Golden visas investment in January drops 47% to €45.4M
Since they were created in 2012, gold visas have already raised 5,037,667,787.26 euros in investment, with the purchase of property representing 90% of this amount.
The investment gained through Portugal’s golden visa instrument fell 47% in January, compared to the same period in 2019, to €45.4 million, according to data from Portugal’s Foreigners and Border Service (SEF).
In January, the total investment resulting from the granting of Residence Authorisation for Investment (ARI) amounted to €45,413,956.31, a decrease of 47% compared with the same period of last year (€85.6 million).
Compared to December, investment rose 3%, according to accounts made by Lusa.
Last month, 81 golden visas were granted, of which 75 through the purchase of real estate (€39,359,484.66).
Regarding the criterion for the purchase of real estate assets with a value equal to or greater than €500,000, there were 60 golden visas granted, for an amount of €33.7 million.
About the requirement to purchase real estate for urban rehabilitation, 15 ARI was granted in January for an amount of €5.6 million.
Regarding the capital transfer requirement, six gold visas were granted, for an amount of €6,054,471.61, in January.
Last month, no visas were granted under the criterion to create at least 10 jobs.
In more than seven years -the ARI program was launched in October 2012-, the accumulated investment up to January amounted to €5,037,667,787.26, with the acquisition of real estate amounting to €4,548,830,307.73.
Of the total investment in real estate purchases, €172,117,411.33 correspond to the acquisition requirement for urban rehabilitation.
The visas granted by capital transfer totalled €488,837,479.53.
Since the creation of this instrument, which aims to attract foreign investment, 8,288 ARI have been granted: two in 2012, 494 in 2013, 1,526 in 2014, 766 in 2015, 1,414 in 2016, 1,351 in 2017, 1,409 in 2018, 1,245 in 2019 and 81 in 2020.
Up to January, in cumulative terms, 7,810 gold visas were granted through the purchase of the real estate, 478 of which for urban rehabilitation.
By requirement of capital transfer, the visas granted total 461 and 17 were granted through the creation of at least 10 jobs.
By nationalities, China leads the allocation of visas (4,484), followed by Brazil (868), Turkey (385), South Africa (323) and Russia (307).
Since the beginning of the programme, 14,154 residence permits have been allocated to reunited family members, 147 of which were in 2020.
