Home / Compare programmes / Italy Investor Visa vs Portugal Golden Visa
Head to head · 2026 Q3 EditionItaly Investor Visa and Portugal Golden Visa, compared metric by metric on the Mirabello verified programme dataset, with the source and verification date on every row.
MCP
For families focused on the residence-to-citizenship route, Portugal Golden Visa currently has the stronger position on this metric (verified 2026-06-28). For applicants prioritising published processing speed, Italy Investor Visa scores higher on published processing timelines. Both remain operational programmes with distinct published trade-offs, compared row by row below.
Rules-based comparison of published criteria, general information only, not legal, tax, immigration or investment advice; there is no universal winner.
Discuss these two with Vito MagagninoKey outcomes
In practice, Portugal Golden Visa tends to be examined first by families focused on the residence-to-citizenship route, while Italy Investor Visa draws applicants prioritising published processing speed. The rows below show where each leads on the published data.
| 🇮🇹Italy Investor Visa | 🇵🇹Portugal Golden Visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum qualifying route | €250,000 src: investorvisa.mise.gov.it · verified 2026-06-04 | €250,000 src: aima.gov.pt · verified 2026-07-05 |
| Typical processing | Approximately 3-6 months end to end; nulla osta decision by law within 30 days of a complete applicationLeads on this metric src: investorvisa.mise.gov.it · verified 2026-06-04 | 12-18 months src: aima.gov.pt · verified 2026-07-05 |
| Outcome document | Residence permit | Residence permit |
| Visa-free mobility | 185 visa-freeLeads on this metric value on the programme page | 184 visa-free src: aima.gov.pt · verified 2026-07-05 |
| Family inclusion | spouse; dependent children; dependent parents value on the programme page | spouse/partner; dependent children under 18 (18-26 if unmarried dependent students); dependent parents (over 65 no proof; under 65 must prove dependency) value on the programme page |
| Mirabello Index signal | 75 / 100 · rank 26 of 69 | 77 / 100 · rank 18 of 69Leads on this metric |
Family cost comparison
Set your family below and both columns recompute the government-side figure from the published fee schedules: the qualifying investment plus every mandatory official fee, itemised line by line. Rules-based and illustrative; a specialist confirms the exact total for your file.
Government-side costs only, recomputed from the published fee schedules embedded below; illustrative, not a quote and not advice. Excludes Mirabello professional fees and transaction costs.
Published minimum: €250,000 (Innovative startup investment (tiered))
src: investorvisa.mise.gov.it · verified 2026-06-04Family terms (published): spouse; dependent children; dependent parents. verified 2026-06-10
A verified per-fee schedule for this programme is not yet in the Mirabello fee master, so no family total is computed here. Detailed family calculation available on the programme page.
Fee schedule: aima.gov.pt · verified 2026-07-09
Published minimum €250,000; the itemised family schedule is on the programme page.
| Line item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Qualifying Investment Fund (CMVM-regulated, non-real-estate), minimum investment | EUR 500,000 |
| ARI application analysis fee (per application) | awaiting official confirmation; verify against the linked official source |
| Residence-permit issuance (per person), Main applicant | awaiting official confirmation; verify against the linked official source |
| ARI renewal (recurring, per person), Main applicant | awaiting official confirmation; verify against the linked official source |
| Residence-permit issuance (per person), Spouse | awaiting official confirmation; verify against the linked official source |
| ARI renewal (recurring, per person), Spouse | awaiting official confirmation; verify against the linked official source |
| Residence-permit issuance (per person), Child (age 10) | awaiting official confirmation; verify against the linked official source |
| ARI renewal (recurring, per person), Child (age 10) | awaiting official confirmation; verify against the linked official source |
| Residence-permit issuance (per person), Child (age 10) | awaiting official confirmation; verify against the linked official source |
| ARI renewal (recurring, per person), Child (age 10) | awaiting official confirmation; verify against the linked official source |
| Government-side total (verified lines) | EUR 500,000 |
Every comparable metric
Each row carries its own source and verification date, so any figure can be checked against the official source it came from. Ties carry no marker; a marker reads "leads on this metric", nothing more, because a metric lead is not a recommendation.
