Portugal · Renewal and citizenship · Updated 2026-09-25
Portugal Golden Visa Renewal and the Road to Citizenship
Portugal Golden Visa renewal falls due when the first ARI card expires two years after issue. It renews for as long as the qualifying investment stands and the minimum stay is met: 7 days in the first year and 14 days in each subsequent two-year period. Since 16 February 2026, renewals and their fees go through AIMA's Renewals Portal.
How Portugal Golden Visa renewal works
Per AIMA, the temporary residence permit for investment is valid for two years from the issue of the card. If you subscribed through the fund route, keep the subscription and eligibility evidence described in our guide to qualifying Portuguese investment funds with the renewal file. Renewal needs four things in order:
- The investment, still in place: the sworn commitment on the original application runs for at least 5 years, and renewal evidence mirrors the original route's documents.
- The stay requirement, met: a minimum of 7 days in the first year and 14 days in each subsequent two-year period. It is not a full-time residence obligation.
- Government fees, again: €3,789.90 per applicant at each renewal (the analysis fee plus the renewal fee), under AIMA's fee table effective 1 March 2026. The line-by-line table is on the lawyer-fees page.
- Clean standing: the same kinds of checks that conditioned the grant apply at renewal.
What documents does a Portugal Golden Visa renewal need?
AIMA's ARI FAQ (checked 27 September 2026) lists these renewal requirements:
- A valid passport or travel document
- A regularised tax and social security position
- A criminal record certificate, where applicable
- Evidence of healthcare cover
- Evidence that the investment is maintained
- Evidence that you met the minimum periods of stay
- Means of subsistence and proof of accommodation
- Payment of the applicable fees
Renewal fee: €3,789.90 per applicant (analysis fee plus renewal fee), paid on the portal.
How do you file a renewal on AIMA's Renewals Portal?
AIMA opened ARI renewals on its Renewals Portal on 16 February 2026 (AIMA Renewals Portal notice, checked 27 September 2026):
- File the renewal request on AIMA's Renewals Portal. AIMA's ARI FAQ says permits expiring from 22 February 2020 to 31 December 2026 must be renewed there.
- Pay the renewal fees on the same portal. AIMA calls it the only channel for ARI renewal requests and fee payment.
- File for each family member too: reunified family members submit their own renewal requests and pay their own fees through the portal.
- Keep any biometrics appointment you have already been given. If AIMA's analysis shows new biometrics are needed, it schedules the appointment automatically.
The Renewals Portal covers renewals only, not initial applications. Renewal files meet the same operational queue as everything else at AIMA, so the practical playbook on the delays and appeals page applies here too, and the full fee table lives on the lawyer-fees page (source: AIMA fee-table update notice, checked 25 September 2026).
Permanent residence at five years
AIMA's ARI page states that golden-visa holders and their family members who meet the general requirements can request permanent residence under the immigration law's ordinary rules, with a specific carve-out preserving the investment route's absence allowances. Under article 80 of Lei 23/2007, permanent residence requires at least five years of temporary residence (see AIMA's permanent-residence page, checked 25 September 2026). The requirements at that stage, including language evidence, follow the general immigration framework rather than the golden-visa rules.
Citizenship after Lei Orgânica 1/2026
Under the rules in force from 19 May 2026, Portugal requires 7 years of legal residence for EU and CPLP nationals and 10 years for most other foreign nationals. Applications already pending on 18 May 2026 continue under the previous law. Two details the summaries usually miss: EEA and Swiss nationals are not EU Member State nationals for this purpose, so they fall in the 10-year bracket, and there is no blanket 5-year path left for anyone.
The counting rule changed too. Under the 2026 law the naturalization residence period is counted from when your residence permit is issued. The earlier rule that counted from the application date was repealed, though applications pending on 18 May 2026 may retain it. With first cards currently taking 12 to 24 months or more, the wait before issuance now adds real years to the road.
Golden Visa years count as legal residence toward Portuguese citizenship. The nationality law sets no separate minimum-presence rule, but the clock runs only from when your residence card is issued. Applicants still need A2 Portuguese and the civics requirements.
