Ask A Question  | Learn more about Portugal

What qualifies as a low-density area when investing in Portugal?

I am considering buying property in Portugal to qualify for a residency permit and eventually a passport. I heard that in most of the investment options, applicants can receive a 20 percent reduction in the minimum amount of investment required if the investment is made in a low-density area of Portugal. What qualifies as low density? How do I know if my property will be approved for the reduction?


Answers
  • October 10, 2018

    We can confirm that the current law allows a reduction of 20 percent in the minimum amount of investment required in most of the Golden Visa investment options, provided that the investment is made/located in a "low density area" of Portugal. To this end, the law considers "low-density area" as the territories classified as level III in the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistical Purposes (NUTS III) with less than 100 inhabitants per square kilometer or with a gross domestic product (GDP) per capita inferior than 75 percent of the national average. According to the information available, such areas include: Alto Tamega, Trás os Montes, Douro, Viseu/Dão/Lafões, Beira e Serra da Estrela, Beira Baixa, Médio Tejo, Leziria do Tejo, Alentejo e Algarve.

  • March 21, 2019

    This kind of investment reduction benefit aims to increase the investment interest in Portuguese areas with a low-density population to fight people deserting those areas and to spin the wheel of development there. It basically refers to areas foreseen in the laws as having less than 100 inhabitants per square meter and includes areas such as the Algarve, Alentejo, Trás-os-Montes, Beira Interior, etc.