Questions to askan adviser about aPortugal Golden Visa

Which of the five qualifying investments matches what I want from Portugal: an asset I get back, a gift I do not, or a business I run?

Why it matters: The route is chosen once and held for at least five years, so it has to fit the reason for applying rather than the adviser’s preferred product.

Is there anything in my nationality, my record or my current residence that rules me out before any money moves?

Why it matters: The nationality, criminal-record and entry-ban tests cost nothing to check and a great deal to discover after an investment is made.

Given the 2026 Nationality Law, what does my realistic timeline to permanent residence and to citizenship look like, and is citizenship even the point?

Why it matters: Permanent residence follows five years of legal residence; naturalisation now needs ten, counted from the grant of the permit, which changes what the investment is for.

Is this fund constituted under Portuguese law, free of real estate, at least five years from maturity, and at least 60% invested in companies headquartered in Portugal, and will the manager state all four in writing?

Why it matters: Those four points are the legal test; return projections are not, and the manager’s written declaration is what AIMA reads.

What happens to my units at year five: redemption at net asset value, an extension I cannot refuse, or a sale I have to find a buyer for?

Why it matters: The permit obliges the holder to keep the investment for five years, but the fund’s own life and lock-up may run longer than the permit needs.

If I choose a donation, which body receives it, who signs the declaration AIMA requires, and what happens if the project is cancelled?

Why it matters: A donation cannot be undone, and the declaration from the receiving body is the whole of the evidence.

Which documents will you prepare, which must I obtain personally, and in what order so that nothing expires before submission?

Why it matters: The certificate of no tax or Social Security debt is valid for 45 days, and criminal-record certificates and passports have their own clocks.

What entry document will I use for the biometrics appointment, how many trips to Portugal should I plan, and who in my family must attend?

Why it matters: Lawful entry and stay at the time of biometrics is a condition of the permit, and every family member gives their own biometrics.

How long have your own most recent files taken from submission to card, and what did the renewal involve?

Why it matters: AIMA has carried a backlog since 2023; the adviser’s own files are better evidence than any published estimate.

Who in my family qualifies today under article 98, and what evidence proves the relationship and the dependency?

Why it matters: The law covers the spouse or partner of two years, minor and dependent adult children in education, and dependent parents; anyone else needs their own route.

What are the government fees for each person across the first card and two renewals, and what are your fees per person?

Why it matters: Government fees are charged per person, so a family of four pays four times the tariff at every stage.

What happens if a child turns 18 or leaves education during the five years, or if my partner and I separate?

Why it matters: Dependency and the relationship are tested at each renewal, not only at the first application.

What must I show at each renewal, and what would cause a refusal?

Why it matters: The permit renews while the investment is held and the minimum stay is met; a lapse in either is discovered at renewal.

If I spend more time in Portugal than I plan to now, at what point do I become tax resident, and who advises me on that?

Why it matters: More than 183 days in any 12-month period, or a home kept for habitual use, makes a person tax resident; an immigration lawyer is usually not the tax adviser.

At year five, what are my options: permanent residence, a further renewal, or exit from the investment, and in what order?

Why it matters: Permanent residence removes the need to keep the investment, but the application for it is made while the temporary permit and the investment are still in place.