GMGadvisor presents….
This week, we are doing something a little different and discussing the wildly popular Portugal Golden Visa Program. I learned quite a bit from this interview and wanted to share the findings with our audience.
The Portugal Golden Visa has been very popular with U.S., Canada, and Asia-based clients looking to lower their cost of living and build residency in one of the most vibrant countries in the world. Even U.S.-based clients want to build a rental portfolio in the U.S. but live in Portugal.
August One & Atlantico-II Fund
We had the privilege of sitting down with Sameer Narula, founder of August One, whose Atlantico-II fund offers investors access to the Portuguese Golden Visa, with a path to a European passport for them and their families.
August One is a private investment firm that invests in innovative companies and real assets that have the potential to transform traditional industries, reverse climate change, and generate significant returns. They are regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Portuguese Capital Markets Commission in the EU.
In the video, Sameer talks about:
- Why clients pick Portugal for residency
- His own and clients' experiences
- The fund's strategy, sectors, and investment criteria
- Rumours about Portugal's residency program cancellation
- Next steps for interested parties
- Potential returns and the local market outlook
Watch the Interview with Sameer
Portugal and The Golden Visa
Introduced in 2012, the Portugal Golden Visa program has attracted over €6 billion in investments thus far.
Much of the information uncovered in our research was new to me, and I never appreciated how amazing it is to live and do business in Portugal.
Known as “The California of Europe,” Portugal has been the birthplace of several unicorns such as Feedzai, Talkdesk, Farfetch, Remote, and others. Portugal has also been voted one of the best globally in many categories: Lisbon, 4th best globally for starting a business, the cheapest country in Europe for running a business, and the best country in the world for trading across borders.
What Makes Portugal Special?
When it comes to citizenship, Portugal ticks many of the boxes international families find important:
- Safety - Ranked as the fourth safest country in the world, with low crime rates
- Affordability - The cost of living is, on average, 35.3% lower than in the United States, with rent in Portugal being, on average, 51.1% lower than in the U.S.
- High Living Standards - Portugal is one of the top 5 countries for expats, with an 84% satisfaction rate among those who have moved to the country
- Blue Zone Quality of Health - Portugal boasts a life expectancy at birth of around 82 years, surpassing the OECD average of 81 years
- Strongly Rated Passport - With Visa-free and easy access to most of the world
- Innovation - The second-best country for innovation in the ECB, only behind Norway
- Graduates - Second highest rate of engineering graduates in Europe
- Quality of Life - Ranked #1 in quality of life out of 68 countries
How to Obtain the Golden Visa Through Atlantico-II Fund
An investment of €500,000 into an Atlantico-II fund will gain a Golden Visa residency permit for a family, including dependent children, as well as easy access to all countries in the Schengen Zone. After five years of residency (with only a 7-day stay requirement per year), an individual has the opportunity to obtain Portuguese citizenship for themselves as well as their spouse, dependent children, and parents. There are associated costs, including legal and government fees (contact us).
Begin your Golden Visa journey now
Financing Options
GMG offers short-term bridging loans on U.S., Canada, U.K., Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, and Australian homes, which have been used to fund the €500,000 investment requirement. Given there is a deadline looming in December 2024 when some tax benefits of the residency program disappear, there is a rush to get access to the program as quickly as possible.
Our loans can monetize up to 70% of the home value towards other investments -> such as the Portugal Golden Visa. For example, €500,000 - US$535,000 minimum investment amount. So if you had a home worth $800,000 (assuming no debt), you could borrow up to 70% or $560,000 -> used as an investment into the fund. This is purely illustrative purposes to show how financing can be done. The funds would be used towards the investment and given the recent rates of return generated by the fund, it could more than offset the cost of financing.
Please contact us on the link below for more information:
Portugal Investment into Residency/Citizenship Program
Portugal Mortgages
While real estate investments do not count towards the Golden Visa, many of our clients naturally want to own property, especially if they are planning to spend more time in the country; our Portugal mortgage program is specifically designed for international investors with a process made easy to accommodate the needs of our global clientele.
Here is the latest GMG Portugal Mortgage Program Sheet
For more information regarding a Portuguese mortgage, contact our European Market Head: [email protected]
