In order to start the ARI (Residence Permit for Investors) process, you first need to know what the documents are for the Golden Visa Portugal.
That’s what we’re going to talk about in this article, covering the list of documents for both the holder of the application and their dependents.
We’ll also talk about the four phases of the process of obtaining the golden program once the documents are in hand, as well as the importance of having specialized advice and the advantages of obtaining the Golden Visa directly with an Investment Fund.
Let’s go?
Happy reading!
List of documents for the Golden Visa Portugal
Passport or other valid travel documentation
A valid passport or other travel documentation is required for the investor’s personal identification. This is one of the fundamental documents for any immigration process, so it’s no different for the Golden Visa application.
Check the validity of your passport to ensure that it remains valid until the end of the process and so that you can travel when you’re ready.
Proof of investment
The applicant for the Golden Visa via Venture Capital Funds must submit documents proving that they have made an investment that qualifies for the program. This may include
- Proof of job creation;
- Proof of investment in venture capital funds;
Criminal record certificate
Another document required for this and other types of visa and residence processes is a criminal record certificate issued by your country of origin or any country where you have resided for more than one year.
Of course, this document must guarantee that you have no criminal record.
Proof of Health Insurance
It is also compulsory to have valid health insurance in Portugal, which can be private health insurance or the European Health Insurance Card if you are already an EU citizen.
Declaration of honor
The applicant must sign a declaration of honor stating that they will meet the minimum investment requirements for a period of five years, which is the period required by the program in order to apply for Portuguese citizenship.
Residence Permit for Investment Activity (ARI) form
The duly completed ARI form is essential for applying for the Golden Visa Portugal. This form can be found on the website of AIMA (Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum).
Identification documents for dependents
If the applicant wishes to include family members in the process, they will need to present identification documents for dependents. You can do this for your spouse, dependent children (even if they are of legal age) and parents or parents-in-law who are also dependent.
Add link
Proof of payment of service fees
These are the receipts for payment of the administrative fees associated with the Golden Visa Portugal application. The fees vary according to the type of investment and the number of applicants.
Declaration of authorization to consult the Portuguese Criminal Record by AIMA
This document allows AIMA to check the applicant’s criminal record in Portugal, ensuring that there are no legal impediments to granting the visa.
So, in addition to presenting your criminal record from where you have lived for more than a year, you will also have to allow AIMA to check your criminal situation in Portugal.
It’s actually simpler to give this permission than to issue the Portuguese criminal record document yourself.
Documentation for Investment in Venture Capital Funds
Now we come to another stage involving the issuing of documentation, this time specifically geared to the type of investment you intend to make. There are four stages here:
Phase 1: Applying for a Portuguese Payer Number
To begin the procedure for obtaining the Golden Visa and your investment, the first stage involves applying for a **Portuguese payer number**, known as a NIF. This document is obtained from a tax office in Portugal, where you will need to provide the following documents:
- A copy of your valid passport;
- Recent proof of address, which can be a utility bill such as water or electricity, less than 3 months old.
Phase 2: Opening a bank account
To make your investment in Portugal, you will need to prove that you have the required amount in a Portuguese account of which you are the holder. The documents required for this step include:
- A copy of your valid passport and proof of address;
- Proof of profession, which can be a company statement indicating the position you hold;
- The last three bank statements to verify your current financial situation;
- Proof of tax residency;
- Annual income statement to demonstrate your financial capacity;
- Documents for the STAG fund manager’s Know Your Client (KYC) process, which you will be sent later to complete.
Phase 3: Fund investment procedure
In the third stage, the investment in the fund is formalized by submitting a few more documents:
- Investor’s CV;
- Power of attorney on behalf of the legal counsel representing the investor in the process;
- Proof of profession and annual income statement, similar to those requested when opening the account;
- Recent bank statements or a statement from the bank confirming that the investor has the necessary amount to invest in the fund;
- Documents required for the KYC of the chosen bank, which will be sent to complete the process.
Add link
Phase 4: Submission of the Golden Visa Portugal file
The final stage involves submitting the Golden Visa file, which includes the criminal record and civil status documentation, as you can see below:
- Criminal record certificate with the Hague apostille for the main applicant;
- For spouses, in addition to the criminal record certificate, a marriage certificate is required, both with the Hague apostille;
- For children over the age of 16, birth registration and a criminal record certificate are required, also apostilled;
- For children over the age of 18, in addition to the above documents, a school or university registration certificate with the Hague apostille is required and, if applicable, a bachelor’s certificate if the marital status is not specified in the birth registration.
The Hague apostille, or apostille of documents, is a procedure carried out at a notary’s office or, as it is called in Portugal, at a conservatory. Basically, it’s a seal and signature from the registry office proving that the document is true. Your legal advisor will do this for you and explain exactly how it works when you get to this stage.
Translation and apostille of documents
As mentioned above, documents issued in USA need to be apostilled and, in addition, if any document is written in a language other than Portuguese, it will be necessary to arrange for an official translation into Portuguese.
There are specialized professionals who are authorized to do this work, and your legal counsel will certainly be able to give you an indication.
How important is it to have a specialized consultancy?
As you may have heard, many visa, residency and citizenship application processes can be complex, depending on the case of each applicant. What’s more, changes in the requirements and stages of the process can occur and you may not be aware of them.
Because of this, the help of a specialized consultancy makes it much easier, minimizing the risk of delays or rejections of your application. So, it may be an extra investment, but it’s worth every penny to ensure that everything goes as expected, in the shortest possible time and without any problems for you.
Add Link
Advantages of obtaining the Golden Visa directly with an Investment Fund
As we said at the beginning, choosing to invest in venture capital funds is one of the most attractive ways of obtaining the Golden Visa Portugal.
This option offers several advantages, such as diversification of the assets invested and the future acquisition of European citizenship.
But one point that is not always taken into account is that applying for the Golden Visa directly from the investment fund shortens the stages and guarantees excellence in legal support, from the first steps with the competent bodies to the final stage of acquiring dual citizenship after 5 years of legal residence and maintaining the investment in Portugal.
To find out more details, clear up any doubts and start your Golden Visa Portugal process via investment, contact the VIDA Fund and speak to professionals specialized in the subject.
