What it is
A quick introduction to the D6
Portugal’s family reunification visa, usually called the D6, is the route for non-EU family members of someone who already holds a Portuguese residence permit. The resident (the “sponsor”) files the reunification request with AIMA in Portugal. Once it’s approved, the family member abroad collects their D6 visa from a Portuguese consulate or VFS center and flies in.
It’s important to be precise about which route applies. The D6 is for family of non-EU citizens who live in Portugal. If your sponsor is an EU/EEA/Swiss or Portuguese citizen, you need the family of an EU citizen route instead.
You’ll need to be a qualifying family member (such as a spouse or dependent child), and your sponsor needs suitable housing and enough income to support you. Since the October 2025 immigration law, most sponsors also need to have held their residence permit for 2 years first, though there are important exceptions (see below).
In 2026, your sponsor needs at least €920 a month to support themselves, plus 50% of that (€460) for a spouse or partner, 30% (€276) for each child, and 50% (€460) for each dependent parent. See the full breakdown below.
The basics
The D6 at a glance
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For family of non-EU residents
Spouses, partners, children, and sometimes parents or adult children in education, joining a non-EU sponsor who already holds a Portuguese residence permit (D7, D8, D1, Golden Visa, or another type).
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Sponsor must qualify too
The sponsor needs a valid residence permit (usually held for 2 years), suitable housing, enough income (€920 a month plus extra per family member), and a clean record. AIMA assesses the sponsor as much as the family.
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Slow process
The law gives AIMA up to 9 months to decide, and then the consulate stage follows. Plan ahead and file as soon as you’re eligible.
Who qualifies
Which family members can be reunited?
Portugal’s family reunification rules (Article 99 of Lei 23/2007) are reasonably generous, but each category has its own evidence bar. The further out the relationship, the more proof of dependency you’ll need.
Spouse / married partner
A marriage certificate, apostilled and often translated. The marriage must be valid under Portuguese law, both spouses must be 18+, and it must be genuine: AIMA can ask for evidence of living together, joint finances, or photographs if there’s any doubt.
Unmarried partner in a stable union
A união de facto (stable union) under Portuguese law normally means 2+ years of living together, shown with a joint lease, joint utility bills, a joint bank account, and so on. The bar is higher than for married couples because there’s no certificate to lean on.
Dependent minor children (under 18)
Apostilled birth certificates. If only one parent is the sponsor, the other parent’s notarized consent is normally required. Adopted children and stepchildren can qualify with the relevant supporting documents.
Adult children in education and financially dependent
Adult children (18+) can qualify if they’re unmarried, studying, and financially dependent on the sponsor. The law expects them to be studying in Portugal, although for some permit types studying abroad also counts. Evidence includes enrollment records, tuition receipts, transfers from the sponsor’s account, and the absence of independent income. Older students face more scrutiny.
Dependent parents
Parents (and other first-degree ascendants) can qualify if they depend on the sponsor. In practice, older parents are easier to include, and younger parents need stronger evidence of financial or physical dependency: medical records, proof of ongoing financial support, and the lack of anyone else to support them at home.
Minor siblings under the sponsor’s guardianship
If the sponsor is the legal guardian of a minor sibling, backed by a court or authority decision recognized in Portugal, that sibling can also qualify. It’s uncommon, but it’s there for families who need it.
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New integration requirements since October 2025
Under Lei 61/2025, family members who join through reunification must take part in integration measures: Portuguese language training, a course on Portugal’s constitutional principles, and school attendance for children. Compliance can be checked when the permit is renewed.
What you’ll need
D6 Visa Requirements
The D6 has two sets of requirements: the sponsor’s (assessed by AIMA in Portugal) and the family member’s (assessed by the consulate abroad). Both need to hold up.
2-minute check
Can your family join you in Portugal?
Answer a few questions about your residence permit, income, and family, and get an answer straight away.
Sponsor requirements (in Portugal)
Valid Portuguese residence permit
The sponsor must hold a valid Portuguese residence permit: a D7, D8, D1, or D2-based permit, a Golden Visa, or another recognized type. The permit type and how long the sponsor has held it affect when they can apply and which family members can join.
