice.

Real estate has not qualified since 7 October 2023. If a quote includes a property purchase as the qualifying investment, it does not reflect current law.

Portugal golden visa cost: worked examples for 2026

Government fees at the current AIMA table, about €605 analysis plus about €6,045 issuance per applicant, on the €500,000 fund route. Professional fees, fund subscription and bank costs are extra and quoted per file.

Renewals at years two and four add about €605 analysis per person each time plus a renewal card fee lower than the initial issuance fee. Figures verified 27 September 2026 against the brief; AIMA's Portaria 307/2023 table is revised periodically and we confirm the current figures on the day we quote.

Portugal golden visa refunds, payment schedule and other costs

Refundable: the €500,000 fund subscription, at the fund's maturity, if the fund performs; it can return more or less than €500,000. Nothing else is refundable: the donation and research routes are gifts, and government fees are kept whether or not the application succeeds. If AIMA refuses the application, the fund units are still yours to redeem on the fund's terms.

When you pay: the investment and bank costs before filing, because AIMA needs the custodian's declaration; the analysis fee at filing; legal fees usually in two stages, on engagement and on approval; the issuance fee at biometrics, which on current processing is 18–24 months after filing; renewal fees at years two and four.

Also budget: Portuguese counsel and our advisory fee, quoted in writing before you engage; fund subscription and annual custody charges; bank account opening and compliance; FBI or RCMP certificates with apostille; certified translations; private health insurance for the family; travel to Portugal for biometrics and for the seven days a year. For US clients, the annual cost of a cross-border accountant handling FBAR, FATCA and PFIC reporting on the fund is a recurring cost to budget; for Canadians who intend to move, the departure-tax modelling is a one-off cost worth paying early.

Currency: all figures are in euros. At US$1.15 to the euro, €506,650 is about US$583,000 and €526,600 about US$606,000; Canadian dollar amounts move more, so we quote on the day.

Portugal golden visa cost for US and Canadian applicants

For US and Canadian citizens

Treat the €500,000 as an investment you would not otherwise make, in a private Portuguese fund, for at least five years, with a permit attached. The actual cost is the fees (about €6,650 per person at the first card, plus professional costs) and the risk on the fund. Nothing here changes your tax residence at seven days a year; if you move, Americans keep filing US returns and FBAR, Canadians face departure tax, and the NHR regime is no longer available to reduce Portuguese rates. Citizenship is available ten years from the first card under the May 2026 Nationality Law.

For US and Canada residents on another passport

The same numbers apply to every nationality. Your extra cost is usually documentary: source-of-funds evidence across several countries, extra police certificates, translations. The permit does not change your US or Canadian status and does not shorten the ten-year naturalisation period (seven if you hold a CPLP passport). Compare it with Greece at €400,000 in property if the passport is not the point.

Request a written Portugal golden visa cost estimate for your family

We send a line-by-line estimate: investment, every government fee per person, professional fees, fund charges, bank and document costs, and the renewals through year five. Jane Katkova, licensed CICC consultant, Toronto. Book a consultation.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the Portugal golden visa for a single applicant in 2026?

About €506,650 at the first card on the fund route: €500,000 subscribed to a CMVM-registered fund, about €605 analysis fee at filing and about €6,045 issuance fee at biometrics. Professional fees, fund subscription charges and bank costs are on top and quoted per file. The donation route is about €256,650.

How much does a family of four pay?

About €526,600 at the first card: one €500,000 fund subscription covers the whole family, and each of the four pays about €605 analysis and about €6,045 issuance. A family of six with two dependent parents pays about €539,900. Professional costs are extra.

Is the €500,000 a fee or an investment?

An investment. It buys units in a private fund with a five-year maturity and is returned at the end if the fund performs, less the fund's own fees; it can return less than you put in. The €250,000 cultural donation, by contrast, is a gift and is not returned.

Are there ongoing costs?

Yes: about €605 analysis per person at each renewal (years two and four) plus a renewal card fee, annual fund custody charges, health insurance, and travel for the seven days a year. US clients should budget for annual FBAR, FATCA and PFIC reporting on the fund.

Is anything refunded if the application fails?

Government fees are not. The fund units remain yours and can be redeemed under the fund's terms, which usually means waiting for maturity or selling on the fund's secondary terms. Donations are not returned. We screen eligibility first so that refusals are rare.

This guide is part of our Portugal Residency by Investment: Golden Visa, D7 and D8 overview.

Official sources and references

1. Diário da República — Portaria n.º 307/2023 (AIMA fee table)
2. AIMA — Autorização de Residência para Investimento (ARI)
3. CMVM — register of collective investment undertakings
4. Diário da República — Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026 (Nationality Law), in force 19 May 2026