General program requirements

Applicants must establish a new corporation in Portugal into which they must invest EUR 175,000. Furthermore, applicants must obtain the support of an HQA business incubator.

All application fees and company formation costs are included in the EUR 175,000 investment. 

The startup founder must participate in one of the government-approved business incubators for at least three years. The applicant is free to take a hands-off approach by appointing managers to handle day-to-day operations.

Applicants may include their spouses and up to two other dependents in their applications.  

Program benefits

• Freedom of movement (but not settlement) within Schengen;
• Path to citizenship;
• Minimal physical presence requirements;
• Permits dual/muliple citizenship;
• Lower cost of living;
• Safety and security;
• Warm climate;
• Enhanced education opportunities;
• Enhanced business access to large economies;
• Short processing time

Requirements to qualify for citizenship

The initial HQA visa is valid for four months. After receiving approval, the applicant must travel to Portugal to obtain their two-year HQA residence permit. After two years, applicants can extend their residence permits by a further three years. 

After five years of residency, the applicant may apply for permanent residency, as well as citizenship. Prospective citizens must command basic Portuguese.

Applications for this program may be directed to:

SEF

Legislation upon which this program is based:

Portugal’s Immigration Act, Article 61(A) and 90 of REPSAE

No statistics available yet for this program.