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Updated: June 2026

Case study · Portugal · Residence permit

How to obtain an EU passport while barely living in the country: PortugalResidence Permit with minimal residency requirement

The main advantage of Portugal's Golden Visa is not income, but a uniquely low residency requirement: you can work toward an EU passport while barely living in the country. Boris Nikolaevich conducted business in Astana and could not spend 183 days in Europe, but wanted a path to EU citizenship. We explain how we obtained him a status with only 7 days per year residency requirement while preserving his Kazakhstan residency.

Sergey EvdokimovSergey EvdokimovManaging Partner, BRIDGESReading time8 min readVerificationReviewed by an expert

This case is based on a real matter. The name and certain identifying details have been changed to protect confidentiality.

BRIDGES client story - How to obtain an EU passport while barely living in the country: Portugal Residence Permit with minimal residency requirement
Contents

Case at a glance

Situation, solution and outcome in seven lines

Client
Boris Nikolaevich, approximately 71 years old, commercial real estate investor, from Kazakhstan
Objective
Path to EU passport without relocation; business remains in Astana
Program
Portugal, Golden Visa (Residence Permit through investment fund, path to EU passport)
Key considerations
Cannot reside 183 days; AIMA monitors presence by passport stamps
Solution
Golden Visa through fund with minimal residency requirement: 7 days in year 1, 14 days thereafter
Additional benefit
Preserved Kazakhstan residency
Result
Working toward EU passport without relocation

Client story

Client background

Where they started

Boris Nikolaevich is a business-minded individual: he manages commercial real estate in Astana, and his business requires his presence at home. At the same time, he wanted a strategic advantage—a path to an EU passport and a backup location in Europe for the future. His objective was long-term and measured, without any urgency.

Why the standard route did not work

The main obstacle that stops such individuals is the residency requirement. Most European residence permits require actual residence in the country—often 183 days per year—which is impossible for a busy businessman with operations in Kazakhstan. He simply could not live six months in Europe.

What BRIDGES had to solve

This reveals the key advantage of Portugal's Golden Visa, which is why it is chosen: a uniquely low residency requirement. To maintain status and work toward citizenship, it is sufficient to spend only approximately 7 days in the country in the first year and 14 days for each subsequent two-year period. This is not relocation, but rather a few vacation days per year.

Why a standard answer would not do

Boris Nikolaevich approached BRIDGES understanding that the task was not to "relocate to Europe"—he had no intention of doing so—but to obtain a status with minimal presence: secure a Golden Visa through a fund, structure a visit schedule within the low residency requirement, preserve Kazakhstan residency, and steadily work toward an EU passport without abandoning his business.

I conduct business in Astana and cannot physically live in Europe for six months, yet I want an EU passport for the future. Most residence permits require actually living there—not suitable for me. Sergey explained that Portugal's Golden Visa has a unique advantage: only 7 days required in the first year and 14 days thereafter. This means a few vacation days in the Algarve, not relocation. We structured it through a fund, I preserved my Kazakhstan residency, and I am working toward an EU passport without abandoning my business.

Boris, 71 · Boris Nikolaevich, commercial real estateThe name and certain identifying details have been changed to protect confidentiality.

Key considerations

Key considerations

There were no obstacles—only a strategic objective and one critical requirement: minimal presence. Most European residence permits require living in the country for 183 days, which is impossible for a businessman with operations at home. Portugal's Golden Visa offers a uniquely low residency requirement—a few days per year—but presence must be properly structured.

Most residence permits require living 183 days per year;

  1. 01Business remains in Astana—living in Europe is not feasible;
  2. 02Golden Visa requires minimal residency: 7 days in year 1, 14 days thereafter;
  3. 03AIMA monitors presence by passport stamps—visit schedule must be adhered to;
  4. 04Kazakhstan residency must be preserved.

The logic of the solution

How the matter progressed: from checks to result

The chart is built from the facts of this matter and shows the logic of the work without decorative or unverified data.

