Portugal’s Golden Visa applicants may soon experience faster processing times, thanks to plans by the country’s authorities to digitize the application system. This move comes after the Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum (AIMA) announced plans to modernize its largely paper-based process, which could significantly reduce waiting times for permits.
According to a document reviewed by Bloomberg, immigration lawyer Bettino Zanini from FiO Legal in Lisbon welcomed the change, calling it positive news for investors.
Currently, there are between 45,000 and 50,000 Golden Visa applications pending review. The shift to an online application system will allow applicants to move their cases into the digital process, helping to address the backlog.
The main aim of these reforms is to expedite the review of applications. Many applicants have taken legal action due to delays, and some have been waiting years for a biometric appointment, where personal information like fingerprints are collected.
Under the new system, AIMA will automatically schedule biometric appointments within 30 to 90 days after an investor submits their online application. The agency will also accept documents in English, French, and Spanish without the need for translation, according to Zanini.
The Golden Visa program, which offers residency in exchange for financial investments from non-EU nationals, has seen significant demand despite the removal of the real estate investment option due to Portugal’s housing crisis. Other investment avenues still attract a large number of international investors, particularly from North America, the UK, and Asia.
However, extended processing times have left many applicants in a state of uncertainty. Zanini noted that about half of his 50 Golden Visa clients had filed lawsuits against Portugal over delays in processing their applications. Since its launch in 2012, the Golden Visa program has generated over €7 billion ($7.2 billion) in investment for the country.
