Either, the Foreign Minister, Augusto Santos Silva, has overstated the number of Golden Visas issued as a result of his push to clear the backlog or, the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) is mistaken in reporting 209 Golden Visas issued in January and February.
In early February, Silva reported to parliament that a "task force" had cleared more than 850 Golden Visas from the backlog of around 3,500 but this afternoon the SEF announced that its staff had processed 209 applications this year to the end of February.
Journalists were quick to contact the Foreign Ministry asking someone to clarify the numbers but Silva’s office said it is up to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to clear up the matter as the SEF comes under its management.
Silva's office did helpfully point out that the 850 approved applications referred to all types of residence permit and not only to the Golden Visa applicants. This was not what the minister announced to parliament.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs added that "the number processed is not the same as the number approved" as not all cases get the green light from the SEF but this does not explain the difference between 850 and 209, the inference being that the minister has misled parliament.
However, the trend in upwards as the SEF states that Golden Visa related investment more than doubled (131%) from January to February's figure of €89.3 million with over 90% being tied to property purchases.