  1. 01
    Stage 1

    We prioritized the minimum presence requirement. Boris Nikolayevich did not need to relocate—he needed a pathway to a passport without disrupting his business. We immediately selected the appropriate program: Portugal's Golden Visa with its uniquely low requirement, rather than a residence permit requiring in-country living. This resolved the main obstacle.

  2. 02
    Stage 2

    We structured the investment through a fund. Since real estate was unavailable, we made a qualifying investment in an appropriate fund as the basis for status, enabling Boris Nikolayevich to obtain a Golden Visa and the right to the minimum presence requirement.

  3. 03
    Stage 3

    We broke down the presence requirement by periods. The key advantage must be applied correctly. We clearly laid out the requirement: approximately 7 days in the first year and 14 days for each subsequent two-year period—and demonstrated this amounts to several vacation days, not residence.

  4. 04
    Stage 4

    We structured a visit schedule under AIMA oversight. AIMA monitors presence through passport stamps. We planned a schedule of weekly visits (vacations in the Algarve) to reliably meet the minimum requirement and be confirmed by stamps, without risk of falling short.

  5. 05
    Stage 5

    We retained Kazakhstan residency. It was important for Boris Nikolayevich not to lose residency in his home country where his business operates. We structured his status so that the Golden Visa with minimal presence would not conflict with his Kazakhstan residency.

Takeaway. Conclusion: the primary advantage of Portugal's Golden Visa is its uniquely low presence requirement. It allows one to pursue an EU passport while living in the country minimally and retaining home country residency, unlike residence permits requiring 183 days.

How we handled the case

How we handled the case

The work was split into verifiable stages so that every conclusion rested on documents.

  1. 01

    Stage 1

    We prioritized the minimum presence requirement. Boris Nikolayevich did not need to relocate—he needed a pathway to a passport without disrupting his business. We immediately selected the appropriate program: Portugal's Golden Visa with its uniquely low requirement, rather than a residence permit requiring in-country living. This resolved the main obstacle.

  2. 02

    Stage 2

    We structured the investment through a fund. Since real estate was unavailable, we made a qualifying investment in an appropriate fund as the basis for status, enabling Boris Nikolayevich to obtain a Golden Visa and the right to the minimum presence requirement.

  3. 03

    Stage 3

    We broke down the presence requirement by periods. The key advantage must be applied correctly. We clearly laid out the requirement: approximately 7 days in the first year and 14 days for each subsequent two-year period—and demonstrated this amounts to several vacation days, not residence.

  4. 04

    Stage 4

    We structured a visit schedule under AIMA oversight. AIMA monitors presence through passport stamps. We planned a schedule of weekly visits (vacations in the Algarve) to reliably meet the minimum requirement and be confirmed by stamps, without risk of falling short.

  5. 05

    Stage 5

    We retained Kazakhstan residency. It was important for Boris Nikolayevich not to lose residency in his home country where his business operates. We structured his status so that the Golden Visa with minimal presence would not conflict with his Kazakhstan residency.

  6. 06

    Stage 6

    We initiated the pathway to an EU passport without relocation. Boris Nikolayevich obtained a Golden Visa with a requirement of several days per year and proceeded toward EU citizenship while maintaining his business and residency in Astana. A backup base in Europe without the need to live there.

Expert comment

Boris Nikolayevich is a busy man with business in Astana, and he needed an EU passport for the future but without relocating. The main obstacle for such clients is the residency requirement: most European residence permits require living in the country for 183 days, which is simply unrealistic for a businessman. I always explain the key advantage of Portugal's Golden Visa, which is why people obtain it: a uniquely low presence requirement—just 7 days in the first year and 14 days thereafter. This is several vacation days, not residence. We structured the investment through a fund, clearly broke down the requirement by periods, and organized a visit schedule—weekly vacations in the Algarve—under AIMA's oversight, which monitors through stamps. And we retained his Kazakhstan residency. In the end, he proceeds toward an EU passport without abandoning his business. The minimum presence requirement is Portugal's trump card.

