This article on visas and residency in Portugal covers the routes open to non-EU citizens, what each one requires, what it costs, and how long it takes. It also covers what EU citizens need to do, which is much less.

Read the section that matches your nationality and your income. The right route depends entirely on your personal situation, and choosing the wrong one wastes months.

First, which group are you in?

If you hold a passport from an EU member state, you have the right to live in Portugal without a visa. Skip to the EU citizens section below.

If you are from outside the EU, whether American, British, Brazilian, Australian, Canadian or any other nationality, you cannot simply arrive and stay. You need a visa before you move. Without one you are limited to 90 days as a tourist, and you cannot work, rent long term, or access public services.

The sequence is always the same. Visa first, from your home country. Residency permit second, in Portugal. Permanent residency after five years. Citizenship later, under rules covered in a separate article.

D7 visa, passive income

The D7 is the most common route for retirees and financially independent people. It is designed for non-EU citizens who can support themselves without working in Portugal.

Who qualifies

You qualify if your income comes from pensions, rental income from property you own anywhere in the world, dividends, investments, or intellectual property royalties. The income must be regular, stable and verifiable.

If your income comes from working remotely for a foreign employer or clients, this is not your visa. See the D8 below.

Minimum income

Single applicant: €920 per month
Add a spouse: 50% more
Add a child: 30% more per child
Savings required: at least €11,040 in a bank account, twelve months of the minimum wage

These thresholds are indexed to Portugal's minimum wage, currently €920 per month, and they rise automatically when the minimum wage rises.

Source: Portaria n.º 1563/2007, indexed to RMMG. Verified 28 August 2026.

How long it takes

The full process, from preparing documents to holding your residency card, takes six to nine months. The consulate stage alone takes 30 to 90 days depending on your country and the consulate's workload. After arriving in Portugal on your D7 visa, you have 120 days to book and attend your AIMA appointment.

You must apply from outside Portugal

The manifestação de interesse route, which allowed people already in Portugal to convert to a residency permit, closed on 3 June 2024. All D7 applications must be submitted through a Portuguese consulate or a VFS Global office in your country of residence, before you travel.

A separate change affects Brazil. Since 17 April 2026, applications submitted in Brazil must be handed in personally at a VFS Global centre. Postal submission has ended. There are ten centres, appointments are booked by facial recognition, and an incomplete file gets five working days to supply what is missing before it is assessed as it stands.

What it costs

Visa fee: €110 per applicant
VFS Global service fee where applicable: around €40
Legal assistance: optional, and strongly recommended for first-time applicants
Travel insurance: required for the application period
Accommodation in Portugal: required, either a twelve month rental contract or proof of ownership

What you get

The D7 visa itself is valid for four months, long enough to enter Portugal and apply for your residency permit. The residency card is issued for two years and is renewable.

You must not be absent for more than six consecutive months, or eight non-consecutive months, during each two year period. After five years of legal residence you can apply for permanent residency.

D8 visa, digital nomad

The D8 is for non-EU citizens who work remotely for employers or clients based outside Portugal.

Who qualifies

You must earn active income from remote work, as an employee of a foreign company, a freelancer, or an independent contractor. Your clients or employer must be based outside Portugal. If your income is passive, the D7 is your route instead.

Minimum income

Single applicant: €3,680 per month, four times the minimum wage
Add a spouse: 50% more
Add a child: 30% more per child
Savings required: at least €11,040 for a single applicant, increasing by 50% for each additional adult and 30% for each dependent child

The D8 threshold is much higher than the D7. That is intentional. The D8 was designed for working professionals, not for retirees or people living on passive income.

How long it takes

Official processing time is 30 to 60 days at the consulate. The full process, from document preparation to residency card, typically takes four to seven months.

What you get

The D8 offers two paths: a twelve month temporary stay visa, or a four month entry visa leading to a two year residency permit. The residency permit is renewable. After five years of legal residence you can apply for permanent residency.

