Portugal · Legal fees · Updated 2026-09-25
Portugal Golden Visa Lawyer Fees
Portugal Golden Visa lawyer fees have no official scale. As a planning figure, budget about €5,000–€10,000 for a full initial engagement for one applicant (GVL estimate), more for families or complex source-of-funds work. AIMA's government fees are separate, at €6,946.30 per applicant for the first permit. The live table below shows the bands firms on this directory publish.
Quick answer · 2026 planning figures
Initial legal work
€5k–€10k
GVL planning estimate, one applicant. No official scale.
AIMA initial fees
€6,946.30
Per applicant, AIMA's reduced 2026 rate: analysis plus concession.
AIMA renewal
€3,789.90
Per applicant, AIMA's reduced 2026 rate: analysis plus renewal.
Ask for one written total covering your family, route, VAT treatment, third-party costs and renewals. That is the only reliable way to compare two quotes.
Find Portugal lawyers for your casePortugal Golden Visa Lawyer Fees: Live Firm Bands
Of the 34 firms currently listed for Portugal golden-visa work, 13 publish a typical engagement range and 12 publish a consultation fee. Bands are in US dollars, as firms list them here. The middle published engagement range sits in the $2,000 - $5,000 band.
Typical engagement range
| Published band | Firms |
|---|---|
| < $2,000 | 0 |
| $2,000 - $5,000 | 7 |
| $5,000 - $10,000 | 5 |
| $10,000+ | 1 |
| Not published | 21 |
First consultation
| Published band | Firms |
|---|---|
| Free | 8 |
| < $100 | 4 |
| $100 - $250 | 0 |
| $250 - $500 | 0 |
| $500+ | 0 |
| Not published | 22 |
A band is what a firm chose to publish, not a quote. Use the Portugal directory to filter firms by fee band, or compare firms side by side including their published fees and response times.
The directory bands are stored in US dollars and can describe legal, advisory or narrower engagements. The €5,000–€10,000 planning range above is a GVL estimate for a full initial Portugal legal scope, not an official or market rate. Do not convert a directory band into a promise: first confirm the end point, family coverage, exclusions and who performs the work.
Compare Quotes by Family Size and Stage
Use this structure when requesting proposals so each firm answers the same question and separates its legal fee from the government charges paid for every applicant.
| Scenario | Legal quote should state | Government amount to add |
|---|---|---|
| Main applicant | Initial scope through the first residence permit, VAT treatment and exclusions. | €6,946.30 initial AIMA fees. |
| Couple | Base fee plus the spouse supplement and any extra document work. | €13,892.60 initial AIMA fees for two applicants. |
| Family of four | Base fee plus three dependant supplements, with eligibility evidence listed. | €27,785.20 initial AIMA fees for four applicants. |
| Each renewal | Renewal legal fee, updated documents, appointment support and any appeal work. | €3,789.90 per applicant. |
Is VAT Added to the Lawyer's Fee?
Sometimes. A quote should say whether Portuguese VAT is included, excluded or not applicable. Under Article 6(11)(c) of the Portuguese VAT Code, qualifying legal services supplied to a person established or domiciled outside the EU are outside Portuguese VAT. The firm still needs to confirm the client, location and nature of the service; nationality alone does not settle the treatment.
Official source: Portuguese Tax Authority — VAT Code, Article 6. Ask the firm to show the treatment on its written proposal and invoice.
Government fees are separate: the official AIMA table
Whatever a firm charges, AIMA's fees are set by law and paid per applicant. These are the applied amounts from AIMA's fee table under Portaria n.º 307/2023, in the consolidated version effective 1 March 2026:
| Step | Fee paid | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Reception and analysis of a concession or renewal request | €632.10 | Charged per applicant, on first applications and on renewals. |
| Concession of the ARI (initial approval) | €6,314.20 | Charged per applicant when the permit is approved. |
| Renewal of the ARI | €3,157.80 | The renewal line itself; the analysis fee above also applies. |
In practice that means the initial government cost is about €6,946.30 per applicant (analysis plus concession), and a full renewal about €3,789.90 per applicant, because the analysis fee is charged on renewal requests too. The higher figures you may see elsewhere (€842.80, €8,418.90, €4,210.30) are the base column. 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). Always check the current AIMA table before filing.
