Portugal Golden Visa Attorneys in Miami, FL
Are you keen to make Portugal your permanent residence? The Portugal Golden Visa program is among the best investment programs in the world, not just in Europe. Do you want to enjoy Portugal’s Golden Visa benefits? Talk to one of our attorneys today.
The Portugal Golden Visa benefits investors by allowing them to live or not inside the country, and after five years, they can become citizens. Sophisticated travelers with a Portugal residence permit can go to Schengen countries without a visa, save money on taxes, and open a bank account in an EU bank without trouble. Making the right choices will allow you to live the rest of your life stress-free, traveling the world and soaking in the sun.
However, you should get legal counsel from a Florida immigration attorney knowledgeable about the Portugal Golden Visa program before making any final decisions. Schedule an appointment with us now!
Why Do I Need a Portugal Golden Visa Attorney?
Some sources say that you can do everything yourself to process your Portuguese Golden Visa program application. Even if this is true in theory, it’s not a good idea as it can be pretty complex.
When you hire an attorney to help you with your Portuguese Golden Visa program application, you can expect your lawyer to:
- Representation: When you apply for a Portugal Golden Visa, your lawyer will stand in your place and make sure everything goes smoothly. If you don’t have much time, this is a huge benefit.
- Legal issues: Your lawyer will help you communicate with the Foreign Nationals and Border Control Service (SEF) and handle all legal matters that may come up during the Golden Visa application process.
- Documentation: Your lawyer will help you get the proper documents and paperwork and work with authorities like banks and tax offices to help you with your investment.
- Support: Your lawyer will help you through the process of getting your Portugal Golden Visa, from the Golden Visa application to the approval of your Portuguese citizenship.
The Portugal Golden Visa Programme: What is It?
The Portugal Golden Visa Programme is the best EU citizenship program. It gives non-European citizens the right to Portugal permanent residency if they invest in an EU- and Portuguese-run real estate fund. The program offers foreign investors and their families a way to Portuguese citizenship or EU citizenship without having to live in Portugal. This arrangement provides permanent residency in exchange for investing 350,000 euros in a highly regulated investment fund. It has already given out more than 7,000 visas.
What are the Portuguese Golden Visa Investment Options?
Portugal is excellent for businesses that want to set up operations in the EU because its economy and its exciting startup scene are stable and growing. The high quality of Portugal’s real estate investment market has also made many investors want to buy real estate property there.
Before applying for a residence permit, you must first make a real estate investment.
In a nutshell, the investment options for the Portugal Golden Visa are:
- Residential Real Estate. In this investment option, you must purchase residential real estate in selected interior districts of Portugal valued at least €500,000 or €350,000 if you invest in a rehabilitation project. A 20% discount is applied if the residential real estate property is situated in a designated “low-density” region.
- Commercial Property. Purchase commercial real estate anywhere in the country worth at least €500,000 or €350,000 if you invest in a rehabilitation project. If the commercial real estate is in an area designated as “low density,” there is a 20% discount.
- Purchase Real Estate Property on Madeira or Azores. Purchase residential or commercial real estate anywhere on Madeira or the Azores, Portugal’s autonomous islands, for at least €500,000 or €350,000 if you decide to engage in a rehabilitation project.
- Fund Subscription. Contribute at least €500,000 to a qualified investment fund.
- Capital Transfer. A capital transfer of a minimum of €1.5 million is required.
- Scientific Research. A minimum investment of €500,000 to research in the fields of science or technology.
- Job Creation. The establishment of a company and the creation of 10 jobs worth at least €500,000.
- Donation. Donate at least €250,000 to support the arts or the reconstruction of national heritage.
What Are the Portugal Golden Visa Benefits?
Tax burdens are eased by relocating to Portugal. If you are a resident, you can get a special tax status, an NHR (Non-habitual resident) status, for ten years.
With an NHR status, a highly qualified specialist in Portugal pay a 20% salary or self-employment tax. If you don’t have a special tax status, the price can be as high as 48%.
A person can only get preferential tax status if they become tax residents in Portugal. For this to happen, the investor must stay in the country for a minimum of 183 days every year.
Benefits of the Portuguese tax system:
- There is no tax on inheritance. You have to pay a 10% stamp duty when getting an inheritance.
- There is no wealth tax. Portugal is different from these countries because it does not have a wealth tax, and there is no public clamor for one.
- Low taxes on the property. Real estate taxes in Portugal range from 0.3% to 0.8%, but several exemptions depend on what you do with the profit and where the house is located.
- There is no tax on cryptocurrency. The government of Portugal doesn’t control how cryptocurrency is used. At the same time, a crypto transaction is not restricted. So, people who invest in cryptocurrencies and make a profit won’t have to pay any taxes.
Extra tax breaks that come with NHR tax status:
- A flat tax of 20% on all domestic income. An investor will only have to pay a 20% flat rate. This is true for employment and business income, as long as the activity is a “high-value.”
- There is zero taxation on worldwide income. If a double taxation agreement exists, any interest, dividends, profits, or salary received in another country will not be taxed again in Portugal.
