From residence permit to Portuguese citizenship
The Donation Golden Visa asks for very little time in Portugal and builds, year by year, towards permanent residence and citizenship. This page sets out each milestone and what it requires.
- 7 daysMinimum stay in the first year, then 14 days every two years
- 2 yearsEach renewal cycle of the residence permit
- 5 yearsTo permanent residence, optional
- 10 yearsTo Portuguese and EU citizenship, 7 for CPLP nationals
How much time must I spend in Portugal?
The Donation Golden Visa requires 7 days in Portugal in the first year, then 14 days in each following two-year period. The years count as legal residence while you hold a valid permit and meet this requirement, wherever you live.
The stay requirement is the same on every route of the programme. It is what allows donors to keep their home, their work and their children’s schooling where they are, while the years build towards permanent residence and citizenship.
| Period | Minimum stay in Portugal |
|---|---|
| First year of the permit | 7 days |
| Each following two-year period | 14 days |
Source: Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007, Art. 65.º-C.
Do I need to live in Portugal for the years to count?
No. Portugal counts legal residence: the years count while you hold a valid permit and meet its stay requirement, wherever you live.
This is the distinction that matters most when comparing European programmes.
Legal residence.
The years count while you hold a valid permit and meet its stay requirement, wherever you live. This is how the Donation Golden Visa works.
Actual residence.
You must live in the country, generally for most of each year, before the years count towards citizenship.
How often is the permit renewed?
The residence permit is renewed every two years, provided the route’s requirements are still met and the stay requirement is met. The two-year cycle is set by the ARI’s own rule in Portugal’s Immigration Act (Lei 23/2007, Art. 90.º-A, n.º 2).
Your lawyer files each renewal with AIMA. At each renewal, the beneficiary entity supplies the declaration the application needs, and Cascais Ventures provides the project’s reports to support it. With a donation, the donor has no fund to monitor and no exit to manage: the legal obligation to develop the project sits with the beneficiary entity behind one of the government-approved projects.
Government fees for each renewal are set out on What it costs.
When can I apply for permanent residence?
A Donation Golden Visa holder can apply for permanent residence after five years of legal residence, with basic Portuguese, means of subsistence and accommodation. Its conditions do not include the investment. Permanent residence is optional: holders who do not take it keep renewing every two years.
When can I apply for Portuguese citizenship?
A Donation Golden Visa holder can apply for Portuguese citizenship after 10 years of legal residence, or 7 for CPLP nationals, counted from the issue of the first residence card.¹ The rule is set by the Nationality Law in force since 19 May 2026 (Lei Orgânica 1/2026).
The applicant also needs A2 Portuguese (nationals of CPLP countries are presumed to meet it) and a civic knowledge test; how to prove the language is on The Portuguese language requirement. The reform that set these rules, and who it applies to, is explained on What changed in 2026.
¹ CPLP: the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, Timor-Leste). Applications filed up to 18 May 2026 are assessed under the previous rules.
What does Portuguese citizenship give?
Portuguese citizenship is EU citizenship: the right to live, work and study in any member state of the European Union under EU free-movement rules, without a residence permit. It is the long-horizon outcome of the route; the residence permit is what the donor holds from the first year.
| Residence permit | Portuguese citizenship | |
|---|---|---|
| Live and work in Portugal | Yes | Yes |
| Live and work in other EU countries | No: visits of 90 days in any 180 | Yes, under EU free-movement rules |
| Renewals | Every two years, or permanent residence after five | None |
| Passport | Your own | A Portuguese, and EU, passport |
| Vote | Not in national elections | In national, local and European Parliament elections |
Can I keep my current nationality?
Portugal allows dual nationality and does not ask a new citizen to give up their existing one. Whether your own country allows it is a question for its law: the United States, for example, does not require a citizen to choose, while some countries do not allow a second nationality.²
Can my children become Portuguese too?
Yes. Children who are still minors when a parent becomes Portuguese can acquire Portuguese nationality by declaration; children who are adults by then can apply in their own right once they meet the naturalisation conditions.³ This is how the right to live, study and work across the EU passes to the next generation, and why families with young children often start early.
What does the path look like, year by year?
The path runs from the residence card through two-year renewals to permanent residence at five years and citizenship at ten.
- 112 to 18 months after filing
Residence card
Issued by AIMA once the application is approved. The clock towards citizenship starts here.
- 2Every 2 years
Renewals
Requirements still met, stay requirement met, declarations supplied by the project.
- 3After 5 years
Permanent residence
Optional, with basic Portuguese. Holders who do not take it keep renewing every two years.
- 4After 10 years
Portuguese citizenship
7 years for CPLP nationals, with A2 Portuguese and a civic knowledge test.
| Milestone | When | What it requires |
|---|---|---|
| Residence card | 12 to 18 months after filing | Donation made, GEPAC declaration, AIMA application and one biometrics visit |
| Renewal | Every two years | Requirements still met, stay requirement met |
| Permanent residence | After five years of legal residence | Optional; basic Portuguese, means of subsistence and accommodation |
| Portuguese citizenship | After 10 years of legal residence (7 for CPLP nationals) | A2 Portuguese (CPLP nationals are presumed to meet it) and a civic knowledge test |
Indicative. AIMA processing times vary. Each step of the application is set out on Process and timeline.
² Lei 37/81 (Nationality Law), as amended by Lei Orgânica 1/2026. US position: US Department of State. Check the rules of your own country of nationality.
³ Lei 37/81, Art. 2.º (minor children of a parent who acquires nationality) and Art. 6.º (naturalisation). Conditions apply, including the language and civic requirements for naturalisation.
Who can be included in the application is explained on Your family and the Donation Golden Visa. To see how the route works from the donor’s side, start with the Donation Golden Visa for donors.
Sources: Lei 23/2007, Art. 90.º-A, n.º 2 (renewals) · Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007, Art. 65.º-C (stay requirement) · Lei Orgânica 1/2026 (Nationality Law, in force 19 May 2026) · Lei 37/81, consolidated, Art. 2.º, 6.º and 15.º · AIMA, ARI requirements.
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Updated 9 October 2026 · Cascais Ventures · Primary sources linked on this page (links checked 9 October 2026)