How to get a Golden Visa in Madeira – our Step by Step Guide

In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean lies Madeira Island - an autonomous region of Portugal fully integrated into the European Union and a part of the Schengen Area. Madeira is, since 2015, the World's Leading Island Travel Destination.

Getting a Golden Visa in Madeira is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for those seeking a safe investment while having the ability to live, work and travel without restriction in the entire Schengen Area; and visa-free access to 191 countries after getting a Portuguese passport.

Below, you can find a step-by-step guide on how to get a Golden Visa in Madeira.

Why should you get a Golden Visa in Madeira?

Getting a Golden Visa residency permit in Madeira has plenty of advantages:

• Ability to live and work in Portugal
• Visa-free travel all over Schengen Area
• Portugal is the 3^rd safest country in the world
• Access to 191 countries visa-free
• The investment options start at € 250.000
• Your investment qualifies your immediate family
• You can apply for Portuguese citizenship after 5 years
• The Portuguese passport is the 5^th strongest in the world

Golden Visa in Madeira – Investment options

There are many investment options to getting a Golden Visa in Madeira. You can click here for the complete list. Nonetheless, the 3 most in-demand options are the following:

Real Estate

Investing in the Madeira real estate market is one of the best ways of getting a Golden Visa. You can be granted a Golden Visa in Madeira in exchange for the following real estate investments:

Madeira has a thriving real estate market. The mild climate, stunning landscapes, low cost of living, and unique quality of life attract travellers and investors worldwide. These factors create a dynamic, diversified, and competitive real estate market full of great opportunities.

We have a selection of properties for sale in Madeira, ranging from houses in Funchal's city centre, to luxurious villas, and apartments in and around Funchal. 

Set up a business

You can also get a Golden Visa residency permit by setting up a company in Madeira or by investing in a Madeiran company. This way, you will need to invest €500.000 geared towards setting up, or increasing the capital of a Madeiran company, while also creating or maintaining 5 jobs.

In this case, the cherry on top is that Madeira companies benefit from a highly advantageous tax regime. The International Business Centre of Madeira (IBCM) offers one of the most competitive tax frameworks in Europe. Among its features, we highlight the 5% corporate tax rate on income generated outside Portugal. The IBCM is approved by the European Union and fully complies with all EU treaties and laws.

The advantages of setting up a company in Madeira include, but are not limited to:

• Reduced 5% corporate income tax (CIT) rate for income obtained outside Portugal
• Standard 14,7% CIT rate for income obtained in Madeira
• Special tax regime for non-habitual residents
• Exemption from withholding tax on the payment of royalties and dividends (IBCM companies)
• Exemption from withholding tax on the payment of services and interest to non-resident shareholders and on other forms of remuneration such as shareholder loans, allowances, or capital advances
• Reduced rates of stamp duty, property taxes (IMI and IMT), municipal taxes, autonomous taxation, and other fees and costs (IBCM companies)

Funds

Another possibility of getting a Golden Visa in Portugal is investing in investment or venture capital funds. These funds must be registered in Portugal and have at least 60% of their capital realised in Portuguese commercial companies. The minimum required investment is € 500.000.

Your Golden Visa in 8 steps – check our Step by Step Guide

Check our step-by-step guide on how to get a Golden Visa in Madeira.