Residency-by-investment: What is it, and how does it work?

by Andrew Rissik | Nov 26, 2014

So long as you hold dual citizenship, a second passport gives you the freedom to live and work somewhere other than your country of birth, the right to travel and conduct business in other parts of the world, and the opportunity for you and your family to live a more global lifestyle. But what if you are unable to gain a second passport through the traditional routes of birth, marriage, lineage or naturalisation? Residency-by-investment might be the answer.

residency-by-investment-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-work-

There are several international residency solutions for private clients who are interested in gaining residency through investment. Whether Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Cyprus, Grenada, Malta, Singapore or Saint Kitts and Nevis, residency-by-investment opportunities are out there. The key to finding the right solution is to assess, stringently, whether the opportunity matches your personal lifestyle and business goals - and those of your family. The service should ideally be all-encompassing, covering logistical and administrative tasks like opening bank accounts, tax advice, fiscal applications, property selection and management, and your residency application.

For this reason, Golden Visa Portugal stands apart from the rest. It is the preeminent residency-by-investment solution of its kind, and a long-standing service that has proven particularly attractive for international investors with families. The solution has gained massive traction after the recent partnership between Sable Nationality and South African property giants Pam Golding. If you have held the long-term desire to work in the European Union (EU) or own overseas property that earns you rental income in a foreign currency, the “Golden Visa” might be your most viable option yet.

The programme allows investors to obtain EU residency and can, if all criteria are met, lead to permanent residency after five years. Portuguese residency not only allows you and your family to live and work in Portugal, but also the right to visa-free travel throughout the entire Schengen Area, including Austria, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

One of the programme’s major drawcards is that investors can enjoy all that Portugal has to offer without having to live there permanently. If you hold a Golden Visa, you may also apply for family reunification, meaning that your spouse, children and parents can apply for residency too.

To qualify, you need to make an investment, either individually or through a company, in at least one of the following investment operations in Portugal for a minimum of five years:

The acquisition of real estate with a value of at least €500,000
A capital investment with a minimum value of €1,000,000
The creation of at least 10 job positions through the establishment of a company

To see if you qualify for the Golden Visa Portugal programme, visit our website or call us on +27 (0) 21 657 1584.

We are a professional services company that specialises in cross-border financial and immigration advice and solutions.

Our teams in the UK, South Africa and Australia can ensure that when you decide to move overseas, invest offshore or expand your business internationally, you’ll do so with the backing of experienced local experts.

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