Real estate brokers in Portugal are attracting foreign investors, mainly Chinese, to the golden visas program through serviced apartments and real estate funds.
From this year onwards, Portugal has restricted the golden visas program in Lisbon, Porto and high-density coastal areas, pushing investment into the less developed interior regions. However, commercial real estate in Lisbon is not included in the restrictions, so some brokers are selling serviced apartments that will allow buyers in Lisbon to apply for a golden visa, while others are creating real estate funds for potential investors to buy a stake in, according to Bloomberg.
Only 16 percent of approved applicants are Chinese so far this year, lower than the 81% in 2014, according to data from Portugal’s Immigration and Borders Service and Investment Migration Insider, a residency and citizenship tracking website.