- A flat-rate Capital Gains tax. The tax rate on capital gains is always the same: 28%. This gives investors a stable and competitive environment to make their investments.
- A flat rate for the pension tax. Income from a pension is taxed at a flat rate of 10%.
Affordably Priced, High-Quality Education
Foreign investors who have a permanent residence permit to live in the country can also enroll their children in a free public school. Babies can go to the nursery when they are three months old. They can start school when they are six years old. Paid kindergartens don’t have queues, and kids are taught in small groups of a maximum of 10 people. You can choose to enroll your child in an English-speaking kindergarten or a bilingual program that combines English and Portuguese instruction.
Public schools are free for everyone who is a resident or a citizen of Portugal. All EU countries recognize the high school diploma from a Portuguese school. Parents can choose for their children to go to a private school or a boarding school, where they will study and live all year. Lessons are taught in Portuguese in public schools, but classes are taught in English, French, German, and other languages in private schools.
You can get a prestigious higher education in Portugal. Four of its universities are on the world’s list of the best universities.
Excellent Healthcare
Out of 89 countries, Portugal’s health care system is ranked 22nd, and the quality of its infrastructure gets good marks. In a different study, the World Health Organization placed Portugal in 12th place for how efficient its healthcare system works overall.
In public hospitals, you can get medical care for free. It is free for Portugal Golden Visa investors and citizens.
You can get an appointment in a private clinic faster than in a public one, and the service is also better. For example, you can consult your doctor over the phone. Private health insurance covers some or all of the treatment cost.
Bank Savings in Portugal and other EU Banks
In Portugal, there are more than 150 banks that operate. They offer financial services to both individuals and businesses.
A Portugal Golden Visa allows you to use the services of EU banks. Residents of Portugal don’t have to go through as many preliminary checks as people from third-country citizens, and it’s less likely that a bank will turn them down.
Portugal Golden Visa investors can freely use the services of European banks. They can open a bank account, buy and sell foreign currency and keep savings. This helps settlements go more smoothly and keeps assets safe.
Passport From Portugal in Five Years
After five years, Portugal Golden Visa investors in Portugal can apply for Portuguese citizenship. The European Union includes Portugal as a member. The people from this country can stay in any EU country for as long as they want. No special residence permit is needed to work or go to school.
An investor with a Portuguese passport can move to any EU country to start a business, change tax residence, or send their kids to school.
To become a citizen, Portugal Golden Visa applicants must meet five criteria:
- Be of legal age;
- Keep your permanent residence permit status for a minimum of five years;
- Pass the Portuguese proficiency test for the elementary level (A2);
- Not be found guilty of crimes that carry a prison sentence of 3 years or more;
- not to endanger the country
The child of a person who has permanent Portuguese residency and who is born in Portugal can become a Portuguese citizen. There is one stipulation: one parent must have resided in the country for at least one year before the child’s birth. There are no clear rules for a Portugal Golden Visa application that wants to use the investment-based Portuguese residence permit program.
However, Immigrant Invest attorneys believe it is sufficient for newborn children of Portugal Golden Visa investors to be registered if the permanent residence permit was obtained at least one year ago.
Under the Portugal residence permit program, the amount of money you have to invest is less than it is to get Maltese citizenship for exceptional services, and it takes 2–3 times less time to get the status. A Portugal residency permit is appropriate for global citizens who seek EU citizenship but are willing to wait a few years.
Portugal citizenship is not necessary. You can apply for permanent residency or keep using the Portugal golden visa benefits.
What Are Other Portugal Golden Visa Benefits?
Visa-Free in Schengen Area for Those with Permanent Residency in Portugal
People with a Portugal Golden Visa can go to any country in the Schengen Area without a visa. This is one of the best Portugal golden visa benefits. When you have a permanent residence permit, you can stay in any Schengen Area for 90 out of 180 days, the same as with a Schengen visa.
Geographic Location
Because of its geographical location, Portugal is the “Gateway to Europe.” It is at a place where sea routes between Africa, Europe, North America, as well as South America all meet. It is easy to reach other countries in Europe from Portugal.
Pleasant Weather
Portugal has a subtropical climate, meaning the winters are mild and the summers are warm. Every year, Portugal has 300 sunny days. The temperature is +22 °C on average.
The weather in Lisbon is usually always pleasant. It sometimes rains in winter, and the temperature during the day is around +10 °C. In the center and north of Portugal, it gets colder in the winter. Most of the time, the thermometer doesn’t go below 0.
In the summer, it’s about +29 °C. The sea breeze on the coast makes the heat more bearable.
Call our Portugal Golden Visa Attorneys in Miami, Florida
When looking for an attorney to help you acquire a Portugal golden visa, you should look for someone with expertise working with investor visas and a successful track record.
AmLaw Group is one of the few legal firms in the United States actively involved in and familiar with the Portuguese Golden Visa program.
Our immigration attorneys and golden passport lawyers have assisted many people in becoming permanent residents and citizens of the United States through various investment programs.
Don’t wait any longer! Get in touch with our team of Portuguese golden visa attorneys immediately!
