What is Pela Terra? 

Pela Terra is an impact fund eligible for the Portugal Golden Visa program. It aims to provide investors with a low-risk option for their Golden Visa application while simultaneously regenerating farmland in Portugal through investment in high-value commodity crops like olives and almonds.

What sets Pela Terra apart is its approach to helping investors through the fund onboarding and application process. The company was founded by UK and US expats who have firsthand experience with the bureaucratic challenges of obtaining a visa in Portugal. 

To make the process as quick and easy as possible, we have created a concierge-style service to guide Pela Terra investors through the onboarding process.

Pela Terra’s Concierge Approach

Bespoke Service From the Start

We offer a personalized service tailored to your needs, starting from the very beginning of our relationship. Before investing in Pela Terra II: Regenerate, we provide a one-to-one consultation to understand your requirements and ensure that Pela Terra and Portugal Golden Visa are the best fit for you. 

We’re also happy to introduce you to experienced Golden Visa lawyers.

Personal Guidance Throughout the Process

Once you decide to invest, you’ll be matched with a dedicated Concierge Specialist who will be your go-to person throughout the entire onboarding process. They’ll ensure everything goes smoothly so you can relax and enjoy the journey.

What Support Do Concierge Specialists Offer? 

Our support team is here for you via email, phone, video conference, and WhatsApp.

We’ve also developed strong relationships throughout the industry and can liaise with third parties, such as your chosen bank, to help speed up the process.

Know Your Progress

To keep you in the loop, we’ll send you a weekly progress report outlining what you’ve completed and what’s still outstanding.

If you’re ever unsure about anything or need an update, just contact your Concierge Specialist. We’re always happy to help!

Pela Terra Onboarding Step-By-Step

Step One: One-to-One Consultation 

In the first step, you will meet with one of the founders of Pela Terra either virtually or in person for a consultation. During the consultation, we’ll explain the benefits of the Portugal Golden Visa and the process to apply. Additionally, you will be taken through the details of the Pela Terra II: Regenerate fund to understand if it’s the right fit for you.

Step Two: Starting Your Onboarding

When you decide to invest in the fund, you will be introduced to your Concierge Specialist from Pela Terra and a Compliance Officer from STAG Fund Management (our regulatory partners). 

They will be your go-to contacts throughout the process. You will receive all the onboarding documents and guidance via DocuSign. This will enable you to complete the process fully digitally and remotely for your convenience.  

Step Three: Complete the Onboarding Documents

Your dedicated Concierge Specialist will keep you up-to-date on all the onboarding steps you’ve already completed. They will guide you on what is still outstanding through weekly progress reports and your preferred method of communication. 

DocuSign is used for onboarding to ensure that STAG can review all your documents for accuracy before asking you to send the physical copies to their office in Lisbon.

Step Four: Pay the Subscription Fee

Once all of your digital documents have been reviewed and approved by STAG, you will be asked to mail the originals to their office in Lisbon and pay the fund subscription fee. 

This usually takes 2-3 days, depending on your issuing bank.

Step Five: Conduct a KYC Call

After the subscription fee and physical documents have been received, STAG will conduct a simple KYC video conference call to verify your details. 

Step Six: Capitalize Your Investment

With the KYC call complete and all of the relevant documents safely stored in your file, it’s time to instruct your Portuguese bank to make the capital transfer into the fund. 

This typically takes 1-3 days. 

Step Seven: Submit Your Portugal Golden Visa Application

As soon as the capital has been received into the fund’s account, you will become the latest investor in Pela Terra II: Regenerate. Congratulations!

 Your investment will be registered on an international securities exchange, and your Portuguese bank account will be issued with “participation units” (PUs). You will receive a proof of investment statement. With this statement in hand, your lawyer can submit your Portugal Golden Visa application.

This typically takes 5-7 days.

What Happens After Investing

We’re here to support you throughout your Portugal Golden Visa journey. After investing, you are welcome to contact your Concierge Specialist or one of our founders should you have any questions. 

You will also be invited to the annual AGM meeting and receive regular fund performance updates, such as the annual impact reports.

How Long Does It Take? 

Depending on how proactive and responsive you are to your Concierge Specialist and STAG’s compliance request, you can expect the process to take approximately 6-8 weeks in total. However, we have onboarded investors in as little as 4 weeks. 

What Pela Terra Investors Are Saying

“We chose to invest in the Pela Terra 1 Fund… In the 18 months we have been invested, their communication and transparency has been very good…when we were applying for the GV program, my primary interest at that time was capital preservation…With that in mind and the uncertainties and volatility of real estate fund investments, you can’t get much safer than buying/leasing basic agricultural farmland. If I had to do it over again, I would make the same choice.”

– Roger

“…The investment premise makes sense to us, and we support the fund’s theme of using organic farmland to produce healthy food for Portugal and other EU countries…the [fund] managers seem ethical and experienced.”

– Ken

“Pela Terra’s model is a shining example of ingenuity and I chose to invest because (as an agricultural expert), I believe it has the potential to transform agricultural practices in Portugal. It is a case study in the making and it will in time be seen as a model that should be replicated by others in Europe and beyond.”

– Jim