Portugal's Golden Visa in 2026: what changed, and what did not
Three legal changes in 2026 touch Portugal's Golden Visa: a new Nationality Law, the annual re-index of government fees, and a new immigration law implementing the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. The Donation Golden Visa itself works as it did.
- 1 MarchAIMA fees re-indexed, as every year
- 19 MayNew Nationality Law in force
- 11 SeptemberLei 62/2026 in force, EU Migration Pact
- UnchangedThe residence permit, the stay requirement and permanent residence at five years
What changed for the Golden Visa in 2026?
Three legal changes in 2026 affect Golden Visa applicants. The residence permit, its rights and its stay requirement are unchanged; what changed is the citizenship horizon, which is now longer.
| In force | Instrument | What changed | What it means for the Donation Golden Visa |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 March 2026 | Portaria 307/2023, annual re-index | AIMA fees updated in line with consumer prices | New fee values, nothing else |
| 19 May 2026 | Lei Orgânica 1/2026 (Nationality Law) | Naturalisation after 10 years of legal residence (7 for CPLP nationals), counted from the first residence card | Longer path to citizenship; residence permit and permanent residence unchanged |
| 11 September 2026 | Lei 62/2026 (EU Pact on Migration and Asylum) | New rules on asylum, student and vocational-training residence | Our reading: nothing that changes the cultural donation route |
What changed in the Nationality Law?
Since 19 May 2026, Portuguese citizenship by naturalisation requires 10 years of legal residence, or 7 for CPLP nationals, counted from the issue of the first residence card. The previous rule was five years for every nationality.
The new law, Lei Orgânica 1/2026, amends Portugal’s Nationality Law (Lei 37/81). Alongside the longer period, it adds requirements assessed when the application is filed:
- 10 years of legal residence, 7 for CPLP nationals¹
- A2 Portuguese (nationals of CPLP countries are presumed to meet it)
- A civic knowledge test
- The other conditions set by the Nationality Law
¹ CPLP: the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, Timor-Leste). Lei Orgânica 1/2026, Art. 6.º and 15.º of the consolidated Nationality Law.
Who does the new Nationality Law apply to?
The new rules apply to naturalisation applications filed from 19 May 2026. Applications filed up to 18 May 2026 are assessed under the previous law.
For anyone starting the Donation Golden Visa today, the citizenship horizon is 10 years of legal residence from the first residence card (7 for CPLP nationals). Every Golden Visa route leads to the same outcome.
What does it mean for the Donation Golden Visa?
Our reading: the reform lengthens the path to citizenship and leaves the residence permit untouched. Portugal still counts legal residence, not actual residence: the years count while you hold a valid permit and meet the stay requirement, wherever you live.
That is the feature that matters most, and it has not moved. A donor still needs 7 days in Portugal in the first year, then 14 days in each following two-year period, and can still take permanent residence after five years. Each milestone is set out on Stay, residence and citizenship.
What has not changed?
The residence permit works exactly as it did before 2026.
- All non-EU citizens can apply
- A €200,000 donation to a government-approved cultural project
- GEPAC approves each project before the donor commits
- Spouse, children, parents and parents-in-law can be included²
- 7 days in the first year, then 14 days every two years
- Renewals every two years
- Permanent residence after five years
² Children under 18, or older if unmarried, dependent and studying; parents and parents-in-law if dependent on you or your spouse. See Your family and the Donation Golden Visa.
Every project in our portfolio is approved by the Ministry of Culture before any donor commits.
Did anything change between the donation and the fund route?
No. The routes open to a private individual are still the ones set in 2023.
In October 2023, the Mais Habitação law (Lei 56/2023) closed the real-estate and capital-transfer routes. For a private individual who does not intend to run a business in Portugal, two main routes remain: a CMVM-approved investment fund, at €500,000, or a donation to culture.³ We are not aware of any 2026 change to either route. The comparison is on Donation or investment fund?
³ A third route, a €500,000 contribution to scientific research, also remains and is rarely used.
The cultural route continues to grow. GEPAC issued 184 investment declarations in the first eight months of 2026, against 213 in the whole of 2025. All the figures.
What changed in government fees?
AIMA’s fees were re-indexed on 1 March 2026, as they are every 1 March under Portaria 307/2023, in line with the previous year’s consumer price index.
The fees are charged per person and are the same on every Golden Visa route. The 2026 values, per person and for a family of four, are on What it costs.
What is Lei 62/2026, and does it affect the Golden Visa?
Lei 62/2026 is Portugal’s implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, published on 10 September 2026 and in force since 11 September 2026.
It amends the Immigration Act (Lei 23/2007) and the asylum law. Its changes concern the asylum procedure, student and vocational-training residence, and certain regularisation cases. Our reading: nothing in it changes Article 90.º-A of the Immigration Act, the investment residence permit, or the cultural donation route.
Our indicative timeline stays as published on Process and timeline.
Indicative. AIMA processing times vary.
What should applicants do now?
Plan around residence, which is unchanged, and treat citizenship as the 10-year horizon it now is.
The residence permit carries its value from the first year: the right to live, work and study in Portugal, Schengen access, and a family included under one donation. The citizenship horizon is 10 years. To see how the route works from the donor’s side, start with the Donation Golden Visa.
Sources: Lei Orgânica 1/2026 (Nationality Law, in force 19 May 2026) · Lei 37/81, consolidated · Lei 62/2026 (in force 11 September 2026) · Lei 23/2007, Art. 3.º and 90.º-A · Lei 56/2023 · Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007, Art. 65.º-C · Portaria 307/2023 · AIMA · GEPAC, official data to 31 August 2026.
Changelog
2026-10-09: Page published. Covers Lei Orgânica 1/2026 (in force 2026-05-19), the AIMA fee re-index of 2026-03-01 and Lei 62/2026 (in force 2026-09-11).
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Updated 9 October 2026 · Cascais Ventures · Primary sources linked on this page (links checked 9 October 2026)