Approval Of Gold Visas Stalled At AIMA Since 2022

This delay in the processing of Residence Permits for Investment (ARI), the official name for gold visas, began with the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF), which was abolished in October 2023 to make way for AIMA. Once under the agency's tutelage, the number continued to rise. 'I'm not aware of any applications having been approved for the years 2022, 2023, 2024 or 2025,' says Raquel Cuba Martins, the Partner in charge of the Immigration, Golden Visa and Citizenship Department at SRS Legal. As she adds, 'we are currently waiting for applications submitted on the ARI portal to be analysed during 2022 and beyond'. And he emphasises: 'The situation is quite complicated.'

[...]