Portugal · ARI · Updated 2026-09-25
Portugal Golden Visa Cost Calculator
The Portugal Golden Visa cost for one applicant is the qualifying investment, from €250,000 (cultural contribution) or €500,000 (fund), plus €6,946.30 in AIMA fees for the first two-year permit in AIMA's reduced 2026 column, before legal and ancillary costs. Use the Portugal Golden Visa cost calculator to model your route and family size at 2026 rates.
1. Investment route
2. Applicants
You are counted as the main applicant. Each person pays their own AIMA fees.
Main applicant
Always included
Spouse / partner
Dependent children
Dependent parents
Total applicants: 1
Include only family members who qualify for reunification. Adult children must meet dependency, unmarried and study conditions; parents must be dependent first-degree ascendants. Check AIMA's family criteria.
3. Adjust the estimate
The prefilled legal and ancillary figures are illustrative inputs, not surveyed market prices or quotes. Replace both with itemised quotes. The NIF request itself is free; private representation, banking, translation and apostille costs vary.
Your estimate
- Qualifying route commitment
- €500,000
- AIMA government fees1 applicant · reduced column
- €6,946.30
- Legal fees (est.)
- €8,000
- Ancillary costs (est.)
- €2,000
- Fees & costsExcludes route commitment
- €16,946.30
- Illustrative amount to budgetRoute commitment + selected fees & estimates
- €516,946.30
Fund units are capital at risk; neither redemption value nor timing is guaranteed. Other expenses, including fund-level charges and a later permanent-residence application, are excluded.
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What the Portugal Golden Visa cost calculator includes
The headline number people quote — €250,000 or €500,000 — is the qualifying route commitment, not an AIMA fee. Its recoverability depends on the route and the contract: fund units are exposed to investment risk, while cultural support or a research contribution may be non-refundable. For the fund route, compare the recorded fees, terms and evidence in our Portugal investment-fund guide. Fund units may be redeemable under the fund documents, but the amount returned is not guaranteed and fund-specific charges are not included here. The calculator therefore separates the route commitment from government fees and private costs.
On top of the investment you pay AIMA government fees for each person on the application. In the reduced column, the initial two-year permit has a €632.10 application fee plus a €6,314.20 grant fee — €6,946.30 per applicant. A family of four therefore pays €27,785.20 in government fees for the first permit alone. These figures come from the consolidated AIMA fee table (Portaria n.º 307/2023), updated on 1 March 2026. AIMA's 2026 fee table has two columns: the base rate set by Portaria 307/2023, and a lower "atendimento presencial e digital" column that applies point XIV's 25% reduction to in-person and digital applications until these services move fully online, so the lower column is the rate AIMA's table applies today (section III.3, checked 27 Sep 2026). The calculator starts with that reduced column.
Finally there are legal and professional fees (set by each firm, not the government) and ancillary costs such as private representation, banking, sworn translations and apostilles. A NIF request itself is free according to Portugal's government service page. These amounts are editable working estimates because private charges vary.
Portugal Golden Visa investment routes (2026)
Since Lei 56/2023 took effect on 7 October 2023, direct property purchase and passive capital transfer are no longer eligible for new applications. Every qualifying investment activity must be maintained for at least five years from the grant of the residence permit, and none of the surviving routes may be directed, directly or indirectly, to real-estate investment. These are the current qualifying routes in Lei 23/2007 and AIMA's ARI guidance:
Investment fund subscription — €500,000
At least €500,000 in units of a non-real-estate collective investment undertaking established under Portuguese law, with a maturity of at least five years and at least 60% invested in commercial companies headquartered in Portugal.
Company share capital + jobs — €500,000
At least €500,000 to establish a Portuguese company and create five permanent jobs, or to increase the capital of an existing Portuguese company while creating at least five permanent jobs or maintaining ten jobs, at least five permanent, for a minimum of three years.
Research & development — €500,000
A transfer of at least €500,000 to public or private scientific-research institutions in the national scientific and technological system. A 20% reduction to €400,000 applies for investments in low-density territories.
Cultural / heritage support — €250,000
At least €250,000 invested in or used to support artistic production or the recovery and maintenance of national cultural heritage through an eligible entity. A 20% reduction to €200,000 applies in low-density territories. This is the lowest fixed-sum route.
Job creation — 10 jobs (capital varies)
Creation of at least ten jobs in Portugal, reduced to eight in a qualifying low-density territory, with no fixed statutory capital minimum. Any capital required depends on the business and is therefore omitted from the calculator total.
AIMA government fees, per applicant (2026)
| Fee | When it applies | Reduced | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application (receção/análise) | Initial application and every renewal, per applicant | €632.10 | €842.80 |
| Grant (concessão) | Initial 2-year permit, per applicant | €6,314.20 | €8,418.90 |
| Renewal issuance (renovação) | Each renewal, in addition to analysis | €3,157.80 | €4,210.30 |
| Full renewal total | Analysis + renewal issuance, per applicant | €3,789.90 | €5,053.10 |
Source: AIMA's official 2026 fee table, section III.3, updated 1 March 2026. The reduced column reflects point XIV of Portaria 307/2023. Assisted in-person applications may qualify for a 10% reduction that is not modelled here. Confirm the actual amount on your AIMA payment document. Figures are per applicant and rates may change.