Adequate housing
The sponsor must show they own or rent a home that’s normal for a comparable family in Portugal, based on the number of rooms and the number of people who’ll live there. A rental contract or property deeds are required.
Sufficient income
The sponsor must be able to support the whole family without relying on social assistance. The benchmark is the Portuguese minimum wage (€920 a month in 2026), plus 50% for each additional adult and 30% for each child. Payslips, tax returns, and bank statements are the usual evidence.
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When the sponsor can apply
Since October 2025 (Lei 61/2025, Article 98), the sponsor generally needs to have held a residence permit for 2 years before applying. The exceptions:
- No wait for minor or incapable children, or for a spouse or partner you share those children with.
- 15 months for a spouse or partner you lived with for at least 18 months before you moved to Portugal.
- No wait at all if the sponsor holds a Golden Visa, a highly qualified (D3-based) permit, or an EU Blue Card.
- Possible reduction or waiver in properly justified exceptional cases, taking into account family ties and integration in Portugal. A lawyer can tell you whether your situation might qualify.
Family member requirements (abroad)
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Consular requirements vary
After AIMA approves the request, the Portuguese consulate or VFS center where the family member applies may have its own requirements for insurance, travel bookings, document validity, and translations. Check the checklist for that post.
Relationship documentation
The core of the family-member’s file. Depending on the relationship:
- Spouse: marriage certificate, apostilled and often translated
- Unmarried partner: evidence of 2+ years living together (lease, bills, shared bank account, etc.)
- Minor child: birth certificate, plus consent from the non-applying parent if relevant
- Adult dependent child: birth certificate, enrollment record, transfers, lack of independent income
- Dependent parent: medical records, financial-support evidence, age verification
Valid passport
At least 3 months of validity beyond the planned stay (6+ months is safer), with at least 2 blank pages.
Application form & photos
The completed national visa application form (current version from your consulate or VFS) plus two passport photos per applicant.
Clean criminal record
A criminal record certificate from the family member’s country of nationality and anywhere they’ve lived for 1+ year: apostilled or legalized, often translated, and recent (typically issued within 90 days). Children under 16 are usually exempt.
Authorize a Portuguese criminal-record check
Signed form letting AIMA check for any Portuguese record. Formality for first-time applicants.
Travel insurance
Usually requested at the visa stage: Schengen-compliant travel insurance covering the period until the family member is resident and registered with the SNS or private insurance, with at least €30,000 of medical and repatriation cover.
Proof of travel (if requested)
Some consulates and VFS centers ask for a flight itinerary or booked ticket to Portugal in the family member’s name. Book refundable or flexible fares, and don’t lock in non-refundable flights until the visa is in hand.
Documents both sides will need
Translated and apostilled versions of everything
Most personal-status documents (marriage, birth, dependency, parental consent) need to be apostilled (Hague Convention countries) or legalized by a Portuguese consulate (non-Hague), and documents in a foreign language should come with a certified Portuguese translation. AIMA lists the translators it accepts. Don’t assume English will be accepted without one.
Proof of accommodation in Portugal
The sponsor’s home, with clear evidence it can accommodate the joining family. If the family will live elsewhere (a separate rental), that contract is needed too.
Spouse or partner
Married, civil-partnered, or long-term unmarried partners can join. For an unmarried partner, you’ll usually need 2+ years at the same address, with paper evidence (shared bills, both names on the lease).
+50% of the minimum wage (€460 a month)
Dependent children
Under-18s are the most straightforward, and they can join without the 2-year wait. Adult children can be included if they’re unmarried, studying, and dependent on you; others normally need their own separate visa.
+30% of the minimum wage (€276 a month) per child
Dependent parents
Can be included if they’re physically or financially dependent on you. If they have their own passive income (e.g. retirement income), they’ll usually apply for their own D7 visa.
