Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa December/ January 2018/2019 | Page 60

GOLDEN VISA PROGRAMME ADVERTORIAL
An affordable way to secure
EU residency for South Africans
S
outh Africans have endured a volatile investment and
currency landscape for the last few years. It’s no surprise
that many people are looking for a safe investment haven,
as well as offshore residency and alternative citizenship op-
tions. If you’re looking for the best bang for your bucks, Por-
tugal’s Golden Residence Programme (GRRP) has a low-cost
entry point and entitles you and your family to EU residency.
Since its start in 2012, the GRRP has become one
of Europe’s most sought-after residency-by-investment
programmes. Attaining a “Golden Visa” provides you and
your family with EU residency, visa-free travel through
the Schengen Area as well a solid “plan B” for your family’s
security, education and lifestyle.
Once you have held residency for five years on the Golden
Visa, you will be able to apply for permanent residence or
citizenship. This can lead to Portuguese citizenship and one of
the world’s best passports for you and your family.
What are the options?
There are several investment options for those interested in a
Golden Visa. You can invest by:
• Purchasing real estate to the value of €350,000 (selected
properties and areas)
• Making a capital investment of €350,000 in a private
equity fund
• Purchasing real estate to the value of €500,000 or more
• Making a capital investment with the minimum value of
€1 million
• Establishing a Portuguese company that employs at least
10 people
After entering the programme, you will only need to spend
seven days in Portugal per year for the duration of your
Golden visa. This gives you the flexibility to plan around your
residence and investment goals. You can choose to be a full-
time resident of Portugal, or you could just enjoy the benefits
of visa-free travel throughout Schengen Europe while still
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DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019 SA Real Estate Investor Magazine
living in South Africa.
Cost-conscious South Africans will be pleased to learn that
some recent legislation changes have made the GRRP even
more attractive for offshore investors. The cost entry point for
the programme has been reduced to €350,000 and you can
change your investment type at any time so as long as the value
remains the same.
Residency requirements have also become more lenient
and you don’t need to be a full-time resident to qualify for
permanent residency. Even better, the path to citizenship and
an EU passport has been reduced from six to five years.
How secure is the programme?
SEF, the Portuguese government’s immigration agency, is
fully committed to the GRRP. All commitments made by the
participants are honoured by the Portuguese government.
The GRRP was introduced in 2012 as way to attract non-
European investors and boost Portugal’s economy, and has
proven to be very successful as seen by Portugal’s massive
property and tourism boom since its inception.
Portugal now has a very stable economy and has been
recently upgraded by all the credit agencies, very much the
opposite to what has been happening here in South Africa.
It’s also has a very tax-friendly regime, making it particularly
attractive for offshore investors.
How to get started
Our teams in South Africa and Portugal, as well as our trust-
ed lawyer and real estate partners, are perfectly positioned to
assist with every step of the investment process. From provid-
ing clarity and advice around the potential investment routes
to setting up local bank accounts and giving tax advice.
We understand that this could one of the largest financial
commitments that you may make. The programme has proven
to be stable, well-run and can even potentially offer offshore
returns through a yield-generating asset or investment.
SOURCE: Sable International.com or email goldenvisa@
sableinternational.com