Is the Portuguese Golden Visa program coming to an end?

real estateforced the government to scrap the property purchase and review the Golden Visa programPortugal. In order to attract foreign capital and specialized businessmen and entrepreneurial talentIndonesiais working hard to significantly change immigration laws. Portugal's Golden Visa program has undergone extensive changes to make foreign investment a driving force for sustainable development, rural development and economic progress. Previously, the preferred strategy was to invest inreal estate; however, a sharp rise in property values forced the government to abandon property purchases and reform the nation's Golden Visa program.

In an interview for Financialexpress Online, founder of Pela Terra, Alex Lawrence-White, shared the key insights of Portugal's Golden Visa program. Excerpts: Will Portugal's Golden Visa program end soon? Eventually, yes. But not in the near future. The Prime Minister originally announced that they would close the program in 2023, but in the end they only reformed it. All real estate investments are now excluded from the program. Other stable investments such as agriculture and land are still allowed. However, the terms of the Portuguese golden visa (only needing to be in Portugal for 7 days a year and being able to apply for citizenship after only 5 years) are honestly too good compared to other European Union countries (which typically take 8-10 years and require investors to be in the country 183 days a year). So this program won't last forever. Investors probably have another 1-2 years to enter it before the EU starts putting pressure on the Portuguese government to shut it down completely.

What are the anticipated changes to Portugal's Golden Visa program? They are not anticipated. They are confirmed. The changes are that real estate investments are now prohibited, both through “direct acquisition” and through investing in funds that then invest in real estate. Funds, such as Pela Terra, that invest in other sectors such as sustainable agriculture are allowed to continue. Wouldn't real estate investment be an option in Portugal's new Golden Visa program? It has been confirmed that real estate is no longer an option. What options will remain for foreigners to obtain a Portugal Golden Visa? Foreigners can now only invest in non-real estate funds. Most are quite high risk, although there are a small number of products, such as Pela Terra, that continue to offer very low-risk products that fit well with the requirements of Golden Visa investors - focusing on minimizing risk and annual payments of stable annual income.

How much capital do I need to get a Portugal Golden Visa? You need to invest 500,000 euros to get a Portugal Golden Visa. What are the benefits of Portugal's citizenship by investment program?

The benefits are enormous. The Portuguese program allows investors to obtain, in just 5 years, the 4th most powerful passport in the world. Holders of this passport can visit 188 countries without visas. There are 195 countries in the world, so holders of this passport are incredibly free - the whole world is open to them. What's more, partners, children and dependent parents can be included on the principal applicant's visa. And citizenship is inherited by all future generations. So by investing €500,000 (which should be a lucrative investment), an applicant can open up the world to themselves and many generations of descendants. An incredible gift to future generations.

What is unique about investing in land and does it qualify for Portugal's citizenship by investment program? Land in Europe is one of the most stable assets in the world. They have lower volatility estimates than government bondsU.S.If youlooking foran asset you can rely on to protect your initial capital, you can't do better than that. During the financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the crisis in Russia and Ukraine, land values did not fall. Why? Because, unlike almost any other investment, in any economic environment people will continue to buy food! Thus, the asset needed to produce food will always be something for investors to hold. Because it underpins agricultural activities, a decent annual income is also made possible by land. Because the investment is categorized as “agriculture,” it is not subject to new and non-market regulations. Agriculture is the only remaining area of the Golden Visa that is still performing like real estate used to do (very safe, predictable annual income).

If you would like to share any more information with readers/investors Pela Terra is the largest agricultural fund in Portugal. It was also the first. It is a brand associated with safe investments, financial prudence and environmental responsibility. First year trading figures have been released and the fund is already up +15%. Young readers may be interested in the environmental merits of Pela Terra. We were Golden Visa's first environmentally focused fund. Our mission focuses on restoring soil health, with an emphasis on increasing biodiversity, minimizing water and chemical use, protecting soil, and producing nutritious food.

Most are quite high risk, although there are a small number of products such as Pela Terra that continue to offer very low-risk products that fit well with the requirements of Golden Visa investors - focusing on minimizing risk and annualized payouts of stable annual income.