The Portugal Golden Visa, for Americans.
EU residency for US citizens on around seven days a year, your whole family included, and a pathway to citizenship. 84% of Jason Swan's 2026 clients are American, so the questions you're carrying, from FATCA to fund selection, are the ones he answers every day.
Your European Plan B, without leaving the US.
The Portugal Golden Visa grants US citizens and their families the right to live, work and study in Portugal, and to travel freely across the Schengen Area, in exchange for a qualifying investment. It is one of very few routes that lets Americans secure EU residency while keeping their life, career and tax base in the US, spending only around seven days a year in Portugal, with a clear pathway to permanent residency and, in time, citizenship.
The Algarve
320 days of sunshine. A whole new pace of life.
Golden coastlines, historic cities and some of the warmest, safest communities in Europe. The Golden Visa is the paperwork, this is what it's really for.
Why Americans choose Portugal over every other route.
A true Plan B, not a relocation
Keep your home, career and business in the US. The average presence requirement is around seven days a year, so the visa gives you options in Europe without asking you to use them yet.
No Portuguese tax residency by default
Holding the visa alone does not make you a Portuguese tax resident. Tax residency generally follows from 183+ days a year in Portugal or making it your habitual home, which a seven-day visit does not approach.
Your children's European future
Spouse or partner, dependent children and dependent parents are included on one application, opening European universities, careers and healthcare to the whole family.
A pathway to an EU passport
Permanent residency from five years, and a route to Portuguese, and therefore EU, citizenship after seven to ten years, with a basic language qualification. The US permits dual citizenship.
The route Americans already trust
Americans are the largest applicant group in the programme, and 84% of Jason's 2026 clients are US citizens. The path is well worn: the documents, the banks and the partners are all used to American applicants.
What the Golden Visa means for your US taxes.
Your IRS filing doesn't change
US citizens file with the IRS wherever they live, and holding a Portugal Golden Visa does not change that. What matters is planning the Portuguese side so the two systems work together instead of against each other.
FATCA and reporting, handled early
A Portuguese bank account and a qualifying investment can bring standard US reporting, such as the FBAR and Form 8938. Portuguese banks are used to American clients and FATCA-compliant, so this is routine when it's planned before you invest.
PFICs and fund selection
Many non-US investment funds are treated as PFICs under US tax rules, which can carry punitive treatment if ignored. Fund selection for American applicants therefore looks at US tax reporting alongside everything else, one of the key facts Jason lays out side by side before you choose.
IFICI, if you move later
If Portugal wins you over and you relocate one day, Portugal's IFICI framework for qualifying new residents can significantly improve the tax picture, provided it is structured before the move, through the right regulated tax specialists.
Everything above is general information, not tax advice. Jason introduces and connects: the regulated tax advice for your situation sits with US-experienced cross-border tax specialists in his established partner network, working alongside your own advisers at home.
Two ways in. One expert guiding both.
Cultural & heritage donation
A contribution to approved cultural, artistic or heritage projects, the lower-capital route into the programme, with no fund to manage or exit.
Regulated investment funds
A subscription to qualifying Portuguese investment funds. You get direct access to Portugal's leading fund managers, with all the key facts and supporting information provided by Jason so you can choose with confidence.
Jason’s edge is a rare combination: a fully qualified financial planner (QFA, CeMAP) living in Portugal, with open-market access to every qualifying fund and no ties to any manager. He gives you an institutional-grade understanding of each option in plain English, the key facts, side by side, while tax and legal advice, where needed, comes from the regulated specialists he introduces, working alongside your own advisers at home. The decision stays yours, made fully informed: no one in the process provides personal investment advice or fund recommendations. The fund management and in-country application work are carried out by that established network of regulated partners, with Jason as your single point of contact throughout.
Porto & the Douro
From Lisbon's light to the banks of the Douro.
Residency in Portugal opens the whole of the Schengen Area, to live, travel, study and invest across Europe, on your own terms.
From first conversation to residency approval, US edition.
Private consultation
You speak directly with Jason about your goals, timeline, family and circumstances, candid, expert guidance with no obligation.
