How much does the Portugal Golden Visa cost in total, including fees?
The total is the investment plus about €20,000 to €33,000 in non-investment costs over five years for one applicant: €10,736.20 to €14,526.10 in AIMA fees for the first card and one or two renewals, €6,000 to €13,000 in legal fees, and €3,000 to €6,000 for health insurance, translations and documents. The table gives the cash outlay for each route before fund charges and travel, which are covered below. For the residency rules behind these numbers, see the Portugal Golden Visa guide.
| Route | Investment | Year-one cash outlay | Five-year cash outlay | Recoverable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investment fund | €500,000 | €514,000 to €518,000 | €520,000 to €533,000 | Fund units, at the fund's term |
| Scientific research | €500,000 | €514,000 to €518,000 | €520,000 to €533,000 | No |
| Cultural support | €250,000 | €264,000 to €268,000 | €270,000 to €283,000 | No |
| Cultural support, low-density territory | €200,000 | €214,000 to €218,000 | €220,000 to €233,000 | No |
| Company capitalisation with jobs | €500,000 | €514,000 to €518,000 plus payroll | €520,000 to €533,000 plus payroll | Company equity |
Use the Golden Visa cost calculator to run your own route and family size.
What Are the Investment Options and Their Minimums?
Five routes qualify for new applications in 2026. Real estate and the passive capital-transfer route were removed by Lei 56/2023 on 7 October 2023 and are closed to new applicants; renewals under the old routes continue.
| Route | Minimum | Low-density territory | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-real-estate investment fund | €500,000 | No reduction | CMVM-regulated, at least five-year term, at least 60% invested in Portuguese companies, no real-estate exposure |
| Scientific research | €500,000 | €400,000 | Public or private institutions in the national scientific system |
| Cultural or heritage support | €250,000 | €200,000 | Donation to eligible public or cultural entities; not recovered |
| Company capitalisation | €500,000 | No reduction | Create or capitalise a Portuguese company with the required job creation or maintenance |
| Job creation | At least 10 jobs | 8 jobs | No capital minimum |
Fund terms, fees and US-investor acceptance differ widely. Compare them on funds.movingto.com before you subscribe. For the rules a fund must meet and the checks to run first, read our Portugal Golden Visa funds guide.
What Are the AIMA Government Fees?
AIMA's fee table has two columns. The applied column is what you pay; the higher Portaria base figures (€842.80, €8,418.90 and €4,210.30) are the pre-reduction statutory rates. AIMA updates the fee table every year on 1 March.
| Fee | Per person | When |
|---|---|---|
| Analysis of the application | €632.10 | At submission, not refundable |
| First residence card | €6,314.20 | On approval, before the card is issued |
| Initial total | €6,946.30 | Main applicant and each dependant |
| Renewal (analysis €632.10 plus card €3,157.80) | €3,789.90 | Each renewal, per person |
Read the current table on AIMA's fee-table PDF and the 1 March 2026 update notice; the legal basis is Portaria 307/2023.
How Much Do Renewals Cost?
Each renewal costs €3,789.90 per person: the €632.10 analysis fee is charged on renewal requests too, plus the €3,157.80 renewal card. The first card lasts two years and renewals run for three, so renewals typically fall in years two and five; budget €7,579.80 per person in government fees across those two renewals, plus €1,000 to €2,500 in legal fees per renewal. If your card is issued with a longer validity you may renew only once in that period; check the expiry date printed on the card.
A family of four pays €15,159.60 in government fees at each renewal. Renewals are filed through AIMA's Portal das Renovações, open since 16 February 2026; see the residence permit renewal guide.
How Much Do Lawyers Charge?
Expect €5,000 to €8,000 for the main applicant's first application, €1,000 to €3,000 per dependant and €1,000 to €2,500 per renewal. Movingto is a Portugal-first immigration firm that puts a named, Bar-registered lawyer from its in-house legal team on your case and publishes its fees. Its fund-route fee is a flat €6,000; see pricing. Quotes below €3,000 for a full service usually exclude renewals, dependants or the source-of-funds work.
Review our Portugal Golden Visa lawyer assistance and support for Movingto's fund-route service scope before requesting a written quote. Confirm family coverage, renewals, VAT and third-party costs in your engagement.
What a full-service fee should include
- Eligibility and route assessment, and legal review of the chosen investment's ARI eligibility
- Source-of-funds evidence pack and document checklist
- NIF and bank-account setup, or coordination of both
- Preparation and submission of the AIMA application, biometrics scheduling and card collection
- Authority correspondence and status follow-up until the card is issued
What is usually billed separately
- Certified translations (€25 to €50 per page) and apostilles or legalisation (€50 to €300 in total, by country)
- Fiscal representation for non-EU residents with a NIF, if you use one (€150 to €400 a year; optional if you sign up for Finanças electronic notifications instead)
- Tax advice on your home-country and Portuguese position (€500 to €2,000 a year where needed)
- Fund due diligence beyond ARI eligibility, and any investment advice, which sits with a regulated adviser
What Other Costs Should You Budget?
