Head to head
D7 Passive Income Visa vs Golden Visa
🇵🇹 D7 Passive Income Visa (Portugal) compared with 🇦🇪 Golden Visa (United Arab Emirates) — across cost, timeline, residency, tax and the path to citizenship.
The verdict
- →D7 Passive Income Visa has the lower financial bar to entry.
- →Golden Visa is usually faster to process.
- →Golden Visa requires less time in the country each year.
There's no single winner — the right choice depends on your budget, how much time you can spend on the ground, and whether a passport is the goal. Use the table below to weigh what matters to you.
| Feature | 🇵🇹D7 Passive Income Visa | 🇦🇪Golden Visa |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Portugal | United Arab Emirates |
| Type | Retirement Visa | Golden Visa |
| Headline cost | €920/mo passive income | From AED 2M (~$545k) |
| Minimum investment | $920 | $545,000 |
| Minimum income | $12,000/mo | — |
| Processing time | 3 months | 1 months |
| Min stay per year | 183 days | 0 days |
| Tax rate | NHR 2.0 (IFICI): 20% flat tax on qualifying foreign income for 10 years% | 0% |
| Leads to PR | Yes | No |
| PR after | 5.0 years | — |
| Citizenship after | 5 years | — |
| Dual citizenship | Yes | No |
| Visa-free countries | — | — |
| Remote work | Yes | Yes |
| Healthcare | Yes | — |
| Data confidence | high | high |
Frequently asked
Which is cheaper, D7 Passive Income Visa or Golden Visa?
D7 Passive Income Visa has the lower financial requirement (D7 Passive Income Visa: $920, Golden Visa: $545,000).
Which is faster to get, D7 Passive Income Visa or Golden Visa?
Golden Visa is faster (D7 Passive Income Visa: 3 months, Golden Visa: 1 months).
Do D7 Passive Income Visa or Golden Visa lead to citizenship?
D7 Passive Income Visa: citizenship possible after about 5 years. Golden Visa: no direct citizenship route.
Can I hold dual citizenship with D7 Passive Income Visa or Golden Visa?
D7 Passive Income Visa: Yes. Golden Visa: No.