One question is genuinely unsettled: whether residence accrued before 2026 by holders who had not yet applied for citizenship counts under the new clocks. The transitional rule clearly protects naturalization applications pending on 18 May 2026; it does not clearly protect accrued residence without an application, and the point is contested and subject to ongoing legal challenge. Anyone stating a confident answer, in either direction, is stating a position. The primary text is Lei Orgânica 1/2026 in the Diário da República, with the Justice Ministry's summary of the new rules.
What naturalisation asks for besides the years
Portugal's 2026 nationality rules add: a criminal bar that applies only to a final conviction to an effective prison sentence of more than 3 years for serious crimes (terrorism, violent or highly organized crime, crimes against state security, or aiding illegal immigration), applied as a rebuttable presumption, so a suspended sentence does not by itself bar you; an A2 Portuguese language test plus a civics test covering history, culture, symbols, rights and duties, and how the state is organized; and a solemn declaration of commitment to the democratic rule of law. The implementing regulation setting test detail is due for revision under the new law, so the examination mechanics may still move.
Brief counsel on the whole timeline
Ask any firm you brief to walk you through both the renewal and nationality timelines for your nationality and family.
Frequently asked questions
How often does the Portugal Golden Visa need renewing?
The temporary residence permit for investment is valid for two years from the issue of the card, per AIMA, and renews for as long as you keep the qualifying investment and meet the stay requirement. Since 16 February 2026, renewals and their fees go through AIMA's Renewals Portal, which covers renewals only, not initial applications.
Which documents do I need to renew a Portugal Golden Visa?
AIMA lists a valid passport, a regularised tax and social security position, a criminal record certificate where applicable, healthcare cover, evidence that the investment is maintained, evidence of the minimum stay, means of subsistence and proof of accommodation, and payment of the fees: €3,789.90 per applicant under AIMA's fee table effective 1 March 2026.
How long until citizenship after the 2026 law?
Under the rules in force from 19 May 2026, Portugal requires 7 years of legal residence for EU and CPLP nationals and 10 years for most other foreign nationals. Applications already pending on 18 May 2026 continue under the previous law. Note that EEA and Swiss nationals are not EU Member State nationals for this purpose, so they fall in the 10-year bracket.
Do low-presence Golden Visa years count toward citizenship?
Yes. Golden Visa years count as legal residence toward Portuguese citizenship. The nationality law sets no separate minimum-presence rule, but the clock runs only from when your residence card is issued. Applicants still need A2 Portuguese and the civics requirements. A lawyer should confirm how your own file will be assessed.
Does the time waiting for my first card count toward citizenship?
Under the 2026 law the naturalization residence period is counted from when your residence permit is issued. The earlier rule that counted from the application date was repealed, though applications pending on 18 May 2026 may retain it. With first cards currently taking 12 to 24 months or more, that difference is material, and it is one reason the delay remedies matter.
I got my permit years ago but have not applied for citizenship. Do my years still count?
This is legally disputed and not settled. The 2026 law's transitional rule clearly protects naturalization applications that were already pending on 18 May 2026. Whether residence accrued before 2026 by people who had not yet applied counts under the new 7 and 10 year clocks is contested and subject to ongoing legal challenge, so treat any confident answer, in either direction, as a position rather than a fact, and take specific advice.
What does naturalisation require besides the years?
Portugal's 2026 nationality rules add: a criminal bar that applies only to a final conviction to an effective prison sentence of more than 3 years for serious crimes (terrorism, violent or highly organized crime, crimes against state security, or aiding illegal immigration), as a rebuttable presumption, so a suspended sentence does not by itself bar you; an A2 Portuguese language test plus a civics test covering history, culture, symbols, rights and duties, and how the state is organized; and a solemn declaration of commitment to the democratic rule of law.
Disclaimer. This page is general information, not legal advice, and nationality outcomes depend on individual facts. Nationality-law statements follow Lei Orgânica 1/2026 as recorded with primary sources in our verified-facts process (verified June 2026 and re-checked against the GVL facts ledger on 25 September 2026, next scheduled review November 2026); implementing guidance and pending legal challenges, including on how pre-2026 residence is counted for those who had not yet applied, can change the practical position. Renewal mechanics follow AIMA's published rules. Confirm your own timeline with a licensed Portuguese lawyer. Last reviewed 2026-09-25.