Lowest route
EUR250,000
This applies to qualifying cultural production or heritage support structures under the official AIMA route list.
Dashboard (soon)
Portugal ARI
Portugal Golden Visa
Portugal's ARI route is now a more selective investor-residence programme built around funds, business activity, research, cultural support, and job creation rather than residential real estate, which is exactly why it still draws serious long-term planners despite a narrower route set.
From EUR250,000No residential real estate route7 days first year / 14 thereafterFamily regrouping available
Core investor route
EUR500,000
Research, non-real-estate collective investment funds, and qualifying company-capital routes all start at this level.
Stay requirement
7 / 14 days
AIMA states a minimum stay of seven days in the first year and fourteen days in the subsequent two-year periods.
Permit validity
2 years
The initial temporary residence title for ARI is valid for two years from issuance.
Programme overview
Why Portugal still matters after the route reset
Portugal remains important because it is no longer a broad real-estate story. The current ARI framework is geared toward applicants who are comfortable with regulated funds, business activity, research support, or cultural contribution routes and who want a programme tied to long-term planning, family regrouping, and potential progression under Portugal's residence and nationality framework.
AIMA's current ARI page lists five live routes: job creation, research support, cultural or heritage support, non-real-estate collective investment funds, and qualifying company capital with job creation or maintenance.
AIMA officially states that ARI holders must spend at least 7 days in Portugal in the first year and at least 14 days in the following periods.
Family regrouping remains available under the Portugal system and can be processed through the ARI framework.
Portugal's route selection is now more technical, which makes pre-filing route choice more important than before.
Country and programme facts
Key country facts and route context at a glance.
Capital
Lisbon
Language
Portuguese
Currency
Euro
Programme format
ARI residence permit
Qualifying routes
Golden Visa and investor-residence routes for different profiles
These route cards show the real structure behind the programme, so applicants can compare property, fund, business, cultural, or capital tests without losing the wider residence context.
Job creation
10 jobs
The ARI framework still recognises the creation of at least ten jobs as a qualifying route for investor residence in Portugal.
This is usually reviewed by applicants who want to tie residence strategy directly to operating activity rather than passive capital placement.
Scientific research support
EUR500,000
A capital transfer of at least EUR500,000 into research activities carried out by qualifying public or private scientific institutions integrated into the national system.
This route is more specialised and needs careful verification of the receiving institution and the investment mechanics.
Cultural or heritage support
EUR250,000
A transfer of at least EUR250,000 directed to artistic production or to the recovery and maintenance of national cultural heritage through qualifying public-interest bodies.
This is the lowest published ARI threshold on the current official AIMA route list.
Non-real-estate collective investment fund
EUR500,000
A transfer of at least EUR500,000 into non-real-estate collective investment undertakings formed under Portuguese law, with at least 60% of investments in Portuguese commercial companies.
This is one of the most commonly compared modern Portugal routes because it replaced the old property-led narrative for many applicants.
Company capital with jobs
EUR500,000
A capital transfer of at least EUR500,000 into a Portuguese company, coupled with the creation of five permanent jobs, or into an existing company with job creation or maintenance conditions.
For existing companies, the route requires the maintenance of at least ten jobs, with a minimum of five permanent, over at least three years.
Who qualifies
Eligibility, family inclusion, and compliance notes
Main applicant
- The applicant must complete one of the quantitative ARI routes published by AIMA and maintain it for the legally required period.
- Portugal requires the absence of facts that would have prevented the issuance of a residence visa, along with clean criminal-history positioning under Portuguese law.
- The route chosen should match the applicant's real comfort level with fund, business, research, or cultural structures rather than a generic Golden Visa label.
Eligible family
- AIMA states that ARI holders can benefit from family regrouping under Portugal's residence framework.
- Portugal's ARI regrouping structure can be pursued together with or after the main investor application depending on the case setup.
- For complex family structures, it is usually worth reviewing both the ARI route and the regrouping route at the same time rather than treating them as separate questions.
Compliance and process
- The temporary investment residence permit is valid for two years and then moves through the renewal framework under Portugal's residence rules.
- AIMA states that holders must stay in Portugal for at least seven days in the first year and fourteen days in the following periods.
- Portugal's ARI route remains legally tied to eventual permanent residence and naturalisation possibilities only if the wider requirements of those regimes are also satisfied.
Application path
A process structure that is easy to explain to clients
01
Choose the correct ARI route
The first decision is whether Portugal should be approached through a fund, business, research, cultural, or employment-creation structure.
02
Register through the ARI system
The case is prepared and pre-registered through Portal ARI, with the investment evidence and supporting documentation uploaded for review.
03
Attend the AIMA filing stage
AIMA's current digital process is designed around a simplified applicant path with biometrics and formal validation through the ARI platform.
04
Renew and maintain the stay requirement
Once approved, the residence title must be renewed under Portuguese rules while the route and minimum physical-presence requirement are maintained.
Common questions
Fast answers for comparing Portugal
Does Portugal still offer a broad property route?
No. Portugal's current ARI route list on AIMA is centred on funds, business, research, cultural support, and job-creation options rather than the old residential real-estate model.
What is Portugal's current lowest published threshold?
The lowest threshold on AIMA's current ARI route list is EUR250,000 for qualifying cultural production or national heritage support structures.
How much time does Portugal require on the ground?
AIMA states that ARI holders must spend at least seven days in Portugal in the first year and at least fourteen days in the subsequent periods.
Can Portugal include family members?
Yes. AIMA explicitly states that ARI holders can benefit from family regrouping under the Portugal residence system.
Private advisory
Reviewing Portugal next?
Portugal usually makes the most sense when you want a more selective European route built around regulated capital structures and longer-term residence planning rather than direct residential property acquisition.