Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 12
Portugal Golden Visa Loses €20 Million as Citizenship Wait Doubles to 10 Years
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 12

Portugal Golden Visa Loses €20 Million as Citizenship Wait Doubles to 10 Years

1 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 12

Summary

  • About 40 investors have pulled roughly €20 million from Portugal’s golden visa funds since the start of 2026, according to Optimize Investment Partners.
  • The withdrawals followed a rule change that doubled the wait for Portuguese citizenship to 10 years, weakening the appeal of Europe’s once-hot residency-by-investment program.
  • Pedro Lino, chief executive of one leading golden visa fund manager, said most departing investors were from the U.S. and Asia.
  • Lawyers say the pullback could widen, with thousands of other investors preparing legal action against the Portuguese state over the changes.

Insights

Can Portugal's economy afford to lose its wealthy investors over new citizenship rules?
With citizenship now a decade away, is Portugal's Golden Visa a trap for foreign investors?