The Gold Visa Program, created to attract investment and thus facilitate residence permits for foreigners with nationality outside the Shegen space, accelerated again in 2016 after a period of stagnation last year.
In the first half of this year alone, the total value of the investment obtained through this route has been exceeded throughout 2015.
Of the total investment associated with Golden Visa, the lion's share goes to investment in real estate. According to CPCI - Confederação Portuguesa da Construção e Imobiliário, 509 million euros were invested in 2016 in the first half, 111% more than the previous year.
Since the beginning of the introduction of this legal prerogative, 2,104 million euros of foreign investment have already been raised (90% relating to the real estate sector).
Since investment in real estate by foreign citizens is effectively an important part of the national export activity and contributes to the balance of external accounts, I believe that all support should be given to improving the efficiency, speed and transparency of this entire process. Portugal needs it!