+50% of the minimum wage (€460 a month) per parent
Income & savings, by household
How much the sponsor needs to show, depending on who’s joining. The means have to be secured for at least 12 months, so savings or other demonstrable resources can help. The savings rows below are a useful benchmark (12 months of the income figure), not a separate official savings requirement.
| Household | EUR official | USD approx. | GBP approx. | CAD approx. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly income | ||||
| Couple | €1,380 | $1,545 | £1,169 | CA$2,202 |
| + each dependent child | €276 | $309 | £234 | CA$440 |
| + each dependent parent | €460 | $515 | £390 | CA$734 |
| Savings benchmark (12 months of the income figure) | ||||
| Couple | €16,560 | $18,542 | £14,031 | CA$26,426 |
| + each dependent child | €3,312 | $3,708 | £2,806 | CA$5,285 |
| + each dependent parent | €5,520 | $6,181 | £4,677 | CA$8,809 |
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The sponsor must show adequate household means
The person requesting reunification has to show the household has enough to support the whole family without social assistance. Don’t count on the arriving family member’s future Portuguese earnings to cover a shortfall. If the sponsor can’t cover everyone, other adult family members may be better off getting their own visa, such as a D7 or D8.
How it works
From AIMA filing to family residence cards
Sponsor files with AIMA
Once eligible, the sponsor files the reunification request with AIMA, with their own evidence (housing, income, record) and the family relationship documents.
AIMA approval
The law gives AIMA up to 9 months to decide. If approved, it tells the consulate the family member can apply for the D6.
Family applies at consulate / VFS
The family member submits the D6 visa file at the Portuguese consulate or VFS center where they live.
Fly to Portugal
The visa is valid for 4 months. The family member uses it to enter Portugal.
AIMA biometrics + card
An AIMA appointment in Portugal for the residence permit, normally valid for the same term as the sponsor’s.
After approval
What family members get
Same residency rights as the sponsor
Once approved, family members have broadly the same rights as the sponsor, including the right to work, SNS healthcare, public schools for children, and travel within the Schengen area.
Independent residency path
After some years, family members can apply for an independent residence permit, so their right to stay no longer depends on the sponsor. That matters in case of divorce, the sponsor’s death, or the sponsor leaving Portugal.
Path to permanent residency & citizenship
Time on a family reunification permit counts toward permanent residency (after 5 years) and Portuguese citizenship (after 10 years, or 7 for citizens of Portuguese-speaking and EU countries, under the law in force since May 19, 2026). Permanent residency needs A2 Portuguese, by exam or a qualifying course. Citizenship also needs Portuguese language skills plus a test on Portuguese culture, history, and civic life.
Common questions
D6 Visa FAQ
Can family apply at the same time as the sponsor?
For many routes (the D7, D8, and Golden Visa), family can apply alongside the main applicant from the start, which avoids the D6 waiting period entirely. The D6 is for family who join later, after the sponsor is already resident.
Can D6 holders work in Portugal?
Yes. Family members with a reunification permit can work in Portugal without a separate work visa.
What happens if my sponsor’s visa is denied or revoked?
If the sponsor loses their residence, family members’ residence can be at risk too, though there are protections for cases like divorce, the sponsor’s death, or residence built up independently. Talk to a lawyer as soon as the sponsor’s status looks shaky.
What if my sponsor is a Portuguese / EU citizen?
You don’t need the D6. Family of EU/EEA/Swiss citizens, including Portuguese nationals, use the family of an EU citizen route instead.
Are unmarried partners treated the same as spouses?
In principle, yes. A união de facto (stable union) is recognized, but the evidence bar is higher because there’s no marriage certificate: typically 2+ years of living together, shown with a joint lease, utility bills, a joint bank account, and so on. If you can’t prove it, the partner may need their own visa (such as a D7 or D8).
Can my parents qualify?
Yes, if they can show they depend on the sponsor financially or physically. Parents with their own income (a pension, for example) normally apply for their own visa, usually the D7.
How long does the family’s permit last once issued?
It’s normally issued for the same term as the sponsor’s permit, so if the sponsor is on a 2-year permit, the family permit matches. At renewal, AIMA also checks the family’s integration measures (language training and, for children, school attendance).
Trying to bring family to Portugal?
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