News about our Portugal Golden Visa Journey

November 1, 2025: After a whirlwind summer, we’re settling into fall in North Carolina and sharing exciting updates – our upcoming Ventures.eu webinar, new details on Portugal’s Golden Visa program, and the next steps in our residency journey.

Life is what we make of it. What we see isn’t what we see but what we are.

Fernando Pessoa

So bom dia a todos (good morning all!) Let’s get started.

It’s been a busy summer – swimming in Croatia, eating in Italy, home-hunting in Portugal, and hiking with friends in the UK. See what I mean? And so it’s been a while since our last update.

Now autumn leaves are dancing, a whirl of red, gold and green. The mornings are cold but the days warm as we enjoy our last week in an airbnb on Lake Norman, near Mooresville, NC. As we’ve caught up with friends in nearby Charlotte, everyone’s been asking about our move to Portugal. Yes, it’s going well. And we have big updates to share!

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We will Star in a Webinar

Jean and I will be doing a free online webinar with Ventures.eu on November 20 to share our story:

“From the US to Portugal: The Miller’s Golden Visa Decision.” 👉 Register here

We’ll be talking with Fernando Ferreira about why we decided to move to Lisbon, what mattered most in our decision, and what we discovered along the way. If you’ve ever thought about life in Portugal, venture capital, investing abroad, or just want to hear more about our journey, we’d love to have you join us!

Document and Apostille Guides

After the call, we’ll share Jean’s detailed guides for assembling the key documents needed for your Golden Visa application: the official marriage certificate copy, FBI background check (yes, your rap sheet) and the apostilles required for each.

Getting these documents together is probably the trickiest part of the process (right up there with choosing an investment fund). Even if you work with a Golden Visa advisor, this part you’ll need to handle yourself – and the process varies by state.

If you know Jean, you already KNOW her guides are practical, precise, and thoroughly researched!  She spent at least a hundred hours sorting through the process (twice) and creating these guides. I’m so glad she did that part!

Biometrics Appointment Scheduled

Good news!  My biometric appointment is scheduled for February 3, several months earlier than expected. This is where Portugal’s immigration agency (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo – AIMA) takes fingerprints and confirms that I am not:

• A notorious Central American drug lord
• A shifty African gun runner
• A corrupt Russian oligarch

Yes, they do have standards. 😄

Even though our Portuguese custodial bank (Bison) and investment fund (Ventures.eu) have already completed their “Know Your Customer” (KYC) due diligence to vet me, the government wants to be sure.

Changes to the Golden Visa Program

Portugal recently approved updates to its immigration laws that affect all residency and citizenship paths, including the Golden Visa. The main changes affecting us make the path to citizenship longer and a bit more demanding.

1. Citizenship timeline extended from 5 to 10 years. Under the new law, applicants can still apply for permanent residency after 5 years, but citizenship (and a second passport) now requires 10 years of legal residence.
2. Residency “clock” now starts with your first residency card. Previously, the 5-year count began when you submitted your visa application. Now it starts only when the first card is issued — which, given processing delays, can add 1–2 years to the overall timeline.
3. Cultural knowledge requirement expanded. In addition to passing the A2-level Portuguese language test, applicants must now complete a short civics component focused on Portuguese history and culture.

These adjustments come as Portugal, like many countries, seeks to balance immigration with housing affordability and social integration. We’re disappointed in the first two changes – they delay a second passport for us.  But they also bring Portugal closer to other European norms.

The cultural requirement, on the other hand, we completely support. We expect no less for immigrants to the U.S.!

When we applied for the Golden Visa, our goals were clear: to spend much of the year in Portugal, continue exploring the world, diversify our investments, and stay involved in meaningful work. These legal changes don’t alter that, so we ¯\(ツ)/¯ and carry on.

Up Next: Cascais

We will spend the rest of this fall with family and friends (Kansas and Phoenix Millers, here we come!) Then we’re heading to Cascais on December 16 for a two-month stay. It’s a beautiful seaside town west of Lisbon, just 50 minutes by train. The winters there are milder than Charlotte’s, and the Christmas market will be just a block away.

Our apartment overlooks the town square and beach, and has a wonderful kitchen for Jean to continue working on her next book, “Confident in the Kitchen: Tastes of Travel.” For my part, I’ll be spending time with the Ventures.eu and Dealflow.eu teams supporting deep-tech startups. 

And we’ll both begin Portuguese lessons 😶!

Until next time — Happy holidays!🎄

And P.S. Do join ius for the webinar! 👉 Register here

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