Worldway Comprehensive News: The year 2015 has arrived as the year of Chinese overseas investment, and the strong purchasing power of Chinese people has been greatly recognized in the international market. As Chinese investors are increasingly "going abroad," overseas real estate developers are also targeting the Chinese market. The euro exchange rate has significantly dropped, reaching a low of 6.6. With the decline of the euro, buying property in Europe has become increasingly popular. Worldway immigration experts state: buying property in Europe while also obtaining immigration, especially during the current depreciation of the euro, allows for global asset allocation, ensuring the appreciation and preservation of wealth.
By the end of March, according to Finn from the International Financial News, in recent years, the number of high-net-worth individuals in China has been increasing, and clients buying property overseas are numerous. "From what I know, many wealthy Chinese people discover that property prices here are very reasonable after vacationing, and ultimately decide to buy property here." The "generosity" of Chinese buyers has evidently attracted global attention. According to data from Real Capital Analytics, in the six years ending in 2014, Chinese investments in the global real estate sector reached 35.83 billion euros, compared to only 84.53 million euros in 2008.
Meanwhile, data shows that in 2014, Chinese overseas real estate investment reached 15.16 billion euros, an increase of 46% compared to 2013. In just the first half of last year, Chinese private overseas property investments approached 4.5 billion euros, far exceeding the total scale of 2011 and 2012. Data from February this year indicates that last year, China's direct investment in Europe was nearly double that of 2013, with a total of 153 transactions involving Chinese enterprises across Europe. Statistics show that in 2014, the countries in Europe that attracted the most Chinese investment were still Portugal, followed closely by Spain, then the United Kingdom and Greece.
European citizens also hold a welcoming attitude towards Chinese investments, believing that Chinese investments have resolved many local enterprises' funding chain "bottleneck" issues, injected fresh blood and strong momentum into the development of the European economy, and created jobs locally. This is particularly evident in Portugal, a coastal country in Europe.
Portugal is one of the earliest developed countries in the West to complete capitalist industrialization. Entering the post-industrial era, Portugal has a stable economic development and beautiful environment, making it one of the most livable countries in the world. The capital, Lisbon, has historically been an WorldWay and economic center and is now a well-developed port city in Europe. After recent years of euro depreciation, property prices in Lisbon have significantly decreased and are currently in a non-premium phase, attracting considerable interest from wealthy Chinese individuals.
Worldway's European immigration experts state that at the end of 2012, Portugal launched the Golden Residence Permit Program, which allows for immigration for the whole family by investing 500,000 euros in Portuguese real estate, enjoying benefits such as free public compulsory education and medical insurance. In less than three years, the Golden Residence Permit has contributed over 36% of the total investment from China into Portugal. During the more than two years of the "Golden Residence Permit Program," it has achieved great success, attracting substantial investment to Portugal, revitalizing the Portuguese real estate market, and driving economic development. It is expected that by the end of 2015, investments attracted through the "Golden Residence Permit Program" will reach 2 billion euros.
【Golden Residence Visa March Data】
The Portuguese Immigration and Borders Service has released the latest official data as of March 31, 2015. Since the implementation of the "Golden Residence Permit Program" on October 8, 2012, the total number of individuals who have successfully obtained the Portuguese Golden Visa has reached 2,290, with a total investment amount exceeding 1.39 billion euros. Among them, the number of individuals who obtained residency through property purchase is 2,166 (approximately 95% of the total), with an investment amount of about 1.25 billion euros, primarily from Chinese buyers, totaling 1,840. The property investment immigration to Portugal is particularly favored by Chinese investors.
【Property Investment Immigration to Portugal】
Worldway's European immigration experts remind investors that although the current threshold for the Portuguese property investment immigration program is relatively low, it does not mean that this advantage will last long. In other words, once the number of applicants suddenly increases, Portugal will inevitably adjust its investment immigration policies, or even shut them down. Therefore, investors intending to immigrate to Portugal should seize the opportunity and plan early.
