Portugal Introduces Measures to Accelerate Golden Visa Application Processing

Brittany Collins

The Portuguese Agency for Integration, Immigration, and Asylum, AIMA, continues efforts to expedite Golden Visa processing. As of December 2024, the Agency had a backlog of approximately 150,000 pending applications, and the newly introduced measures

The Portugal Golden Visa is among the most sought-after residency by investment programs in the EU, offering residence rights to foreign nationals who invest at least €250,000 in the country’s economy. High demand from international investors in recent years has overwhelmed AIMA’s capacity.

Hiring additional staff alone failed to reduce the backlog. In response, AIMA has launched several new initiatives.

1. Significant Increase in Processing Capacity

To accelerate application processing, AIMA has substantially increased its capacity to handle immigration-related appointments. The agency can now process up to 6,000 appointments daily — up from just 800 previously, marking a sevenfold increase.

Additionally, the Portuguese government plans to assign 50 new staff members to Portuguese consulates abroad, aiming to reduce D type visa processing times to just 20 days.

2. Introduction of a Digital Fast-Track Procedure

To further expedite the processing of Golden Visa applications, AIMA has implemented a new digital fast-track procedure.

Under this system, all stages of the application process, except biometric data collection, are completed online. Applicants must resubmit pending applications via the Investment Residence Authorization (ARI) portal. Once this is done, an appointment for biometrics is scheduled immediately.

This streamlined approach prioritises older applications, ensuring that appointments follow the chronological order of resubmission.

3. Implementation of Stricter Documentation Requirements

Starting April 28, 2025, AIMA has tightened the criteria for accepting residence permit applications.

All Golden Visa applications must now include every legally required document. Incomplete submissions are automatically rejected, pushing applicants to the back of the queue and significantly extending their waiting times.

Applicants are advised to exercise extreme care to submit complete and accurate documentation upfront, facilitating quicker decisions and reducing potential delays caused by rejections.