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Comparison · PORTUGAL ↔ ITALY
Head-to-head dossier
Portugal vs ItalyGolden Visa, side by side — 2026
🇵🇹Portugal Golden Visa (ARI)
Portugal
EU residency with just 7 days a year on the ground.
From
€250,000
Time
12–24 months
Citizenship
5 years
Stay
7 days/year
🇮🇹Italy Investor Visa
Italy
Underrated alternative with the €100k flat-tax sweetener.
From
€250,000
Time
3–4 months
Citizenship
10 years
Stay
Flexible (no fixed minimum)
The short verdict
It depends. Portugal and Italy solve different problems — neither program "wins" in the abstract.
The full picture is below — by the numbers, then category by category.
By the numbers
Headline metrics
| Metric | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 🇮🇹 Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Reformed | Active |
| Headline minimum | €250,000 | €250,000 |
| Processing time | 12–24 months | 3–4 months |
| Path to citizenship | 5 years | 10 years |
| Physical presence | 7 days/year | Flexible (no fixed minimum) |
| Tax overlay | NHR 2.0 (IFICI) for qualifying activities | €200k/year flat tax for new residents (since Aug 2024) |
| Best for | Founders, remote professionals and HNW families who want an EU passport without relocating immediately. | Founders backing Italian innovation, or HNWIs attracted by the new-resident flat-tax regime. |
Category by category
- 01
Entry price
TieBoth programs start at the same headline minimum (€250,000).
- 02
Faster to a card
Edge: ItalyPortugal: 12–24 months. Italy: 3–4 months.
- 03
Faster path to citizenship
Edge: PortugalPortugal: 5 years. Italy: 10 years.
Who each one is for
🇵🇹 Portugal — best for
Founders, remote professionals and HNW families who want an EU passport without relocating immediately.
- +Path to EU citizenship in 5 years
- +Only ~7 days/year physical presence
- +Family included (spouse, children, dependent parents)
- +Visa-free travel to 191 countries after naturalization
🇮🇹 Italy — best for
Founders backing Italian innovation, or HNWIs attracted by the new-resident flat-tax regime.
- +No funds transferred until visa is approved
- +Family included on a single application
- +Schengen access, low real-presence requirements
- +Renewable in 3-year increments
The honest tradeoffs
🇵🇹 Portugal — working against you
- − Real estate route closed in October 2023
- − AIMA backlogs have stretched processing to 18+ months
- − Portuguese language A2 required for citizenship
🇮🇹 Italy — working against you
- − Citizenship reform in 2025 tightened jus sanguinis but residency timeline unchanged at 10 years
- − New-resident flat tax doubled from €100k to €200k in August 2024
- − Italian language B1 required for citizenship
Read the full dossier