Thought I would compile the excellent advice in this PR thread (and others, plus my own research) into a table so it’s easier to compare. At some point this should probably become a Wiki, but it’s still early days.
In particular I wanted to sanity check GV Promoter claims that “Permanent Residence is almost as good as Citizenship,” now that PT Citizenship may get much harder to attain.
table below is still in draft, especially items in [square brackets]. Helpful corrections/additions are welcome!
| Aspect | Temporary Residence ARI (‘Golden Visa TR’) | Permanent Residence ARI (‘Golden Visa PR’) | Permanent Residence (regular, non-ARI) | Citizenship (Nationality) |
| Minimum time required in PT | 7 days/year (average) | 7 days/year (average) | [6+ mo./rolling 3y period?] (@tkrunning) | No |
| Proof of available PT accommodation required | No (other than for above 7d/year) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Maximum time allowed in Schengen (other than PT) | 90 days in past 180 (not counting days in PT) | 90 days in past 180 (not counting days in PT) | 90 days in past 180 (not counting days in PT) | Freedom to work, reside in other EU countries. (If >3 mo, need to be employed, self-sufficient or enrolled student. After 5y can get PR in 2nd country.) |
| Protection from future PT Nationality requirement changes | No (e.g. 2025 Foreigners Law, and Nationality Law proposals) | No (e.g. 2025 Foreigners Law, and Nationality Law proposals) | No (e.g. 2025 Foreigners Law, and Nationality Law proposals) | Lifetime, but 2026 Nationality Law (tbd): revoked if commit major crime in 1st 10y? |
| Eligibility for EU Long-Term Residency | No | No: need 6+ mo./year in that non-PT EU country, but can’t due to Schengen (above) (@anonymous69). Must apply for and be granted LTR (i.e. new residency application) in other country, no automatic right to it. (@lala) |
No: need 6+ mo./year in that non-PT EU country, but can’t due to Schengen (above) (@anonymous69). Must apply for and be granted LTR (i.e. new residency application) in other country, no automatic right to it. (@lala) |
Yes |
| Visa-free access to many other countries | No | No | No | Yes – in 2026, 121 other countries visa-free, 43 visa-on-arrival, 9 with e-Travel Auth |
| Application to granting – estimated time | In 2025: anywhere from 1 to 5 years | Unknown so far. Jan. ’26: AIMA launches ‘Long-Term Residence Permit’ appointment request form |
Unknown so far. Jan. ’26: AIMA launches ‘Long-Term Residence Permit’ appointment request form |
In 2025: anywhere from 1.5 to 5 years |
| Permit/card duration | Initial: 2 years Renewals: 2 years (ex. old Real Estate ARI, which becomes 3-year D2 on renewal, see Lei 56/2023 42.º) |
5 years | 5 years | Lifetime 2026 Nationality Law (tbd): revoked if commit major crime in 1st 10y? |
| 1st permit/card cost (2025) | €605.10 application + €6045.20 permit |
€5643.00 | €350.00 (@lala) |
€250 |
| Renewal costs (2025) | €3090.40 (ex. old Real Estate ARI D2 conversion = €181.70 for renewal) |
€4326.30 | €150.70 [?] | N/A (ex. ~€65 passport renewal every 5-10y) |
| Renewal requirements | Maintain ARI investment, 7d/year average in PT, no PT tax/NISS debts, criminal checks, etc. | Proof of available PT accommodation, 7d/year average in PT, no PT tax/NISS debts. Administrative act only (@tkrunning) |
[same as ARI PR?] | N/A |
| Renewal delays (at AIMA, etc.) | In 2025: 5+ month waits for in-person AIMA renewal appointments. As of Oct. ‘25: 3-6+ month additional delay from renewal fee payment to receiving new card. | [supposedly simple Administrative act, but no empirical evidence how quick/slow in reality] | [supposedly simple Administrative act, but no empirical evidence how quick/slow in reality] | N/A |