Sergey Evdokimov, Managing Partner, BRIDGESSergey EvdokimovManaging Partner, BRIDGES

Outcome

What the client received

What was required
How we did it · Result
Status without relocation
Golden Visa with minimum presence requirement · 7 days in 1st year, 14 days thereafter
Basis
Fund investment · Qualifying investment
Confirm presence
Visit schedule aligned with AIMA stamps · Requirement met
Preserve home business
Kazakhstan residency · Not lost
Preserve home business
Kazakhstan residency · Not lost

What was the situation: client conducted business in Astana, could not live in Europe for 183 days, but wanted a pathway to an EU passport. What we did: selected Golden Visa based on minimum presence; structured the investment through a fund; broke down the requirement by periods (7 days in 1st year, 14 days thereafter); organized a visit schedule under AIMA oversight; retained Kazakhstan residency. What the client received: status with a requirement of several days per year and a pathway to an EU passport without relocation.

Practical takeaway

What matters in a similar situation

  • Conclusion: the primary advantage of Portugal's Golden Visa is its uniquely low presence requirement. It allows one to pursue an EU passport while living in the country minimally and retaining home country residency, unlike residence permits requiring 183 days.
  • Boris Nikolayevich obtained a backup base in Europe and a pathway to EU citizenship without abandoning his business in Astana—because the Golden Visa requires only several days of presence per year.

FAQ

Questions people ask in a similar situation

01How long must one live in Portugal under Golden Visa?

Very little: approximately 7 days in the first year and 14 days for each subsequent two-year period. This is a uniquely low presence requirement, allowing one to avoid relocating to the country.

02Is it possible to pursue an EU passport without living in the country?

Yes, that's the advantage of Portugal's Golden Visa. The minimal physical presence requirement allows you to maintain status and progress toward EU citizenship while barely living in Portugal.

03Does residency in your home country remain intact?

Yes. Minimal presence in Portugal does not require renouncing home country residency, which is important for business owners whose operations remain in, for example, Kazakhstan.

04How does AIMA monitor physical presence?

Through passport stamps confirming visits. Therefore, travel schedules are planned to confidently meet the minimum presence requirement and be verified by stamps, without risk of falling short on days.

05Through what channel is Golden Visa obtained if real estate is unavailable?

Through a qualifying investment in a licensed fund. It provides the basis for status and the right to minimal physical presence requirement and a pathway to an EU passport.

06Want an EU passport but cannot live in Europe?

We will arrange Portugal's Golden Visa with uniquely low presence requirements—just several days per year: execute the investment through a fund, structure your visit schedule, and preserve your home country residency so you progress toward an EU passport without relocating.

About the author

Sergey Evdokimov

Author: Sergey Evdokimov

Managing Partner, BRIDGES

As Founder and Managing Partner of BRIDGES, I am responsible for the firm's strategy and personally lead its most complex client matters, including cases in which citizenship or residence decisions require a strategic view and consideration of capital.

I begin by defining the objective: the outcome the client needs, the facts that affect the choice, and the matters that require further review. I then establish the available directions, the sequence of work, and the key decision points.

Once the strategy has been agreed, I oversee the BRIDGES team's key decisions and remain involved at the stages that shape the course of the matter. The purpose is to give the client a clear rationale for the chosen direction and a precise understanding of the next steps.

Prepared on the basis of BRIDGES practice and reviewed by a subject-matter expert.

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Anna KovalevskayaHead of Legal, BRIDGES
Anna Kovalevskaya, Head of Legal, BRIDGES

Names and certain details have been changed to protect client confidentiality. The result described reflects one specific situation and is neither a public offer nor a guarantee of a similar outcome. Programme terms are stated as of 2026 and may change - please confirm current parameters with a BRIDGES consultant.