Believe it or not, Europe’s westernmost country isn’t just a hot tourist destination. It’s becoming a hot bed of activity for startups and entrepreneurs looking to found new businesses in the European Union. A recent report from Startup Europe Partnership, found Portugal’s startup ecosystem is now growing twice as fast as the European average. But why? What is it about Portugal that has everyone applying for their business visa programs, like the HQA Visa?
At a high level, Portugal has endless summers, low cost real estate, a long stretch of beautiful coastline consisting of both sandy beaches and picturesque cliffs, a robust university system where tech businesses can carry out R&D, it has ease of international travel, and so much more.
We’ve polled our HQA Visa participants and put together a quick list of why many founders & business professionals are moving to Portugal.
- Fast Processing on Paperwork – This point is specific to the HQA Visa Program where visa paperwork processes in just 3-4 weeks
- Tax Breaks & Cryptocurrency Friendly Taxation Policies – There are Benefits from Portugal’s Non-Habitual Tax Residency (NHR) Program for the first 10 years of residency. Additionally, Portugal considers capital gains resulting from the sale of cryptocurrencies are not subject to Personal Income Tax
- Access to Portugal’s world-class National Health Service (SNS) as a Portuguese resident for the entire family
- A clear pathway to Portuguese citizenship after 5 years
- Ease of travel and access to the European Union
- Friendly business climate
- A large amount of English speakers makes communication easy
- Portugal ranks 4th on the Global Peace Index.
- Access to Portugal’s University system and international schools
- Low cost of housing & living
- Access to top tier tech talent, allowing startups to thrive
- Relaxed & friendly lifestyle for families, and open social climate
If the climate, sandy beaches, top tier universities, access to a world-class tech ecosystem, great food, high quality of life and low living costs aren’t enough for you to consider Portugal, let’s talk. There are so many benefits to Portugal’s innovative new visa programs like the HQA that make the area even more attractive to investors and highly experienced professionals.
You can request more information about our Portugal HQA Visa Program by selecting here.
Empowered Startups is an Innovative Startup Incubator and foundry headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. With offices in Canada, France, and Portugal, we train/mentor/ and network entrepreneurs to successfully launch new businesses in diverse markets. As a foundry we also conceive, build and launch our own products and solutions. Empowered Startups is recognized by the Canadian Government as a designated start-up business incubator and is known internationally for growing ideas into sustainable businesses using both a virtual and on-site model. Our training tools and mentorship are used and recognized by leading global university labs, Startup incubators, and innovation hubs.
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