The suspension of Golden Visa applications for two weeks in July meant only ten were issued, all of them to Chinese citizens.
This meant a 70% drop compared to last July following the suspension caused by legal difficulties in the wording of Portugal's 'Residence Permits for Investment' laws.
Since last November’s scandal in which several senior officials at the Foreign and Border Service were arrested, as was the President of the Institute of Registries and Notaries, the number of Golden Visas issued has been much reduced.
Between January and July 2014 a total of €817 million was spent by Golden Visa applicants. In the same period this year only €247 million was spent on property and on qualifying investments.
There are no official figures for the number of outstanding applications, but it is estimated that several hundred people are waiting for their documentation to be approved while enhanced checks are undertaken.
In May, the number of applications from Chinese citizens had decreased by 20% but the number of Brazilians applying was on the rise, according to the Secretary of State for Communities.
