NZ Active Investor Plus Visa vs Portugal Golden Visa (ARI)
A factual side-by-side comparison of two residency programmes. All figures are drawn from the canonical program pages — follow either link in the table header for sources and the full profile.
Key Differences at a Glance
- ›Portugal Golden Visa (ARI) is faster: 6 months vs 9 months for NZ Active Investor Plus Visa.
- ›Lower capital: Portugal Golden Visa (ARI) (500,000 USD) vs 9,000,000 for NZ Active Investor Plus Visa.
NZ Active Investor Plus Visa New Zealand · investment | Portugal Golden Visa (ARI) Portugal · investment | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | New Zealand | Portugal |
| Category | Investment | Investment |
| Application Fee | $16,000 | $5,400 |
| Minimum Income | — | — |
| Minimum Investment | $9,000,000 | $500,000 |
| Processing Time | 9 months | 6 months |
| Family Included | Spouse + dependent children under 24 included as principal applicant family | No additional investment required for dependent family members |
| Path to PR | Yes — 2 years | Yes — 5 years |
| Path to Citizenship | Yes — 5 years | Yes — 5 years |
| Physical Presence | 117 days minimum in NZ over the 4-year investment period (~30 days/year average; effectively very flexible) | Only 7 days per year in the first year, and 14 days per every subsequent 2-year period |
| Dual Citizenship | Allowed | Allowed |
| Tax Impact | NZ tax resident on worldwide income from 183-day rule. Transitional residency exemption (4 years on foreign-source income) materially attractive for new immigrants. No capital gains tax for individuals on most investment activity. | Minimal physical presence means most holders do not trigger Portuguese tax residency; those who do may qualify for NHR status |
| Tax Residency Trigger | 183 days/yr | 183 days/yr |
| Worldwide Taxation | Yes | Yes |
| Renewal Cost | — | $2,700 |
About NZ Active Investor Plus Visa
Active Investor Plus, launched April 2025, replaces the previous Investor 1 + Investor 2 categories with a points-based, weighted-investment regime. Minimum NZD 5 million invested in qualifying assets weighted by category: direct investment (3× weighting), managed funds (2× weighting), bonds (1× weighting). The weighted total must reach NZD 15 million over the 4-year period. Practically, NZD 5M direct investment satisfies the floor. Major appeal: extremely modest physical-presence requirement (117 days over 4 years), generous transitional-residency tax exemption for new arrivals, and a 5-year path to NZ citizenship with no language test.
Full NZ Active Investor Plus Visa profile →About Portugal Golden Visa (ARI)
Portugal's Golden Visa (Autorização de Residência para Investimento, or ARI) is an investment-based residency permit for non-EU/EEA nationals, notable for one of Europe's lowest physical-presence requirements: just 7 days in year one and 14 days per subsequent two-year period. Since an October 2023 reform, real estate no longer qualifies; current routes include €500,000+ in an approved investment fund, a €500,000+ capital transfer combined with job creation, or €250,000+ toward cultural heritage or the arts, maintained for the full 5-year period. No additional investment is required for family members. The Golden Visa leads to permanent residency and, since the 2026 Nationality Law, citizenship eligibility after 10 years of legal residence (applications pending before 19 May 2026 keep the former 5-year timeline), with an A2 Portuguese language test. Because minimal time in Portugal is needed, most holders never trigger Portuguese tax residency (183-day threshold), and the narrower IFICI regime that replaced NHR in 2024 generally doesn't apply to passive investors. The main practical obstacle is administrative: AIMA has faced severe backlogs since its 2023 reorganisation, and residence-card issuance can take a year or more beyond official timelines.
Full Portugal Golden Visa (ARI) profile →Gotchas to Watch For
NZ Active Investor Plus Visa
- ⚠Investment is committed for 4 years — early withdrawal triggers visa cancellation
- ⚠Weighting system means lower-risk bonds require nominally larger investments (NZD 15M floor reached at 1× weight)
- ⚠Transitional residency exemption is automatic but should be elected explicitly on IRD form IR3
- ⚠Specialist immigration lawyer fees are substantial — budget USD 30-80k for legal preparation
Portugal Golden Visa (ARI)
- ⚠Real estate investment no longer qualifies as of October 2023 reform
- ⚠AIMA backlog means residence card issuance currently takes 1-2+ years
- ⚠Investment must be maintained for minimum 5 years (citizenship eligibility window)
- ⚠IFICI tax regime generally does not apply to passive investors
- ⚠Source-of-funds AML documentation is strictest among EU Golden Visas
Neutral reference — we don't recommend one programme over another. Programmes change: always verify each detail against the official source linked on the individual program pages.