There’s still time to get in on an affordable real estate deal that also gives you Portuguese citizenship, access to affordable, state of the art healthcare, university education in Europe, and easy access to Europe. Portugal’s Golden Visa program encourages foreign real estate investment in exchange for citizenship, and the minimum investment is just €280,000 which is about $280,000. But the opportunity might not last forever. The Portuguese government is in the process of making a decision on whether to end the program but anyone already signed up will be grandfathered in!     Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review.     Portugal’s Golden Visa Program     Portugal’s Golden Visa program has been around since 2012. It was created to help Portugal recover from the worldwide economic downturn during the Great Recession. It encourages foreign investment and because the Euro is currently on par with the dollar, U.S. investors are getting a big discount from prices that are much lower over there.     Because the program has attracted heavy investment into residential properties in the most popular areas, the government is now limiting the program to commercial properties in those areas. But these properties consist of rooms, suites, and even apartments in luxury hotels and resorts that provide passive income, and a place that investors can use when they are in Portugal.     I went to Portugal this year to find out more about the Golden Visa program, and met with a team of experts, including attorneys, CPA's and developers who have properties that meet the Golden Visa requirements. You can find out more about the teams we met with at www.gatewayportugal.com. (1)     What You Can Buy With Gateway Portugal     Some qualifying properties offer apartments in luxurious resorts with old world surroundings and five-star service. They range in price, returns, and the amount of time that owners get to use them. Some of the properties offer buybacks after five years. Investors will get five years of passive income, a set amount of time to use and enjoy the property, and the big prize – Portuguese citizenship. The Golden Visa program does come with a few additional fees, but the returns that the investor makes will easily cover those fees.   One of the least expensive investments being offered by Gateway Portugal is a hotel suite for €220,000. It’s located along the beach in the very popular town of Lagos. Investors would earn a 7 to 10% return per year depending on occupancy levels. The owner would get to use the suite for two weeks every two years. However, to qualify for the Golden Visa, a minimum of $280,000 would have to be invested in Portugal, which means investors would need to buy two of these suites to qualify.     Minimum Investment Only About $280,000     One thing to keep in mind is the amount of the investment that qualifies you for the Golden Visa program. There are three tiers with minimum investment amounts of €280,000, €350,000, and €500,000. Those correspond to the locations and types of investments that qualify. The first bracket of 280k to 350k investments get you a renovation project in a less densely populated area. The buildings that qualify as renovation projects must be a building that is at least 30 years old. 350k to 500k gets you a renovation project in a more densely populated area such as Lisbon, Porto, or the Algarve.  500k and up gets you a new build in a more densely populated area.      Once you invest, you get immediate residency. To maintain your residency, you will have to spend some amount of time in Portugal, but that requirement is minimal. The first year, you have to spend at least a week in Portugal. After that, you can spend two weeks every two years. When you hit the five year mark, you are eligible for citizenship, so long as you have kept your investment during that time.     Immediate family members are also