Golden Visa, residency by investment

The Golden Visa is for non-EU investors who want legal residency without living in Portugal full time. Its defining feature is the minimum physical presence requirement: seven days in the first year, and fourteen days in each subsequent two year period.

Real estate no longer qualifies

Law No. 56/2023, the Mais Habitação programme, entered into force in October 2023 and removed every real estate route from the programme. Property purchases no longer qualify under any circumstances. The Golden Visa is now fund and donation based only.

Qualifying investments

You must make one of the following and maintain it for at least five years:

Investment funds: minimum €500,000 in CMVM-regulated Portuguese investment funds. This is the dominant route in 2026.
Cultural or heritage donations: minimum €250,000. A 20% discount applies in designated low-density areas, reducing the minimum to €200,000.
Scientific research: minimum €500,000 in public or private scientific research.
Job creation: at least ten permanent jobs in Portugal.

How long it takes and what it costs

Twelve to eighteen months from application to residency card, longer than the D7 or D8 because of administrative backlogs and enhanced due diligence.

Government fees come in three parts: an application fee per applicant, a substantially larger residence permit issuance fee per person on approval, and a renewal fee at each two year renewal. The issuance fee is the largest of the three and it is often left out of published cost estimates. Confirm all three current amounts with AIMA or your lawyer before you budget.

Legal fees typically run €5,000 to €15,000 depending on the investment structure.

What you get

A residency card valid for two years, renewable every two years while the investment is maintained. After five years you can apply for permanent residency, at which point the investment no longer needs to be held.

D6 visa, family reunification

The D6 covers spouses, dependent children and dependent parents. Family members who arrive on this visa can work or study without any additional permit from day one.

Law No. 61/2025, in force since 22 October 2025, tightened the rules significantly.

The main applicant must have at least 2 years of legal residence in Portugal before applying.
They must demonstrate enough monthly income to support every family member being reunited. The reference is the minimum wage, €920, with additional percentages for each extra adult and each dependent child.
Adequate housing meeting Portuguese standards must be provided and documented.
Most applications must be submitted through a Portuguese consulate abroad, not from inside Portugal.

In plain terms: you cannot bring your family the moment you arrive. You need to be legally established, financially stable and properly housed first.

Source: Lei n.º 61/2025. Verified 28 August 2026.

EU citizens

None of the above applies to you. You have the right to live in Portugal without a visa, without an investment, and without proving income to a consulate.

For stays longer than 90 days you must register with your local town hall to obtain a Certificate of Residency, the CRUE, Certificado de Registo de Cidadão da União Europeia. It costs €15.

To qualify you must be employed, self-sufficient with adequate income and health insurance, or enrolled in a recognised study programme. In practice most people who move with savings, a pension or a remote income meet the requirement without difficulty.

Visa and residency permit are not the same document

These two are confused constantly and the difference matters.

A visa is issued by a Portuguese consulate in your home country before you travel. It gives you permission to enter Portugal and start the residency process. Most are valid for four months.

A residency permit, autorização de residência, is issued in Portugal by AIMA after you arrive. It is what gives you the legal right to live here long term. It is typically valid for two years and renewable.

The visa gets you through the door. The permit is what lets you stay.

Renewing, and what comes after

Your first residency permit is valid for two years. To renew it you must show you still meet the conditions under which it was issued: income threshold, accommodation, minimum stay. Renewal is processed by AIMA and should be started before your current permit expires.

After five years of legal residence you can apply for permanent residency, which removes the need for periodic renewals and lets you live and work without conditions.

Citizenship is a separate question with its own rules, and those rules changed in May 2026. The residency requirement is now 10 years for most foreign nationals and 7 years for EU citizens and nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries. The full rules, including the transitional protection for applications already filed, are covered separately.

Before you apply

Three things save the most time. Get your NIF before you submit anything, because the application will ask for it. Prepare a complete document file, since incomplete files are the single largest cause of delay. Take legal advice if your situation is anything other than straightforward, because a rejection costs months and the fee is not refunded.

Immigration rules in Portugal have changed repeatedly in the last three years. Confirm current requirements with a licensed immigration lawyer before submitting any application.