It’s interesting that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex haven’t pushed back on the reports of their purchase of a home in Portugal. We’re in a new(ish) era of Sussex communications, where they do push back on false stories with some regularity, so maybe the “Portuguese villa” story is true. I’ve been astonished to see how a pretty positive story – the Sussexes are rich and bought a $4.7 million vacation villa! – has been circulated so heavily, even if the British commentators are doing the most to make it sound like Harry and Meghan are desperate to be in closer proximity to the UK, or desperate to have EU passports. The reporting about passports and “golden visas” has confused me, because (obviously) different countries have different laws and rules for visa applications and EU citizenship. Thankfully, the NY Post broke down what Harry and Meghan would need to do to obtain a golden visa.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have one major hurdle to overcome following their rumored house purchase in sunny Portugal. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have reportedly splashed out on one of 300 soon-to-be constructed residences at the 722-acre CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club — a plush development about 81 miles south of Lisbon. The pair are said to have forked over more than $4.7 million on the purchase, the Mirror reports.
But after signing on the dotted line, it appears as though the duo now have an obstacle to overcome: obtaining a European Union citizenship. Such a citizenship would allow the couple to travel freely through the Schengen area, which covers 29 countries. But with the UK fully out of the EU post-Brexit, Harry and Meghan must file a Portuguese citizenship application, which requires a language test.
According to Global Citizen Solutions, Portugal’s so-called “Golden Visa” application process tests prospective candidates’ ability to use and understand everyday language, expressions and basic phrases. While learning a new language doesn’t seem to be a problem for the “Suits” alum — who can speak Spanish and French fluently — the same cannot be said for Harry, who has admitted to not knowing a second language.
The Sussexes are offered a range of options when applying for a Portuguese citizenship — these include five years of uninterrupted residency, having ancestors from the country, or investing $540,000 through investment funds, scientific research, local companies and/or businesses. Upon obtaining the sought-after visa, the pair would be able to travel throughout Europe unhindered.
“…Or investing $540,000 through investment funds, scientific research, local companies and/or businesses.” Gee, I wonder if a wealthy couple who purchased a $4.7 million villa have $540K to invest in Portugal??? I also wonder if the purchase of the villa is itself considered an investment. Isn’t that the way it works in Monaco? If you buy real estate in Monaco, you’re automatically given a golden visa/residency permit? Let me look it up – yeah, real estate purchases can be considered “investments,” or you can just open up a bank account or investment account with $500K or so. This whole thing reads to me like Harry and Meghan’s backup plan in case anything goes t-ts up here in America.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.