Portugal’s D7 Visa: Updated for 2024

Introduced in 2007, the D7 visa has become one of the most popular routes for non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens to obtain residency in Portugal. Every day, Portugalist receives questions about this visa—much more than any other visa, including the golden visa or digital nomad visa. Over the past few years, we’ve helped hundreds of people apply for this visa, and we’re here to help you too.

The D7 is sometimes referred to as the passive income visa or retirement visa as it’s especially popular with retirees, particularly those from the US and UK. It previously used to be popular with digital nomads as well, but as replaced by the ‘digital nomad visa,’ officially known as the D8.

As well as retirees, the D7 is also popular with those that own rental properties, have income from royalties, or those that have income from investments.

Would I Qualify for the D7?

Let’s take a look at the requirements. There are other requirements (such as a clean criminal record) but from a financial point of view the main requirements are:

• You have a passive income (i.e. income you don’t actively work for) such as a pension, social security, dividends, royalties, interest, or income from a rental property. Unfortunately, savings or income from a remote job aren’t as accepted these days but don’t worry: there are other residency visas that you could qualify for, such as the digital nomad visa.
• That income is at least equivalent to the Portuguese minimum wage, which as of 2024, is €820 per month. This is the amount for one person. If you’re including other family members, such as a spouse or dependent child, the amount will be higher (but will be slightly less for additional people).
• You have at least one year of savings, which means 12 * €820 per month for a single applicant or €9,840 in total.

If you can answer yes, there’s a good chance that you would qualify for the D7 visa.

Can I bring family members?

Family members, such as a spouse or partner and dependent children, can be added to your application. There are two things to consider here:

1. Are those family members eligible?
2. Do you (or your partner) have sufficient income to cover those additional family members?

In terms of eligibility, the following family members can typically be added to a D7 application:

• Spouse or Partner.
• Dependent children (typically this means children under 18 or in full-time education).
• Your parents or your spouse/partner’s parents (as long as they are dependent on you).
• You or your partner’s minor siblings.

As well as eligibility, there are financial factors to consider. For a spouse or partner, you would need to show an additional 50%. For each child, you would need to show an additional 30%.

Here’s are some of the other benefits of the D7:

• Affordable fees: Typical lawyer fees for the D7 are in the region of €1,000-€,2,000 per person. In comparison, the fees for the golden visa are around €10,000 per person.
• Citizenship: Like most Portuguese residency visas, moving to Portugal on the D7 puts you on the path to Portuguese citizenship, which you will be able to apply for after 5 years of living here. And you only need to show an A2 level of Portuguese when you apply, which is just the upper beginner level. You don’t need to show any level of Portuguese to apply for the visa itself (just when you apply for citizenship). Once you have a Portuguese passport, you can move anywhere within the EU.
• Healthcare: As someone resident on the D7 visa, you’ll be able to enjoy full access to Portugal’s tax-funded public healthcare system. There is also a private healthcare system, which you can pay to use, either directly or through private health insurance.
• No property purchase requirement: Although you normally need to show an address in Portugal, you don’t need to purchase a property. This allows you to rent for a year or two before you decide to put down more permanent roots in a location.
• No work restrictions: The D7 doesn’t restrict you from working in Portugal or starting a business, and so many people continue working remotely or earning a little income on the side to supplement their other earnings.
• Family members welcome: It’s possible to add certain family members to your application (such as a spouse or dependent children). If they are unable to move right now, it’s also possible from them to join you via the D6 or family reunification visa.
• Tax incentives: As you’ll be a tax resident, you’ll be able to take advantage of the NHR tax regime, assuming your income qualifies (social security and pensions typically do).
• Schengen travel: As a resident of Portugal, you’ll be able to travel within the Schengen Area (most of Europe essentially) without needing a visa. This doesn’t mean you can spend as long as you want there or move there, but if you come from a country where obtaining a Schengen Visa is normally difficult, this can be a selling point.

However, this wouldn’t be a Portugalist article if we didn’t examine both sides of the coin. The D7 does have some cons as well as pros, and it’s important to consider them before applying.

• Physical Stay Requirements: You’ll typically need to spend 6 months per year in Portugal without leaving the country or 8 months per year if you have gaps (e.g. you visit Paris for the weekend). Exceptions are given in certain cases, e.g. family emergencies.
• Tax residency: Because you’ll be spending more than 183 days per year in Portugal, it’s likely that you’ll be considered tax resident in Portugal and taxed on your worldwide income. However, it’s important to also realise that Portugal has some tax incentives as well as tax treaties with other countries (like the US and UK) which effectively prevent you from being taxed twice.
• Address: This visa normally requires you to have an address in Portugal before you apply. For most people that means renting an apartment in advance, which is probably the biggest downside to the D7 as it can mean renting an apartment that you won’t be able to live in. Some Portugalist readers have had to rent apartments for six months before they were able to move to Portugal.
• Consulate differences: Different consulates may have different requirements (e.g. the consulate in San Francisco may have different requirements to the one in Washington or London. Unfortunately, this makes it difficult to get information about what exactly you need, however, a good lawyer will be up-to-date with any unique requirements. This issue isn’t unique to the D7, and you may encounter it if you apply for another visa like the D8 as well.
• NIF & Bank Account: You will need to obtain a NIF number and open a Portuguese bank account before you move to Portugal. Most people will need to pay a lawyer or company to do this for them, which would set them back around €400. This requirement isn’t unique to the D7.
• Waiting time: The D7 is very popular and so it can take a few months to get your initial appointment. However, the processing time is generally faster than the golden visa.

However, despite these small downsides, it’s still worth it as it allows you to move to Portugal, live here, and in 5 years apply for a Portuguese passport, which would then allow you to live and work anywhere in the EU.

D7 Requirements Checklist

The following are the full requirements for the D7. Note: these can vary depending on the consulate or VSF office you apply through.

Application Process

The process for applying for the D7 can be broken down into a few steps.

Example Costs

Although the government fees on the D7 are low, that doesn’t mean it’s completely free. The following are some of the costs you should factor in:

• NIF and bank account costs: Around €300-€350 through companies like Bordr or Anchorless.
• Lawyer fees: If you use a lawyer, expect to pay €1,000-€2,000 in legal fees, per person although this figure will typically include costs like your NIF, bank account, and application fee.
• Criminal records checks: You’ll need to pay for criminal records checks in the country you’re living in now and, even though you haven’t lived there yet, Portugal
• Flight & accommodation costs: If you come to Portugal to find an apartment or just to see if it’s right for you, you’ll need to consider the travel costs of a short visit
• Travel and/or health insurance:
• Obtaining certificates: If you don’t already have copies of certain documents, such as birth and marriage certificates, you’ll need to request these.
• Passport photos: A small costs, but still a cost.

Comparing Similar Visas

There are pros and cons to the D7, especially when you compare it to other visas like the golden visa (officially the ‘ARI’) or the digital nomad visa (officially the ‘D8’).

Essentially, this means:

• The golden visa offers the most flexibility but has the highest fees as well as requiring you to invest anywhere between €250,000 and €500,000. Expect to pay fees of around €10,000 per person on top of your investment.
• If you want to move to Portugal now and spend the majority of the year there, look at the D7 or D8 (digital nomad visa). However, if you want more flexibility, choose the golden visa as this only requires you to spend an average of 7 days per year in Portugal.
• If you have a passive income, such as a pension, it’s likely that the D7 will be the best visa for you. If you have a job, it’s likely that the D8 or digital nomad visa will be the best visa for you.
• If you have savings and no income, opt for the golden visa.