Azores Golden Visa: Ultimate 2022 Guide

You've probably heard of the Golden Visa from Portugal. But did you know that the Azores archipelago is one of the best destinations in the country to invest in real estate with a Golden Visa?

In this detailed guide, we'll see how the Autonomous Region of the Azores is the hottest Golden Visa destination of 2022 - and why you should look for an Azores Golden Visa now.

We’ll focus (mainly) on the property investment route here, but if you’re interested in exploring other ways to invest in Portugal, check out our detailed Golden Visa guide. 

Portugal is already the best option for those looking to acquire (or regain!) EU citizenship. Portugal offers flexible visa routes, allows for the all-important dual citizenship, has accessible language requirements and a short citizenship term of just five years of residence.

During those five years, there’s no need to physically move to Portugal (although of course you can if you want to). That means you can carry on with your life elsewhere, while your investment spends the time in Portugal on your behalf. 

In fact, a short annual visit to Portugal (7 to 14 days) is enough to maintain your residency status all the way to citizenship.  

Fortunately, there are still many good opportunities to obtain your Golden Visa by investing in Portuguese residential properties. Azores is one of the best options available for this one - and it's not going anywhere in 2022. We've done a thorough survey of the nine islands and we live in this paradise. Here is the summary on how to invest in real estate in the Azores to get the Golden Visa.

What exactly counts as 'rehabilitation' - can I just add some p-handles on the door?

Let’s look more closely at exactly what that means.  

Property for rehabilitation can fall into one of two categories: 

1.    Over 30 years old 

2.    Located within one of the official rehabilitation zones, as defined by each area’s local council. For example, in Ponta Delgada, the rehabilitation zone incorporates a large chunk of the city’s central area – making it a promising option for investment with holiday rentals in mind.  

It’s important to note that the €350,000 Azores Golden Visa investment threshold includes both the purchase price of the property and the value of any rehabilitation work required.  

What exactly counts as ‘rehabilitation’ – can I just add a few coats of paint? 

Level 1 (Light rehabilitation) 

This level involves conducting small repairs and improvements to the installations and equipment that already exist in the property. Typically, this is in the bathroom and kitchen.  

For example: 

•    Improving indoor lighting, ventilation and exhaustion conditions 

•    Cleaning and general repair of the roof 

•    Repair of occasional anomalies in the plaster 

•    Repair of existing window frames 

•    General improvement of existing electrical and artificial lighting installations 

Level 2 (Medium rehabilitation) 

This is in addition to the work identified in Level 1. It includes the following: 

•    Repair or partial replacement of carpentry elements (such as window frames, staircase, floors or ceilings) 

•    Repair and possible reinforcement of certain structural elements, such as floor slabs or roof structures 

•    General repair of coverings on interior and exterior walls and roof 

•    Introduction of new electrical installation 

•    Improvement of common parts of the building 

•    Making slight changes to existing forms of space organization 

•    In general, improving functional and environmental conditions of spaces 

Level 3 (Deep rehabilitation) 

This level is in addition to the previous levels and includes the following types of work: 

•    Developing profound changes in distribution and interior organization of building space, with the possibility of increasing or reducing the total number of dwellings 

•    Introduction or adaptation of spaces to create missing facilities and equipment, such as the introduction of sanitary facilities or functional reorganization of kitchens 

•    Changes which involve significant demolition and reconstruction, such as: 

•    Partial or total replacement of floor slabs and partition walls 

•    Structural problem solving 

•    Improvement and restructuring of common areas  

•    Improvement and restructuring of the vertical and horizontal circulation system 

•    General replacement of carpentry elements 

•    Construction of new coatings 

At Level 3, the depth of the rehabilitation work justifies the measured application of new materials and constructive solutions, as well as satisfying deeper functional requirements. 

Level 4 (Exceptional rehabilitation) 

This level of works is less common for typical Golden Visa applicants. It may require the following: 

•    Occasional use of restoration techniques for interventions in the building’s surroundings, or even parts of its interior. 

•    Total reconstruction of the building, based on the value of its contribution to the urban image of the surroundings. This may include partial modernization of aspects of construction, installations and equipment. 

•    Rehabilitation of the buildings to standards much higher than the existing ones. 

The new building is to be constructed according to common current knowledge and with contemporary architecture. The rehabilitation process is to be attentive and careful of the context and cultural value of the surroundings. 

As you can see from reading about the different levels, rehabilitation for the Azores Golden Visa doesn’t always have to be a difficult undertaking. There are several types of rehabilitation that can be done with minimum hassle or expense.  

In Azores, you can find many properties that meet the requirements of Level 1, netting you a convenient pathway to Portuguese citizenship at a very accessible price (€350,000) – especially if you’re selling your existing home in high-value markets such as the UK or US.