“The golden visa will still come to an end in Portugal but now applications will remain open until the new laws are finally promulgated, reversing the rule that had stated that all applications would be cut off from 16 February,” TPN writes.
Related: Portuguese golden visas application made after Feb. 16 are frozen
Portugal ends Golden Visas, curtails Airbnb rentals to address housing crisis
Or as we put it when the news was about to break:
Portugal To End Golden Visas, For Real This Time, Seriously
So, not quite the end just yet.
But wait, there’s more!
According to IMIDaily, per the most recent move by the government that just can’t let the golden visa scheme die, existing golden visas — as well as those that are still being issued, apparently well past the cutoff of Feb. 16 — will be converted to “D2 Entrepreneur” visas, TPN writes.
What’s the difference from the regular D2 visas, you ask?
Well, the regular D2 requires the holder to be in Portugal for 183 days out of the year. The new Golden Visa-to-D2 version…only requires seven days a year, according to TPN, much like the original golden visa program, err, the former golden visa program, err… Whatever, looks like they’re being issued and those with the money can still buy Portuguese residency with for a few hundred thousand euros.
But be warned:
More than 60% of golden visas have expired (October 2022)
Meet the retiree who spent $1.5 million to get a ‘golden visa’ in Portugal, but is still waiting on it a year later (October 2022)
Investor takes SEF to court and wins over delays in Portuguese golden visas (August 2022)
Americans swarm golden visa programs such as Portugal’s as political tensions boil (June 2022)
