Foreign money keeps choosing Portugal at record levels, AIMA’s biometrics diary is still the bottleneck to plan around, and the fine print of the new nationality law is still being written.
Foreign investment into Portugal hits a record
Bank of Portugal figures reported this week put foreign direct investment at a record €6.7 billion for the first half of 2026 (The Portugal News, 2 September). The Golden Visa is a small slice of that number, but the direction of travel matters. International capital keeps choosing Portugal, and that is the tide the Golden Visa fund market floats on.
Biometrics is still the bottleneck
Analysis published in August shows applicants who filed in late 2025 are being booked for biometrics in the final quarter of 2026, roughly ten to twelve months for the appointment alone. One advisory firm’s review of more than 2,200 case files puts the median at around 415 days from application to decision (GrowIN Portugal, 9 August). AIMA says 93% of pending immigration cases overall are now resolved, and the government has pledged to clear the Golden Visa backlog within 2026.
What it means in practice: plan on 12 to 18 months from submission to residence card. AIMA now rejects incomplete files outright, so a clean, complete application at filing is worth more than any shortcut. The clock towards citizenship starts when the card is issued.
Nationality law: the rules are still being written
The new Nationality Law has been in force since 19 May 2026. Citizenship now requires ten years of legal residency, or seven for CPLP nationals, counted from the issue of the residence card. The implementing regulations that settle the practical detail are still pending (Harvey Law Group, September update).
Nothing here changes the visa itself. Residency rights, the five-year permanent residency point and the ability to exit the investment at that stage are as they were. Only the passport timeline moved. When the regulations land, this page will cover exactly what they say.