| Risks of travelling on expired permit/card (due to renewal delays) | If ‘caught’ ex-PT, may risk record of being irregular in Schengen Area. | [same as ARI TR] | [same as ARI TR] | N/A |
| Other risks of expired permit/card (due to renewal delays) | No visibility on renewal status, or where new cards are. PT Banks may have issues w/expired visa. |
[same as ARI TR] | [same as ARI TR] | N/A |
| Aspect | Temporary Residence ARI (‘Golden Visa TR’) | Permanent Residence ARI (‘Golden Visa PR’) | Permanent Residence (regular, non-ARI) | Citizenship (Nationality) |
| Years PT residency required before eligible to apply | N/A | 5 years | 5 years | In 2025: 5 years 2026 Nationality Law (tbd): 7 years for CPLP/EU, 10 years for all others |
| Start date for counting years to eligibility | N/A | 1st (Temp.) resident card date (never application date) | 1st (Temp.) resident card date (never application date) | In 2025: 1st application date (but applied inconsistently!). 2026 Nationality Law (tbd): 1st resident card date |
| Gaps allowed between permits/cards (i.e. renewal delays) in counting years to eligibility | N/A | [presumably same as Citizenship, but no empirical evidence] | [presumably same as Citizenship, but no empirical evidence] | Up to 15 Oct ‘25, gaps count as legal residence, assuming other criteria, such as minimum time in Portugal etc, were met (@Lala). Post 15 Oct ’25 Foreigners Law, gaps <6 mo. covered in regs (@tommigun). |
| Ability to dispose of ARI investment during permit term | Must hold investment during entire Temp. residency (i.e. until granted PR or Citizenship) | Can sell investment upon PR, but still need proof of PT accommodation for PR appl’n/renewal (@tkrunning). | N/A | N/A (not bound by ARI terms) |
| Aspect | Temporary Residence ARI (‘Golden Visa TR’) | Permanent Residence ARI (‘Golden Visa PR’) | Permanent Residence (regular, non-ARI) | Citizenship (Nationality) |
| Dependent implications – permits/visas | Spouse and children (<18 or enrolled in study and supported by Primary). Parents/in-laws supported by Primary. All must meet same criteria upon every renewal (child ‘aging-out’ risk here). |
Can continue on Temp. ARI while Primary has Perm. ARI (@tkrunning). Can apply for Perm. ARI after 5y on Temp, thus becoming independent of Primary (@anonymous69). |
Can continue on Temp. ARI while Primary has Perm. ARI (@tkrunning). Can apply for Perm. ARI after 5y on Temp, thus becoming independent of Primary (@lala). |
[Spouse (Art.º 3) and minor/incapacitated children (Art.º 2) can live in PT or other EU countries with Primary (Art.º 6.1 for PT Naturalisation), even if they are not EU citizens?] |
| Dependent implications – eligibility | [todo] | [todo] | [todo] | Their own Nationality (not just residence) requires “connection to PT community” (e.g. married 6+ years, children attend PT school for 5+ years) (@anonymous69) |
| Dependent implications –renewal costs | Same as Primary (e.g. €3090.40) for each Dependent | Same as Primary (e.g. €4326.30) for each Dependent | Same as Primary (e.g. €150.70) for each Dependent | N/A |
| Dependent implications – education | [todo] | Equal treatment w/nationals w.r.t. education & vocational training (@lala) | Equal treatment w/nationals w.r.t. education & vocational training (@lala) | [todo] [children’s access to Uni in other EU countries?] |
| Healthcare – PT Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS) | [Yes?] | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Healthcare – EHIC access across all 27 EU states (90 day limit) | No | Need to reside in PT. Also need NISS which is now harder to get if no PT income (@tkrunning). | Need to reside in PT. Also need NISS which is now harder to get if no PT income (@tkrunning). | Yes [same residency req’s as PR?] |
Last updated: 25-Jan 2026