Bom Dia, all.
My little family and I are in the earliest stage of starting our residency paperwork. We still live in the USA.
We have the good fortune of being able to choose either a D7 or a Golden Visa. My spouse is about to retire, and i work 100 percent remotely. But we also have enough Investments and funds that we can keep money in a Portuguese fund for 5, 6 etc years, too.
So Iām wondering which one is ābetter.ā Is it true that GVs are lower priority and not even being processed much right now?
I feel like I must be missing some major point or difference between the two visas: the D7 requires a 6 month stay, and the GV only requires 7 days. Other than the investment requirement for the GV, is there something else Iām missing??
GV is much, much slower to be processed it seems for both application and renewal. Be very aware of the long wait times and general stoppage going on right now, you can read more in other threads here.
If you can move, D7 will absolutely be less stressful
If you DO decide to go for the GV for whatever reason, I personally like the IMGA Acoes fund - itās essentially a broad pt exchange index fund, very transparent
D7 requires 8 months in-country ( per year) for the first 2 year permit, and 10 months in country (per year) for the 3 year permit, with no absence longer than 6 months at a time.
Right. No worries there. The point is, if all we want to do is move to Portugal and eventually hope to become permanent residents and then citizens, thereās no advantage to going the GV route over D7. Right? The D7 seems ātoo easy,ā at least in terms of finances. Itās basically the equivalent of a green card in the USA, but much easierā¦ right??
The D7 is the least expensive, most direct path to residency if you can fulfill the requirements. D7 visas are being processed as normal through the consulates and VFS offices in the U.S. (People are getting approvals from 2 weeks to 3 months from application)
The main advantage of the GV is reduced time required in-country. It is expensive, locks up your $$$ for years at a time and new applications are not being accepted right now, so it really is a long term project.
The D7 just seems very open and easy to get, relatively speaking. The fact that it allows you to work while living in Portugal ā¦ Sounds too good to be true!
This is Portugal - nothing is easy and they thrive on bureaucracy so be ready whether it is D7 or GV . Also be wary of funds fad they seem rather rudimentary.
Considering current situation, D7 is a better choice if you can spare time. My sister did D7 and I did GV. She is a bit older and truly retired, and I can say it is a lot cheeper and simpler and faster to do D7 if you can stay 6 months / year in the country.
If one is to read between the lines, it seems that the MEPās and the EU Commission as a whole is looking to end the āāGolden Visa Programsāā in member states countries, as it conflicts with the fiscal harmonization rules that have been enacted for the citizens of the EU. The 7 or 14 days stay permitted, in countries such as Portugal does not bode well with the general 180 days rule that has been / is being implemented across all the EU member states. As someone pointed out in the above replies, a stay f more than 180 days, technically makes you a resident of that country.
Considering the Portuguese Government agency in charge of delivering the Portuguese ARI Residency permits (āāGolden Visasāā) has stopped delivering permits since the beginning of the year and has given absolutely no indication on when they will resume, one could infer that it might be construed as an early sign of āāfalling in lineāā with the likely & forthcoming EU legislation banning such passports by investments programs! Therefore, the D7 might be one of the only sensible alternatives, if one can fulfil the financial requirements.
This probably means the looming end of over-values real estate property prices in member state countries such as Portugal!
I wonder if anybody tried to switch tracks from GV to D7 in the middle of the process? We have pre-approved GV but at the rate at which the process moves it makes less al less sense since we are getting closer to being able to actually being able to live inn Portugal. I am worried about technical details that may surface if two applications are pending.
I am planning to switch. I have already done my Biometric. So I will wait until I have my card in hand. Have been waiting 4 months now. Then I will have two years to prepare all documents to switch to d7. After going thru Gv process, I do not want to renew the GV anymore.
Hi Marilla, I must say that I dontā like your phrasing of āBUYā your entrance. I am not ABLE to move to Portugal now. My family and I, therefore, CANNOT do the D7. The GV --which is, by the way, an INVESTMENT in Portugal ā allows us to plan for the future and start the residencey/possible citizenship process now rather than wait 10 years when we may be in a better position to move full time or mostly full time to Portugal. Iām already learning Portuguese in anticipation. And the GV allows us to get to know Portugal on a slower schedule so that when we do move there or are able to spend much more time there, we have a familiarity with the country and the culture that has grown over time. Iāve heard of many D7 holders make the jump without actually knowing much about Portugal or learning the language and then 6 months, a year, or 2 years later realize it isnāt for them and leave.
There are even people who can move now to Portugual but cannot guarantee that they can spend the entire required amount under the D7 because of other responsibilities, like elderly parents that they still need to take care of.
There is no need to insult the people who are going the GV route when you counsel others who are doing the D7.
Thanks for your response. But when I talk about the D7 and the time spent in Portugal, I mean the residency requirement once the temporary residency permit is received (after entering Portugal on the D7). My understanding that the temporary residency permit that people who enter Portugal with the D7 visa get requires something like an average of 8 months per year in Portugal. And they have to maintain that level of presence in Portugal for at least 5 years before they can apply for permanent residency or citizenship. That isnāt something we (and many others who opt for the GV) are able to do now or any time soon.
So it isnāt about having enough time to move. It is about being able to fullfill the temporary residency requirements required by the permit that people get when they enter on the D7 and that can lead to permanent residency or citizenship.
And because the ultimate goal is permanent residency or citizenship, which takes many, years regardless of what type of temporary permit you have, we would like to start that process sooner rather than later. And getting to know Portugal better along the way. (along with the other types of additional flexibilty that Portuguese residency can provide). We are in the US and often arenāt really able to take more than a couple of weeks off vacation a year, sadly.
The price we pay for not being able to move immediately is the investment made in Portugal. Those who can move now or soon, get the advantage of not necessarily having to bear that costā¦unless they want to buy real estate or invest anyway.
I understand the residency requirements for both visas, but does anyone know how often you can leave Portugal with the D7? For the GV it seems like you can come and go as you please once you have your permit. But I remember reading that the D7 only gives you one leave and re entry. Is that correct?
The D7 is the visa that allows 120 days to enter Portugal. You only get two entries before your appointment with SEF. After the 2 year residency permit is issued, you can come and go from Portugal as often as you want, but must maintain in- country presence for approximately 8 months per year for the first 2 years, and approximately 10 months per year for the second 3 year permit, before becoming eligible to apply for citizenship or permanent residency.