Portugal’s Golden Visa: Understanding the Current Processing Status and Backlog

Portugal’s Golden Visa Backlog: Understanding the Current Processing Status

Portugal’s Golden Visa program, officially known as the Autorização de Residência para Atividade de Investimento (ARI), has faced significant delays in processing applications. As of early October 2026, the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) had processed a fraction of the estimated 46,000 pending applications. This backlog has led to extended waiting times for investors seeking residency in Portugal.

The agency reported processing approximately 6,000 applications, which represents about 13% of the total pending cases. While this indicates some progress, it also highlights the substantial number of applications still awaiting review. In addition to processed applications, AIMA had scheduled around 30,000 appointments. However, these appointments do not signify that the application process is complete for those individuals.

A Closer Look at Application Progress

The figures provided by António Leitão Amaro, the minister of the Presidency, offer insight into the scale of the Golden Visa backlog. Out of an estimated 46,000 pending applications, 6,000 have been processed. This means that roughly 40,000 cases remain in various stages of the application procedure. It is important to distinguish between processed applications and those that have resulted in the issuance of a residence card, as these are separate steps in the overall process.

The number of pending applications can fluctuate depending on whether family members and renewals are included in the count. Industry estimates place the total number of pending cases between 45,000 and 50,000. These numbers reflect the challenges AIMA has faced since taking over from Portugal’s former immigration service, SEF, in late 2023.

Understanding the Appointment System

An appointment with AIMA is a step forward in an applicant’s case, but it does not guarantee that all requirements have been met or that residency documentation has been issued. The 6,000 processed cases refer to applications that have moved past initial review, while the 30,000 appointments are for individuals scheduled to attend meetings, potentially for biometrics or further document submission. This distinction is crucial for understanding the true progress of the Golden Visa backlog.

The delays have been attributed to various factors, including the transition from SEF to AIMA, the shift from paper-based to digital systems, and the agency’s efforts to manage inherited cases alongside new arrivals. Specialist reports indicate that some applicants have experienced waits of 12 months or longer for appointments and other procedural steps.

The Impact of Other Backlogs on Golden Visa Processing

AIMA has also been working through a much larger backlog of regularization applications. The minister noted that the regularization queue has significantly decreased, falling from 445,000 pending applications to about 5,000 unresolved cases. This effort, while necessary, has also impacted the agency’s overall capacity and resource allocation.

The accumulation of cases is partly due to the agency managing inherited workloads, processing new applications, and dealing with staff shortages and technological limitations. The transition period itself created a backlog as the agency moved towards more modern digital processing methods.

Shifting Priorities and Resource Allocation

With progress made on the regularization backlog, AIMA is now able to redirect resources towards other areas, including family reunification and ARI applications. In 2026, the agency scheduled 55,000 appointments for family reunification and granted 26,000 residence permits through this channel. These figures exceed the historical annual average for family reunification permits, indicating a shift in focus.

The minister also addressed specific cases, such as renewals for Belarusian nationals with expired passports, stating that these would be assessed individually based on their circumstances. This suggests a case-by-case approach for certain complex situations.

Permit Grants Show an Upward Trend

Despite the large pending queue, AIMA’s annual figures reveal an increase in the number of investor residence permits granted. In 2025, Portugal issued 2,685 investor residence permits, a record high that surpassed the numbers from 2024 (2,081) and 2023 (2,091). Additionally, the agency recorded 3,967 permits for family members in 2025, bringing the total number of investor and dependent permits to 6,652.

These issuance figures represent completed permits and are distinct from the number of applications waiting in the processing queue. While the agency has stopped publishing data on the foreign investment associated with these approvals, the permit totals clearly show an upward trend in completed residency grants. This indicates that while the backlog remains a concern, the agency is working towards clearing it and issuing permits.

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