I am new to this forum and am very grateful for all the helpful information you have shared. I am interested in pursuing Portuguese citizenship through an open-ended fund investment but I have been reading many thread comments complaining about processing delays and lack of responsiveness by the Portuguese government. If those who already have residency cannot renew their status on time or obtain citizenship between the residency renewal periods, is it even worth it to start the process at all? If so, what are the realistic timeframes for how long I will have to keep my money invested before I can obtain citizenship?
Separately, can anyone recommend (from experience) a one-stop shop that handles all of the legal and procedural requirements throughout the whole process, from first application through citizenship?
yes, 5 years is what they say but i invested in dec 2021 and there is no way i am expecting passports in early 2026… So yes 7-8 years from date of investement to all passports in hand
Thanks to both of your for your responses. I suspected it would be upwards of 7-8 years but it sounds like it could be longer. However, given the 5-year required investment period, does this mean that I can pull my money out at the 5-year mark and still qualify while i’m waiting for all the processing to occur?
In practical terms No. You need to maintain investment to have the visa , which you need until citizenship (they will check if you have a valid permit along the way , at an unpredictable time after application )
Thanks for clarifying that. I understand that you can also wait years before even the first biometric data processing appointment is scheduled. How does that get handled if you require a visa renewal every two years? And does the wait time count towards the amount of time before you can apply for citizenship?
Biometrics happen before visa issuance. You don’t have stay requirements before visa issuance. There is a thread about the citizenship clock starting at time of application (with > 1000 posts ). Recommend you search for and read that for detail.
Hi - before you dive into the Portugal GV, be aware that the current government (and the next if they get re-elected) is pondering whether the current 5 years of residency required for citizenship should be 10…
For clarity, you do not receive citizenship immediately upon applying; the process is taking 2-3 years in most cases, so this would mean 12-13 years from application until citizenship.
However, this assumes the count of years for citizenship starts the moment you make your application rather than the moment your residence card is issued. Until this point, AIMA has been inconsistent on this point. Plus you have the risk that an unfavorable interpretation could be issued as part of the new law. I applied 3.5 years ago and am still waiting for my residence card, and some on this form have been waiting even longer. In this case, citizenship could take around 14-17 years from the moment of application.