Portugal’s golden visa will be transformed into a D2 visa

The Portuguese government has introduced amendments to the bill related to the golden visa program, which will affect all previous golden visas and turn them into a D2 visa. Under the new bill, the mandatory stay in Portugal for 183 days in a calendar year has been removed, and instead a stay in the country of only 7 days per year is required. The bill gives hope to those who have already applied for a “golden visa” that their applications will be considered under the rules for obtaining a D2 visa. The processing time for D2 visa applications is up to 2 years, and there are already several lawsuits related to the delay in the process. It is possible that golden visa sellers will be looking for those interested in a future D2 visa with unknown transition conditions for these golden visas. The European Commission and the EU Court of Justice may also consider the absence of the obligation to stay in Portugal for 183 days for a D2 visa discriminatory against the general D2 regime, especially in light of the prospective decision against both Maltese citizenship programs.