en 
Emigration consultants in Hong Kong and Macau reveal that the new rules, led to a rush for Portuguese golden visas at the end of 2021.
According to Jeff Yen Li Wei, a partner at the Macau law firm Nuno Simões e Associados, requests went from an average of ten processes per year, to 20 requests in the second half of 2021 alone, mainly from mainland China.
John Hu, founder and principal consultant of John Hu Migration Consulting, a Hong Kong firm specialising in emigration, also stated that he had local clients trying to start the process "just before Christmas". The reason for the surge was to anticipate the entry into force of a decree-law that prohibits obtaining a golden visa through the purchase of residential property in the metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto and in most coastal regions.
The original change in the law had been planned for July 2021 and many Chinese and Britons based in Hong Kong took advantage of the extra six months to “speed up” the deal, said Jason Gillott, the co-founder of Golden Visa Portugal Limited, a Hong Kong company specialising in obtaining golden visas.
Until the end of 2021, the Residence Permit for Investment programme made it possible to obtain residence in Portugal by investing in real estate with a minimum value of €500,000, a value that fell to €350,000in the case of urban rehabilitation. After the December rush, Jeff Yen currently has no new clients, but said he believes "whoever was interested will continue to be interested."
New restrictions
The lawyer, who has lived in Portugal for more than two decades, argued that it will be more difficult to convince Chinese investors to buy real estate outside large urban centres. Buying property was the option in "80 percent of cases", but John Hu felt that transferring at least €1 million in capital could become a more popular choice for Hong Kong investors.
"Many of the clients already have a good idea of where they want to invest", indicated Jason Gillott, pointing to the case of an American who wanted to buy a house in Évora to rent to university students.
The Briton said that there are still opportunities in real estate, namely on the coast of the district of Setúbal. "I was very surprised that the whole area, from Comporta to Santiago do Cacém, was on the list for the golden visa," he concluded.
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Is a shame.
Portugal is not "selling" just a passport for Portugal alone,the document gives the owner the right to stay and travel through the whole EU!
It has to be stopped,this corruption!
By André from Porto on 13 Jan 2022, 09:54
Wow application went up from 10 to 20 !!!!!!!!
That's going to make a difference.
Just hope they are not being ripped off like previous generations of Golden visa applicants, that were sold highly inflated priced properties by unscrupulous Portuguese developers
By James from Algarve on 13 Jan 2022, 10:35
More undesirables for PORTUGAL don't you think we have enough people ripping off the country..
By J from Lisbon on 13 Jan 2022, 12:36
Who's undesirable? Financially self-sufficient immigrants who add new capital and vitality to the Portuguese economy, employing tradesmen and restauranteurs and shopkeepers and artisans, paying high fees and taxes to the government for the privilege of repopulating the declining nation of Portugal? Or angry xenophobes who keep whining for more freebies that the government can't afford?
By Nevadifornia from USA on 14 Jan 2022, 03:10
???????????????? "...xenophobes..." Spot on.
By Teddy Duke from USA on 14 Jan 2022, 19:50
Well said Nevadifornia! I for one moved here 3 years ago and I often tell anyone that will listen that it is the best thing that I ever did. I first of all thank my host country and the Portuguese people for my presence here. I give back to the community, I volunteer my time and money to people here that are less fortunate.
But, I am not going to apologise for being here and buying an apartment, car, furniture , etc. in setting up my new home. I am not going to apologise for eating at my neighbourhood restaurants and shopping locally at my neighbourhood markets, shops, etc. thus helping the local economy. I purchase private insurance to not to be a burden on the Portuguese Health Care System ( can everyone complaining here say the same)
Guys, unfortunately this is happening all over the World mostly in most desirable areas....Just make sure that you respect you host countries and their people.
By Forrest Lorick from USA on 14 Jan 2022, 20:15
You don't need the visa to invest in Portugal, and just investing isn't enough to get the visa. GV requires visiting the country yearly for a week at a time. Getting citizenship requires showing that you did that for five years, plus have to pass the language exams. I don't see a lot of people doing this that aren't committed to the place at least a little bit.
By Jeff from USA on 16 Jan 2022, 06:48
can people that have already bought property get a golden visa please
By stephen Atherton from UK on 24 Jan 2022, 17:41