If you’re a freelancer, the confusing thing about Portugal’s D2 visa and Digital Nomad Visa (D8) is that, at first glance, you can seem like a fit for either.
In theory, that’s true. But in practice, the general rule is simple: if you qualify for the D8, that is usually the visa you should apply for (especially if your income comes from outside Portugal).
The D8 was designed for people who already have established remote income, whether that’s from freelancing, contracting, or working remotely for a company abroad. If your income is coming from within Portugal instead, which is less common for people considering these visas, the D2 may be the more natural fit.
However, this isn’t always this black and white. In fact, there can be a lot of gray and in this article we dive deep into when you should apply for the D2 versus the Digital Nomad Visa (and vice versa).
Key Points
- Choose the D8 if you work remotely for a foreign employer or foreign clients and can meet the income requirement.
- Choose the D2 if you’re starting, relocating, or growing a business activity that has a stronger link to Portugal.
- If you qualify for both, the D8 is often the safer and simpler route.
- If you don’t qualify for the D8, the D2 may still be possible—but it is not just a lower-income backup version of the D8.
- Families should pay close attention to the numbers, because adding dependents can make the D8 much harder to qualify for financially.
- If Portugal’s D8 threshold feels too high, it may also be worth looking at Spain’s digital nomad visa, which generally has a lower income threshold.
What’s the Main Difference Between the D2 and the D8?
The biggest difference is simple: the D8 is built for remote work, while the D2 is built for entrepreneurship and independent professional activity.
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In plain English:
- D8 = “I already earn enough remotely, and I want to keep doing that from Portugal.”
- D2 = “I want to build, run, or relocate a business activity in Portugal.”
That’s why the two visas can look similar on the surface—especially for freelancers and online business owners—but they are not really the same thing.
When the D8 Is Usually the Better Choice
For most freelancers and remote workers, the D8 is the more straightforward option if you meet the income requirement.
Portugal’s current official rule for this visa is proof of average monthly income over the last three months with a minimum value equal to four monthly minimum guaranteed remunerations—in other words, 4x the minimum wage. With the 2026 minimum wage at €920, that means roughly €3,680 per month (for an individual).
The D8 is usually the better choice if:
- you work remotely for a company outside Portugal
- you freelance for clients outside of Portugal
- you’re an independent contractor paid by foreign entities
- your income is already stable and well-documented
- you want the most objective, easiest-to-explain route
This is why legal experts often describe the D8 as the “safer” path if you can qualify.
“If you have an option and you have the safeguard of having the income required for the D8, don’t think about it twice and go for the D8.”
Inês Silva
When the D2 Is Usually the Better Choice
The D2 makes more sense when you are not just working remotely, but actually creating a business case in Portugal.
This could include:
- opening a Portuguese company
- creating a local branch of a foreign company
- launching a startup
- setting up as an independent professional with a stronger Portuguese business link
- hiring people in Portugal
- building a business that is intended to operate from Portugal, rather than simply from your laptop
Scott Kirk: “The downsides is the fact that you have to submit a business plan to the government and have it approved…”
As Scott Kirk points out, one of the big downsides of the D2 is that you’re asking the Portuguese authorities to buy into a business idea that often exists mostly on paper.
Unlike the D8, which is usually much more straightforward—you either meet the income and work requirements or you don’t—the D2 often involves a business plan, projections, and financial assumptions that someone has to review and approve.
And that’s where it gets trickier: business ideas are subjective. One person may think your guesthouse, AI tool, or farm is a great idea, while someone else may be unconvinced, which makes the D2 feel much less predictable than the D8.
The Family Problem: Why the D8 Can Get Expensive Fast
This is where the D8 can become tricky.
Portugal’s means-of-subsistence rules use the main applicant amount, then add 50% for a spouse or dependent parent and 30% for each dependent child. While the D8 has its own main income threshold, families often find that once dependents are added, the total financial burden rises quickly.
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That matters because someone who qualifies easily as a single applicant may suddenly find the D8 much harder as a family.
This is why some families look at alternatives such as:
- both parents applying separately if both have qualifying remote work income
- a D8 + D7 combination if one partner works remotely and the other has qualifying passive income
- exploring the D2 instead if the family is genuinely moving to Portugal to build a business and the D8 math becomes too restrictive
The important point for readers is simply this: don’t just check whether you qualify alone—check whether the whole family setup still works on paper.
And if you can’t meet the requirements: speak to a lawyer as there may be some flexibility. The D8 requirements are already four times the Portuguese minimum wage for an individual, so in theory there’s already enough income to support additional family members. Some consulates may offer more flexibility here.
If You Don’t Qualify for the D8, Can You Use the D2 Instead?
This is one of the biggest reasons people search for this comparison.
The answer is: sometimes.
A lot of people hope the D2 is just a workaround for the D8’s higher income requirement. In practice, that’s not the best way to think about it. The D2 is not simply “the digital nomad visa for people who earn less.” It is a different visa category with a different logic behind it.
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If your application basically says, “I’m a freelancer with foreign clients, but I don’t earn enough for the D8,” you may find the D2 harder than expected—because your case may look more like a D8 case that doesn’t meet the threshold than a true entrepreneur case.
That’s exactly why this warning keeps coming up in Portugalist webinars:
“The D2 for freelancers is becoming really really hard to get approved.”
Inês Silva
That does not mean freelancers can never use the D2. Portugal’s D2 route still covers independent professional activity. But it does mean that if you are applying as a freelancer, you usually need a much stronger Portugal-based story: a real business rationale, stronger documentation, and a more convincing explanation of why D2 is the correct category for you and you’re not applying for it simply because you don’t meet the D8 requirements.
Could Spain Be a Better Fit?
This is worth mentioning, especially for readers who are good candidates for a digital nomad visa but don’t meet Portugal’s higher D8 threshold.
Portugal’s D8 is tied to 4x the Portuguese minimum wage. This means in 2026 an individual needs €3,680 per month. That’s a lot.
Spain’s digital nomad visa generally has a lower income threshold.
So if your thinking is:
- “I can work remotely”
- “I like the Iberian lifestyle”
- “Portugal’s D8 threshold is just too high for me”
…then Spain may be worth looking at.
That does not automatically make Spain “better.” It just means it may be more accessible financially for some applicants. Long-term residency, tax, and citizenship planning are separate questions, and those should be compared carefully before making a decision.
Final Verdict
For most entrepreneurs and freelancers, the decision comes down to this:
- If you are already earning enough remotely from foreign sources, the Digital Nomad Visa (D8) is usually the best option.
- If you are building a business in Portugal, creating jobs, opening a company, or presenting a genuine entrepreneurial project, the D2 may be the better fit.
- If you don’t meet the D8 threshold, the D2 may still be possible—but only if your case is truly a D2 case, not just a D8 case that falls short on income.
And if you do meet the D8 income requirement, the safest general advice is still the one that cuts through all the noise:
“If you have an option and you have the safeguard of having the income required for the D8, don’t think about it twice and go for the D8.”
Inês Silva
Finally, as always, speak with a lawyer and get professional advice from someone who has a good relationship with the consulate you’ll be applying through.
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