Under the ARI or Golden Residence Permit, any foreign citizen can apply for a residence permit in Portugal on an individual basis (or via a company) which, when granted, is extended to family members. This Permanent Residence Permit gives the foreign citizen the freedom to travel without restriction within the EU's Schengen area, currently : Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.

1. Portugal – Golden Residence Permits
Residence Permit in exchange for for Inward Investment (ARI)
How any citizen who is not resident of the EU area can get EU citizenship under the so-called
Golden Residence Permits.
Under the ARI or Golden Residence Permit, any foreign citizen can apply for a residence permit in
Portugal on an individual basis (or via a company) which, when granted, is extended to family
members. This Permanent Residence Permit gives the foreign citizen the freedom to travel without
restriction within the EU's Schengen area, currently : Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg,
Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway,
Sweden, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland,
Slovakia and Slovenia.
At a later stage the foreign citizen can acquire full Portuguese nationality.
The 'Golden Residence Permit' is a simple yet effective manner of allowing a High Net Worth
foreign citizen to reside and invest in Portugal and get access to other countries comprising
Schengen.
The following simple requirements grant access to an ARI, also referred to as a Golden Visa:
1. Quantitative – Demonstration of High Net Worth via transfer of Capital and/ or ownership
of real estate through one of the following options:-
a. Acquisition of a real estate asset to a value of 500.000 Euros or more.
b. Acquisition by co-ownership of real estate with a value of 500.000 Euros or more.
c. A Promissory Sales & Purchase contract and down payment 500.000 Euros or more.
d. A Capital transfer with a value equal to or above 1 million Euros.
2. In order to comply with these requirements, the following proof is required:-
a. (i) Sales & Purchase contract or (ii) Promissory Sales & Purchase contract together with a
Declaration from a licensed financial institution proving the transfer of capital for the
acquisition or for the down payment to the value of 500.000 euros or more;
b. Updated Real Estate Registry certificate showing, in the case of a Promissory Sales &
Purchase contract, that the contract has been duly registered.
c. Provide evidence of having invested the minimum amount required (1 million Euros),
including stocks or shares of companies. (i)Declaration of a financial institution authorized
to exercise its activity in Portugal certifying the effective transfer of capital in the amount of
not less than € 1 million to an account demonstrating the investor is the sole or first holder
of capital; or in the case of the acquisition of stocks or shares of companies (ii) and an up-to-
date certificate issued by the Commercial Register, certifying that the applicant has the
shareholding in the capital of a company.
3. The investment must be maintained for a period of 5 years or more, after the Golden Visa
has been granted.
4. The Golden Visa request must be accompanied by a declaration in which the foreign citizen
commits to fulfilling the quantitative (> EUR 500.000) and time (> 5 years) requirements.
5. General Law Requirements : (i) Applicants must not have been convicted of a crime
involving incarceration exceeding one year. (ii) Applicants must not have been the subject of
an entry ban in a national territory following a removal order from the country.
(iii)Applicants must not have been subject to Alerts within the Schengen Information
System. (iv)Applicants must not have been the subject of alerts in Portugal's SEF’s
Information Integrated System in respect of non-admission.

2. 6. Minimum stay periods in Portugal:-
Year 1 : 7 days
Year 2 : 14 days
Year 3 : 14 days
Year 4 : 14 days
Year 5 : 14 days
Source : http://www.sef.pt/documentos/56/ARIEN2.pdf