Sources: AIMA fee-table update notice and Portaria n.º 307/2023, Diário da República.
Legal fees within the full budget
The €500,000 fund investment is capital you hold, not a fee. On top of it, one applicant pays legal fees (about €5,000–€10,000, GVL estimate), €6,946.30 in initial AIMA fees and third-party costs such as translations, apostilles and banking. Each additional family member adds €6,946.30 in AIMA fees plus the firm's per-dependant fee, and each renewal adds €3,789.90 per applicant. Model your family's total with the Portugal Golden Visa cost calculator.
What a legal fee usually covers, and what it usually does not
Usually included
- Eligibility and document review for the principal applicant
- Preparing and filing the AIMA application
- Tracking the application and responding to AIMA requests
- Support around the biometrics appointment
Often billed separately
- NIF (tax number) and Portuguese bank-account setup
- Certified translations, apostilles and notary work
- Each dependant's application
- Renewals every two years, and later permanent-residence or citizenship work
Six questions to ask before you sign
- Is the fee flat or hourly, and what exactly does it include in writing?
- What do you charge per dependant, including renewals?
- Are NIF, bank account, translations and apostilles included or extra?
- What are your fees for the two-year renewals over the whole holding period?
- Who does the work day to day, and are they a registered lawyer or an adviser?
- How do you invoice government fees, and will you show AIMA's receipts?
Compare fees firm by firm
The directory lists each firm's published fee bands with its verification status, languages and response time, and the comparison view puts up to four firms side by side.
Frequently asked questions
What do I pay on top of the lawyer's fee?
AIMA's government fees (€6,946.30 per applicant for the first permit and €3,789.90 per applicant at each renewal) and third-party costs such as certified translations, apostilles and banking. The qualifying investment itself is capital you hold, not a fee. The Portugal Golden Visa cost calculator models the total for your family.
Is the €500,000 investment a fee?
No. The €500,000 fund subscription is capital you own, not a payment to the lawyer or the government. It must remain invested while you rely on that investment for the residence route and can be recovered subject to the fund's terms, timing and performance. The lawyer, AIMA and ancillary costs are amounts you spend and do not get back.
How much does a Portugal Golden Visa lawyer cost?
There is no official fee scale. As a planning figure, budget about €5,000–€10,000 in legal fees for a full initial engagement for one applicant (GVL estimate), more for families or complex source-of-funds work. Firms on this directory publish their typical engagement range in bands, and the live table on this page shows how many firms sit in each band, from under $2,000 to over $10,000 per engagement. The right way to read it: get quotes from two or three firms whose published range fits your budget, then compare what each engagement actually includes.
Are government fees included in the lawyer's fee?
Almost never. AIMA's government fees are separate and are set by law: €632.10 for the analysis of a concession or renewal request, €6,314.20 for the ARI concession, and €3,157.80 for the renewal step itself, per applicant, under the table effective 1 March 2026. A quote that does not separate legal fees from government fees is a reason to ask questions.
Do lawyers charge per family member?
Commonly, yes. Many firms quote a principal-applicant fee plus a smaller fee for each dependant, because each family member needs their own application, documents and AIMA fees. Ask for the all-in legal fee for your exact family composition, not just the headline figure.
Is Portuguese VAT added to Golden Visa lawyer fees?
It depends on the client and the service. Portuguese VAT can apply, but Article 6(11)(c) of the VAT Code places qualifying legal services to a person established or domiciled outside the EU outside Portuguese VAT. Nationality alone does not decide the result. Ask each firm to state in writing whether VAT is included, excluded or not applicable to your circumstances.
Is a free first consultation normal?
It is common but not universal. The live consultation-fee table on this page shows how many firms publish a free first call versus a paid one. A paid consultation is not a red flag; an unwillingness to put fees in writing afterwards is.
Disclaimer. This page is general information, not legal or financial advice, and no figure here is a quote. Firm fee bands are self-published by the listed firms and change as listings change. Government fees follow AIMA's fee table under Portaria n.º 307/2023 (consolidated version effective 1 March 2026) and can change; confirm the current table before filing. Engage a licensed Portuguese immigration lawyer for advice on your situation. Last reviewed 2026-09-25.