First-permit family examples
AIMA analysis plus grant fees only, at 2026 rates. Add one qualifying route commitment for the family, then legal and ancillary costs separately.
| Applicants | Reduced | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | €6,946.30 | €9,261.70 |
| 2 people | €13,892.60 | €18,523.40 |
| 4 people | €27,785.20 | €37,046.80 |
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Portugal Golden Visa cost in 2026?
The Portugal Golden Visa cost calculator separates the statutory qualifying amount from the fees on top. The lowest fixed-sum route is €250,000 for eligible cultural investment or support; the job-creation route has no fixed statutory capital minimum. In AIMA's reduced 2026 fee column, a single applicant pays €6,946.30 for initial analysis and grant. The standard column totals €9,261.70. Legal and ancillary amounts shown are editable private-cost estimates, not government-set prices.
Is the €500,000 investment a cost?
It is qualifying capital rather than a government fee, but it remains capital at risk. For example, fund units may be redeemable under the fund documents after maturity, but neither the amount returned nor the timing is guaranteed. Fund-specific subscription, management and redemption costs are not included in this calculator.
What are the Portugal Golden Visa government fees?
In the reduced column of AIMA's 2026 table, each applicant pays €632.10 for initial analysis and €6,314.20 for the initial permit, or €6,946.30 together. Each renewal combines the analysis fee with €3,157.80 for issuance, or €3,789.90 per applicant. The standard column is higher; switch the calculator to compare it. Confirm the applicable amount on your AIMA payment document. Future rates may change.
Are the government fees charged per person or per family?
Per person. An eligible family member who applies for an ARI family residence permit pays the same AIMA analysis and grant fees as the main applicant. Eligibility is separate: adult children must meet dependency, unmarried and study conditions, while parents must be dependent first-degree ascendants. The qualifying investment is one family-level commitment, not an amount multiplied by the number of applicants.
Why do some Portugal Golden Visa cost guides show higher AIMA fees?
AIMA's 2026 fee table has two columns: the base rate set by Portaria 307/2023, and a lower "atendimento presencial e digital" column that applies point XIV's 25% reduction to in-person and digital applications until these services move fully online, so the lower column is the rate AIMA's table applies today (AIMA fee table, section III.3, checked 27 Sep 2026). Initial analysis and grant total €6,946.30 per applicant in the reduced column, versus €9,261.70 in the base column. The calculator starts with the reduced column and lets you switch to the base column for comparison; confirm the applicable amount on your case's AIMA payment document before paying.
Can I still use real estate to get the Portugal Golden Visa?
No. Property purchase no longer qualifies: Lei 56/2023 removed the real-estate and passive capital-transfer routes for new applications from 7 October 2023. The current routes are a qualifying non-real-estate collective investment undertaking (€500,000), company capital with statutory job conditions (€500,000), qualifying research activity (€500,000), eligible cultural investment or support (€250,000), or the creation of at least ten jobs.
What is the low-density area discount?
A 20% reduction to the qualifying amount is available in low-density territories, but only for the job-creation, research and cultural routes — not for the investment-fund or company-capitalisation routes. Where it applies, the €250,000 cultural route falls to €200,000 and the €500,000 research route falls to €400,000.
What are the total costs over five years?
Keeping a temporary ARI valid through the usual five-year permanent-residence eligibility point typically involves two renewals, although timing depends on the permits actually issued. At current 2026 reduced-column rates, each renewal costs €3,789.90 per applicant: €632.10 for analysis plus €3,157.80 for renewal issuance. The calculator can include two renewals at today's rates, but excludes a later permanent-residence application and private renewal-handling fees. This is not a five-year citizenship calculation. Under Lei Orgânica 1/2026, Portugal requires 7 years of legal residence for EU and CPLP nationals and 10 years for most other foreign nationals, counted from when your first residence permit is issued. EU citizens are outside the ARI scheme, so ARI holders from Portuguese-speaking (CPLP) countries are on the 7-year period and most others on 10. Golden Visa years count as legal residence; further conditions apply.
Are the legal fees fixed?
No. Legal and professional fees depend on the provider and scope of work. The calculator starts with an editable working estimate so users can model a total, but it is not an official or guaranteed market price. Replace it with an itemised quote before relying on the result.
Sources for eligibility and nationality periods: ARI law, article 90-A, AIMA family criteria and 2026 nationality law, article 6.
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Disclaimer. This calculator provides general estimates for information only and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Government fees use the selected column of the AIMA fee table (Portaria n.º 307/2023, updated 1 March 2026) and future fees may change; legal and ancillary costs are editable private-cost estimates that vary by provider. Fund-level charges and any later permanent-residence application are not included. Programme rules can change — always confirm current figures and your eligibility with a licensed Portuguese lawyer before committing funds. Last reviewed 2026-09-25.