Golden Visas Give Latin American Families a Base in Europe

More Latin American families are securing European residency through Golden Visa programs. Portugal’s Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum recorded 1,543,697 foreign residents at the end of 2024, with South Americans accounting for 34.2%.

Brazilians were the largest single nationality, with 484,596 residents living in Portugal.

Passports from Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile already offer visa-free travel to the Schengen Area for up to 90 days.

La Vida has found that its Latin American clients typically invest in Golden Visas to gain the right to live in Europe, enrol children in local schools and hold an asset priced in euros.

Most of our Latin American clients can already visit Europe freely, so travel isn’t what brings them to us. They want a secure base in Europe, a strong currency and good schools for their children, and a Golden Visa gives them all three without having to relocate straight away.

Families often begin by asking about property before turning to education and long-term planning for their children.

A Second Home In Europe

Language is often the first connection. Brazilians share Portuguese with Portugal, and Spanish speakers find Portuguese and Italian far easier to pick up than most other European languages.

Many Latin American families also have European roots. Generations of Italian, Spanish and Portuguese migrants settled in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Chile, and their surnames, food and traditions remain part of everyday life across the region.

Daily life feels familiar too. Mediterranean food, long family meals, café culture and a lifestyle built around family are as much a part of Lisbon, Athens and Rome as they are of Buenos Aires, São Paulo and Santiago. That familiarity helps families settle quickly, and for many of our clients Europe feels less like a move abroad and more like a second home.

Seven-Year Route For Brazilians And Other CPLP Nationals

Portugal’s nationality law, in force since 19 May 2026, sets a 10-year residence period before most foreign nationals can apply for citizenship.

Nationals of Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) member states can apply for Portuguese citizenship after seven years of legal residence. The qualifying nationalities are:

• Angola
• Brazil
• Cape Verde
• Equatorial Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Mozambique
• São Tomé and Príncipe
• Timor-Leste

Brazil is the only Latin American member of the CPLP, which gives Brazilian families a three-year head start on most other nationalities.

Portuguese citizenship carries the right to live and work anywhere in the European Union.

Programs Latin American Clients Choose

Our advisers say Latin American families usually start by asking about property, then move quickly to schools and long-term planning for their children. Most want a residency they can secure now and use when the time is right, rather than one that requires them to relocate straight away.

Latin American clients most often invest in one of the following programs:

• Portugal Golden Visa: A €500,000 investment in a qualifying fund, a minimum stay of seven days a year, permanent residence possible after five years, and the possibility to apply for citizenship after seven years for CPLP nationals or 10 years for other nationalities.
• Greece Golden Visa: Real estate investment from €250,000 for qualifying conversion and restoration projects, €400,000 in most regions and €800,000 in Athens, Thessaloniki and the larger islands, with no minimum stay.
• Malta Permanent Residence Program: Permanent residence from the outset for the investor and their family in an English-speaking EU member state.
• Italy Golden Visa: Residency through an investment of €250,000 in an innovative Italian startup, €500,000 in an Italian limited company, €1 million in a philanthropic initiative or €2 million in Italian government bonds, with no minimum stay required to renew the permit.

Spanish-speaking clients often compare Malta with Portugal, particularly where they want an English-speaking environment for their children.

Italy appeals strongly to families with Italian heritage, which is common in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. Families planning an international education for their children often add Malta to the shortlist. English is one of Malta’s official languages and is widely used in its schools, which many families see as a helpful step towards English-speaking universities.

Programs Change While Investors Wait

Many of our Latin American clients take their time over the decision, often waiting for the right exchange rate, a business milestone or a child’s school year. That’s understandable, but the programs themselves don’t stand still, and the terms available today aren’t guaranteed tomorrow.

In recent years, Portugal closed its real estate route in October 2023 and extended its citizenship timeline in 2026, while Greece raised its investment thresholds in its most popular regions in 2024. Greece also plans to raise property transfer tax for non-EU buyers from 3% to 15% from 1 July 2027.

In each case, investors whose applications were already submitted were able to proceed on the terms they had secured. For families who already know Europe is part of their plans, applying sooner locks in today’s terms.

Stability And Education Drive Decisions

Our advisers find that exchange rates and property prices matter, but stability, education and the freedom to choose where the family lives remain the main reasons clients invest.

La Vida’s advisers help clients across Latin America compare Portugal, Greece, Malta and Italy against those long-term family goals. Speak to our expert advisers to find the program that best fits your family’s plans in Europe.

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