Strategy & route
Jason maps out the right route, donation or funds, and connects you with the appropriate regulated fund, tax and legal partners.
US paperwork, guided
The American-specific steps: an FBI Identity History Summary with an apostille, your Portuguese tax number (NIF) and a Portuguese bank account, all guided step by step.
Investment selection
With direct access to Portugal's leading fund managers, the key facts laid out clearly, and your US tax adviser in the loop on reporting, you choose your investment with confidence.
Application & submission
The regulated Portuguese partners prepare your documentation and submit your application through AIMA, keeping Jason, and you, updated throughout.
Biometrics, approval & beyond
You attend biometrics in Portugal, residency is typically approved within 12–18 months, and you maintain it on around 7 days a year, with permanent residency from year five and a pathway to citizenship in 7–10.
“Every question was answered to our satisfaction, a very transparent and trustworthy process. We highly recommend Jason to anyone considering an investment in Portugal.”
“We were very sceptical about using an adviser unknown to us, but we are absolutely pleased with the professionalism, care and knowledge of Jason Swan. I'd recommend him without hesitation.”
“Jason has been tremendous to work with on the Portugal Golden Visa process. His initial webinar was very informative, and he has provided us with good contacts to move forward.”
What Americans should look for in an adviser.
Search results for the Golden Visa are crowded with law firms, fund promoters and marketing sites. Whoever you choose, look for four things: recognised financial qualifications, a base in Portugal rather than a sales office abroad, open-market access to every qualifying investment with no ties to any single manager, and a partner network that includes US-experienced cross-border tax specialists.
Jason Swan is an independent Portugal Golden Visa specialist based in the Algarve, a fully qualified international financial planner (QFA, CeMAP), named No. 1 Citizenship by Investment Adviser in three of the last four years within a global network of approximately 300 advisers. Since 2021 he has personally guided 320+ applications covering 700+ applicants from more than 100 countries, with a 99% success rate, and 84% of his 2026 clients are American. He guides you personally from first conversation to approval, provides the key facts you need to decide with confidence, and introduces you to the established network of regulated fund, tax and legal partners, who provide tax and legal advice where needed and carry out the in-country work. The investment choice is always your own, made on an informed basis, no personal investment advice is provided.
Portugal Golden Visa FAQs for US citizens.
Yes. Americans are the largest applicant group in the programme, and 84% of Jason's 2026 clients are US citizens. You qualify on the same terms as other non-EU nationals, with an investment from €250,000.
Holding the visa does not by itself make you a Portuguese tax resident. Tax residency generally follows from spending more than 183 days a year in Portugal or making it your habitual home. Most Golden Visa holders who keep their life in the US remain US tax residents only. This is general information, not tax advice, and specific situations belong with a qualified cross-border tax adviser.
You keep filing with the IRS wherever you live. A Portuguese bank account and investment can bring standard reporting such as the FBAR and Form 8938, and many non-US funds are PFICs under US tax rules, which affects fund selection. These are planning points, best addressed with your US tax adviser before you invest, alongside the US-experienced specialists Jason introduces.
Yes. The average physical presence requirement is around seven days a year, so your home, job and business stay exactly where they are.
The US-specific items are an FBI Identity History Summary (background check) with an apostille, a Portuguese tax number (NIF) and a Portuguese bank account, followed by the qualifying investment and submission through AIMA. Each step is guided.
Yes. Permanent residency is available from year five, and citizenship applications are possible after seven to ten years, subject to the requirements in force at the time, including a basic Portuguese language qualification. The US permits dual citizenship, so most American applicants keep their US passport.
Jason guides you through the whole process as your single point of contact and provides the key facts and supporting information. Tax and legal advice, where needed, comes from an established network of regulated partners, including US-experienced tax specialists working alongside your own advisers at home, and they carry out the in-country application work. The investment choice is always your own, made on an informed basis, and no one in the process provides personal investment advice.
Portugal Golden Visa: your questions, answered live.
Join Jason for a live session covering the routes, the real costs, timelines and the recent rule changes, then bring your own questions. Sessions run at times that work for US time zones, and it's the fastest way to understand whether Portugal is right for you.
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