Worldway Comprehensive Report: Currently, the average housing prices in certain areas of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, are showing a "curved" growth trend. According to the Portugal Express, in the Chiado area of Lisbon, housing prices have increased by about 30% compared to the same period last year. This has stimulated investors' enthusiasm for property investment immigration in Portugal to continue to rise.
【Commercial Street in Lisbon】
In the Portuguese real estate market, more and more buyers are willing to pay high prices for properties. The Chiado area of Lisbon is a typical example. According to data provided by a well-known real estate agency in Lisbon, the price increase in this area has reached about 30% from 2013 to 2014.
Property prices in other cities across Portugal have also changed, with areas outside Greater Lisbon experiencing about a 10% increase in the past year. Ricardo Sousa, the head of the agency, indicated that a significant reason for this phenomenon is the return of middle-class homebuyers and the continued enthusiasm of foreign investors for Portuguese real estate.
In 2014, Chinese investors played a crucial role in real estate investment in Portugal, becoming the main force in the "Golden Residence Permit" property immigration program. The latest data released by the Portuguese Immigration and Borders Service (SEF) shows the immense appeal of the "Golden Residence Permit" to Chinese investors.
According to the latest approval data for the "Golden Residence Permit (GRP)" released by SEF on February 10, 2015: a total of 2,100 GRP projects were approved (main applicants), with 2 cases in 2012, 494 cases in 2013, 1,526 cases in 2014, and 78 cases in January 2015. The total number of family members (dependent applicants) who obtained residence permits through the GRP project was 3,154, with 576 in 2013, 2,394 in 2014, and 183 in January 2015.
The total investment amount for the GRP project is €1,273,912,395.15. This includes €119,821,745.77 for capital transfers and €1,154,090,649.38 for property purchases. The nationalities of the approved main investors are as follows: 1,693 from China, 66 from Russia, 69 from Brazil, 52 from South Africa, and 33 from Lebanon. The approved GRP categories are: 1,992 cases for property purchases, 105 cases for capital transfers, and 3 cases for creating more than 10 jobs.
Worldway's European immigration experts indicate that various signs suggest that the Portuguese real estate market is showing a rapid recovery trend. Coupled with the recent low value of the Euro, now is an unprecedented opportunity for Chinese investors to immigrate to Portugal through property investment. Due to the surge in applications for the "Golden Residence Permit" in 2014, the immigration bureau's processing speed has slightly slowed down (generally, approval can be obtained within 4-8 weeks). Chinese investors intending to immigrate to Portugal should plan early to seize this opportunity.
