What changed
Portugal's Mais Habitação package abolished the property route to the Golden Visa. Investment funds, research financing, and cultural heritage routes remain — but a residential purchase, at any price, is not one of them.
Content still promising "buy in Lisbon, get residency" is not merely outdated; it misstates the law. For investors weighing Portugal against the UAE, the residency axis must be removed from the comparison entirely.
What Portugal still offers
Lower mortgage rates than the UAE, EU market access, and a decade of capital appreciation remain real advantages — but they must be weighed against a new 7.5% flat IMT for non-residents and compressing yields.