Portugal Upends Golden Visa Perks: What Expats Need to Know

Summary

Mike from Savvy Nomad discusses significant changes to Portugal's Golden Visa and citizenship program that will impact expats and Americans seeking EU residency. The Portuguese Parliament has voted to extend the residency requirement from 5 to 10 years, implement stricter language and cultural knowledge tests, and broaden criminal disqualification criteria for citizenship applications. These changes effectively make obtaining Portuguese citizenship more challenging, particularly for those seeking residency through investment or descent, with new requirements around legal residency, language proficiency, and cultural understanding.