Three Generations, One Golden Visa: Cyrus and Amy’s Application
Cyrus and Amy aren’t applying for Portugal’s Golden Visa just for themselves. Their application covers five people: the two of them, their two young sons, and Cyrus’s mother, who is in her seventies.
Cyrus made the investment in November 2025, and his application went in 12 days later. The rest of the family followed in February 2026. All five now have the same biometrics appointment at AIMA in Porto, in early spring 2027.
Their application isn’t finished, but it’s a useful one to follow. It shows what a family Golden Visa involves when three generations are on the same file.
Who can come on one Golden Visa
The Golden Visa is built around one investor, but the residence it gives can extend to the family. In Cyrus’s case that meant:
- his wife, Amy
- their two sons, both under six when they started
- his mother
Parents are the part people often don’t expect. A parent who is 65 or older doesn’t need to prove they depend on you financially. For Cyrus’s mother, that took a whole category of paperwork off the list.
The investment came first
Cyrus chose the fund route: €500,000 in a qualifying Portuguese investment fund. He chose the fund himself. We don’t give investment advice, and you should pick a fund on its own merits, with independent financial advice.
We started with the groundwork. In August 2025 we got tax numbers (NIFs) for Cyrus, Amy and both boys. In October they had a consultation with our partner lawyer, and in November they took our Golden Visa package. The investment went in on 12 November.
How the money reaches the fund
Whether you need your own Portuguese bank account to invest depends on the fund. Some funds only accept money from a Portuguese account in your name. Others have a pooled client account that takes the transfer directly from abroad. Cyrus’s fund was the second kind, so the money went from the US straight to the fund.
They opened a Portuguese account anyway, for the fees and for later, and it took longer than the investment did. US citizens face extra checks at Portuguese banks because of US tax reporting rules, and not every bank is set up for them. If you’re American, start the bank account early, especially if your fund needs the money to come from a Portuguese account.
Racing the 90-day clock
Most supporting documents are only accepted for a limited time, often 90 days. That set the whole timetable. Once the documents were issued, the application had to go in before they expired, and Cyrus’s went in on 24 November 2025.
Two things caught them out on the way:
- Apostilles on copies. Close to submission, AIMA asked for apostilled copies of the passports and Social Security cards, not just plain copies. Nothing can be added once the application is in, so check this early.
- A new passport and an FBI check. Amy needed a new passport, and her FBI background check had to be apostilled at federal level, by the US Department of State. Both take weeks, so the rest of the family’s applications went in on 4 February 2026.
Five applicants, three generations, one biometrics appointment.
AIMA booked four out of five
Golden Visa applicants wait for AIMA to call them for biometrics, usually around eight months after applying. In summer 2026 AIMA sent appointments for Amy, the boys and Cyrus’s mother. It didn’t send one for Cyrus, the investor whose application the others depend on.
It was an AIMA error. Our partner lawyer raised it with AIMA, and in August all five were rebooked together: early spring 2027, at AIMA in Porto.
That’s a long wait, and it’s typical of the Golden Visa right now. AIMA can’t speed it up.
What’s next
In early spring 2027 all five will give fingerprints and photos in Porto, with their original documents. After that comes the wait for the residence cards. We’ll update this story when they have them.
In Cyrus’s own words
We asked Cyrus three questions about the process so far. Here are his answers, as he wrote them.
What surprised you?
“How much work (and how many notaries!) would go into the package of completed and apostilled application documents. Online chat forums and AI responses tend to make the process feel easier and quicker than it actually will be.”
What was harder than expected?
“Getting a simple checking account opened at a Portuguese bank from abroad — despite having a straightforward picture with respect to my income, assets and purpose for the bank account.”
What do you wish someone had told you at the start?
“The importance of timing when it comes to compiling the application documents and getting (many of the documents) apostilled. The Federal-level apostille process can take months in the U.S., which can lead to some documents ‘going stale’ and impacting the whole timeline.”
If you’re applying as a family
- Parents aged 65 or over can join without proving financial dependency.
- Renew passports early if any are close to expiry. A new passport can push a family member’s application back by weeks.
- FBI checks need a federal apostille, from the US Department of State.
- Ask about apostilled copies of passports and Social Security cards before you submit.
- Watch the 90-day validity of your documents. It decides when you can apply.
- Check how your fund takes the money. Some only accept a transfer from a Portuguese bank account; others take it directly from abroad through a pooled account.
Children, a spouse and even parents can join a Golden Visa application. Book a free 15-minute call and we'll go through who can come and what each of them needs.
Images are illustrative. This application is still in progress. Every application is different, and AIMA requirements and timelines change. Investment funds carry risk, and Novomove doesn't give investment advice. Novomove is a relocation technology platform that coordinates licensed Portuguese lawyers, not a law firm.
