Portugal now renews Golden Visas online
In a bid to tackle the 19,900 visa renewal requests, which make up nearly 60% of Portugal’s Golden Visas, the country’s Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) has announced that visa renewals can now be done online. The simple online registration and fee collection process is already in effect and replaces the previous in-person process that required the visa holder and their dependents to visit Portugal and have their biometrics collected. The shift to online renewals was made necessary due to the backlog caused by the Immigration Office closure during the COVID-19 pandemic and its current restructuring. With over 20,000 visas set to expire soon, the online renewal process is more urgent than ever.
Since its launch in 2012, Portugal’s Golden Visa has become one of Europe’s most popular residency by investment programs and is expected to attract even more investors in the coming year, with a projected increase in applications and renewals. The immigration officers will be available to handle the increased volume of applications, making the online renewal process all the more crucial for applicants with expired visas from 2020 to move quickly and take advantage of this simplified procedure.