| Metric | 🇮🇹Italy Investor Visa | 🇵🇹Portugal Golden Visa |
|---|---|---|
| Programme type # | Residency by investment | Residency by investment |
| Outcome document # | Residence permit | Residence permit |
| Minimum investment # | €250,000 Innovative startup investment (tiered) src: investorvisa.mise.gov.it · verified 2026-06-04 | €250,000 Investment fund / cultural / scientific src: aima.gov.pt · verified 2026-07-05 |
| Investment routes # | 4 published routes src: investorvisa.mise.gov.it · verified 2026-06-04 | 5 published routes src: aima.gov.pt · verified 2026-07-05 |
| Typical processing time # | Approximately 3-6 months end to end; nulla osta decision by law within 30 days of a complete applicationLeads on this metric src: investorvisa.mise.gov.it · verified 2026-06-04 | 12-18 months src: aima.gov.pt · verified 2026-07-05 |
| Visa-free mobility # | 185 visa-freeLeads on this metric value on the programme page | 184 visa-free src: aima.gov.pt · verified 2026-07-05 |
| Minimum stay requirement # | None src: investorvisa.mise.gov.it · verified 2026-06-04 | 7 days in year 1 src: aima.gov.pt · verified 2026-07-05 |
| Family inclusion # | spouse; dependent children; dependent parents value on the programme page | spouse/partner; dependent children under 18 (18-26 if unmarried dependent students); dependent parents (over 65 no proof; under 65 must prove dependency) value on the programme page |
| Path to citizenship # | Italian citizenship by naturalisation after ~10 years of legal residence (subject to language B1 and other requirements). src: investorvisa.mise.gov.it · verified 2026-06-04 | ENACTED LAW (Lei Orgânica 1/2026, Diário da República, in force 19 May 2026): 7 years of legal residence for EU and CPLP (Lusophone) nationals; 10 years for all other... src: diariodarepublica.pt · verified 2026-06-28 |
| Government fees # | Published schedule on the programme page src: investorvisa.mise.gov.it · verified 2026-06-04 | Fully itemised in the calculator above src: aima.gov.pt · verified 2026-07-05 |
| Mirabello Index composite # | 75 / 100 · rank 26 of 69 from the published Index, 2026 Q3 Edition | 77 / 100 · rank 18 of 69Leads on this metric from the published Index, 2026 Q3 Edition |
Read the full Italy Investor Visa guide · Read the full Portugal Golden Visa guide
Process, side by side
Stages and durations are indicative, from published guidance and Mirabello casework; individual files vary.
Risk and change
Direct permanent residency from USD 70,000 productive investment (real-estate, financial-instrument and tourism routes at USD 200,000); 10-year renewable permanent residence
source: REDIEX, Paraguay investment promotion agency (official)Holding companies incorporated less than six months before application are eligible (measure effective 1 March 2026)
source: New CIES, Hong Kong SAR Government (official)Up to 20% of the qualifying investment may be allocated to registered New Zealand charities (from 1 June 2026)
source: Immigration New Zealand (official)Methodology and integrity
Each programme is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions, combined into a weighted composite. Where a dimension has no verified data it is excluded and the remaining weights are re-normalized (see data_completeness). The full weights, dimension definitions and official-source hierarchy are published on the Index methodology page. This comparison is rules-based: it reports where each programme leads on published criteria, and it does not recommend one programme over the other, because there is no universal winner.
Generated from the Mirabello verified programme dataset, 2026 Q3 Edition.
Questions
On published processing times, Italy Investor Visa currently lists the shorter indicative timeline (Approximately 3-6 months end to end; nulla osta decision by law within 30 days of a complete application for Italy Investor Visa vs 12-18 months for Portugal Golden Visa). Individual files vary with due diligence and documentation; verify against the linked official source.
Published minimums are €250,000 for Italy Investor Visa and €250,000 for Portugal Golden Visa. Government fees per dependant differ by programme; the itemised family schedules are on the programme pages, and a specialist confirms the full government-side total for your family.
Italy Investor Visa leads to a residence permit: Italian citizenship by naturalisation after ~10 years of legal residence (subject to language B1 and other requirements). Portugal Golden Visa leads to a residence permit: ENACTED LAW (Lei Orgânica 1/2026, Diário da República, in force 19 May 2026): 7 years of legal residence for EU and CPLP (Lusophone) nationals; 10 years for all other...
Italy Investor Visa reports 185 visa-free destinations and Portugal Golden Visa reports 184, per the current dataset. Destination counts move with bilateral agreements; verify against the linked official source before travel planning.
Yes. Governments amend investment thresholds, fees and rules; verified changes affecting either programme are recorded in the public Mirabello observatory change log, and every figure on this page carries a verification date. This page is a rules-based comparison of published criteria, general information only, and there is no universal winner.
A confidential, no-obligation conversation with a Mirabello specialist, in your language. We map Italy Investor Visa and Portugal Golden Visa to your budget, family and goals, on the verified figures.
Book a free consultation WhatsApp usMirabello Consultancy provides information and advisory services on investment-migration programmes. Figures on this page are indicative, verified against official sources and provenance-tracked; they are informational only, not an eligibility determination and not legal, tax, immigration or investment advice. Programme terms change; confirm the detail with a specialist and seek independent advice where appropriate.