You will often hear these two expressions intertwined, but these are two different concepts. In this article we will go through the main differences:

GOLDEN VISA

The Golden Visa is related to the legal residence, provided in the Law nr. 23/2007, of the 4th of July, which provides for the Legal Regime for the Entry, Stay, Exit, and Expulsion of Foreigners.

It is a residence-by-investment program, with its inception in October 2012.

The Golden Visa provides applicants with temporary residence permits and enables them to live, study, and work in Portugal, with minimum stay requirements of only 7 or more days, in the first year, and 14 or more days, in the subsequent years.

The Golden Visa can be requested by non-EU nationals and grants the right to legal residence in Portugal.
The Golden Visa is renewed every year and after the 5th year, Golden Visa holders can apply for full citizenship.

NHR

The non-habitual resident status (NHR) is related to tax residency and is limited to a 10 year period.

It is a tax regime introduced in 2009 in the Personal Income Tax Code (PIT) that states that individuals that provide value-added activities are subject to preferred tax rates.

NHR special tax rates and rules are applicable to qualifying individuals (the main requirements being having Portuguese tax residency and not have been tax resident in Portugal in the preceding 5 years).

The NHR status can be requested by both EU and non-EU nationals who have their tax residence in Portugal.
Non-habitual residents have to reside in the Country for at least 183 days or have a business that is set in Portugal that pertains to this point.