One-off setup costs
| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Certified translations and apostilles | €1,000 to €2,000 | Depends on the number of documents and family size |
| NIF | €0 to €300 | Free in person at Finanças; a fee applies through a representative |
| Portuguese bank account | €0 to €200 | Some banks charge an opening fee; see the bank-account guide |
| Criminal-record certificates | €20 to €100 each | From every country of residence; valid 90 days |
| Currency transfer on €500,000 | €2,500 to €7,500 | Spread and wire fees for non-euro transfers; a specialist provider usually beats a bank |
| Travel for biometrics | €1,500 to €4,000 | Flights and accommodation for the AIMA appointment |
Recurring costs
| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Health insurance | €400 to €600 per person a year | Required for the application; family plans cost more |
| Fiscal representative | €150 to €400 a year | Optional for non-EU NIF holders who sign up for Finanças electronic notifications instead |
| Bank account maintenance | €50 to €150 a year | Varies by bank |
| Tax advice | €500 to €2,000 a year | Where you have Portuguese-source income or a cross-border position |
| Minimum-stay travel | €1,500 to €4,000 a year | Seven days in year one, then 14 days in each two-year period |
What fees do Portugal Golden Visa investment funds charge?
Portugal Golden Visa funds charge a management fee of about 1% to 2.5% a year, plus any subscription and performance fees, and these are deducted from the fund's value rather than invoiced to you. They are separate from all of the costs above, so a €500,000 subscription can be worth €440,000 to €475,000 after five years before performance. Compare them fund by fund on the fund fee register.
| Fund fee | Level | How it is charged |
|---|---|---|
| Management fee | About 1% to 2.5% a year | Deducted from the fund's value |
| Performance fee | 10% to 20% of profits above a hurdle rate, where the fund charges one | Deducted from returns above the hurdle |
| Subscription fee | Varies by fund | At subscription; check the fund's documents |
Movingto may receive commissions from some funds; we disclose how this works on how we get paid.
How Much Does It Cost for a Family?
The investment does not change with family size. Each dependant adds €6,946.30 for the first card, €3,789.90 at each renewal, €1,000 to €3,000 in legal fees and their own health insurance, about €17,000 to €21,000 per person over five years.
| Household | Fund route, five-year cash outlay | Cultural route, five-year cash outlay |
|---|---|---|
| One applicant | €520,000 to €533,000 | €270,000 to €283,000 |
| Couple | €537,000 to €554,000 | €287,000 to €304,000 |
| Family of four | €572,000 to €595,000 | €322,000 to €345,000 |
Spouses or partners, dependent children, dependent parents and some minor siblings can be included when the dependency evidence meets AIMA's requirements.
What is the cheapest way to get a Portugal Golden Visa?
The cheapest qualifying route is €200,000 of cultural or heritage support in a low-density territory, about €220,000 to €233,000 over five years for one applicant. The €250,000 cultural route elsewhere is next. Both are donations to approved projects and are not returned. The €500,000 fund route costs more up front but the units can be redeemed at the fund's term, so its net cost over the hold is the fees plus any fall in value, not the full €500,000.
Portugal Golden Visa fees for US citizens
US citizens pay the same Golden Visa fees as every other applicant: AIMA charges €6,946.30 per person for the first card and €3,789.90 per person at each renewal, and Movingto's fund-route fee is a flat €6,000. At roughly $1.15 to $1.20 per euro, the €500,000 fund route is about $575,000 to $600,000 and the €250,000 cultural route about $290,000 to $300,000; convert at the day's rate before you transfer. Americans should also plan for US reporting on fund units: Movingto's in-house tax counsel advises on Portuguese and cross-border tax; your US CPA files PFIC/Form 8621 and FBAR, and we brief them. For UK applicants, at roughly £0.85 to £0.88 per euro the two routes are about £425,000 to £440,000 and £213,000 to £220,000. Non-euro transfers of this size usually cost €2,500 to €7,500 in spread and fees, which is why the transfer provider matters.
How Does It Compare With Greece and Italy?
Greece's Golden Visa is a property purchase from €400,000 in most areas, €800,000 in prime zones and €250,000 for eligible conversions, with lower government fees; see Greece Golden Visa costs. Italy's investor visa starts at €250,000 in an innovative start-up or €500,000 in an Italian company, with €2 million in government bonds or a €1 million donation as the other routes; see the Italy Golden Visa guide. Spain closed its Golden Visa in April 2025. Portugal's distinguishing features are the seven-day-a-year stay rule and a fund route where the capital can come back; its citizenship clock is now 10 years for most non-EU nationals under Lei Orgânica 1/2026, or seven for EU and CPLP nationals. The full comparison is in best European Golden Visas.
For the currency side of your budget, read our analysis of exchange rates and investor-residency costs.
For additional context on the fund route, see our analysis of Portugal’s shift from property to private capital and guide to why some Portuguese funds do not accept US investors.