9 Requirements That Could Impact Your D7 Visa Application in 2026

Applying for a Portuguese residency visa is already complex, and much of the information online is outdated by the time you read it. Requirements, procedures, and enforcement standards do change — sometimes quietly, and sometimes quickly.

If you are considering applying for the D7 Visa in 2026, here are some of the key requirement updates you need to know.

1. Income Requirements Are Increasing

Portugal adjusts the minimum wage annually. The D7 income requirement is tied directly to this figure.

Here’s what you need to understand: Portugal’s D7 visa uses the national minimum wage (salário mínimo nacional) as its baseline calculation for financial requirements. This isn’t arbitrary—it’s designed to ensure visa holders can support themselves at a level that meets Portugal’s own standard for minimum living costs.

The minimum wage is reviewed and typically adjusted each year by the Portuguese government, usually announced in December and taking effect the following January. For 2026, the minimum wage will increase from €870 to €920 per month.

2025 → 2026 Minimum Wage Change

Why this matters for your application: You now need an additional €50 per month to meet the D7 requirements if you’re applying as an individual, and more if you’re applying as a couple or family.

As this is still below the typical UK pension or US Social Security, this shouldn’t make a major difference, but it’s important to be aware of the figures. Those relying on rental income may need to increase the rent if it falls below the required amount.

Those applying for the Digital Nomad Visa have it much worse as this requires 4X the Portuguese minimum wage. Rather than increasing €50 a month, an individual now needs an extra €200 per month. If you’re applying as a couple or family, this will be significantly more (since the total amount usually comes from the main applicant).

This is a significant increase and, particularly in the case of a couple, and this will make it harder for many remote workers and freelancers to move to Portugal.

2. The Path to Citizenship Is Expected to Get Longer

Portugal’s parliament has voted to move citizenship eligibility from 5 years to 10 years of residency.

What this means: This is not yet law, but the political will is clear and opposition is minimal. Unfortunately, for those who are moving to Portugal in 2026, this will mean a much longer timeframe before they’re eligible to apply for Portuguese citizenship.

How the timeline will look for most applicants:

Why this change is happening: Portugal has seen an unprecedented wave of immigration over the past 5 years. The government argues that the current five-year pathway to citizenship doesn’t allow sufficient time for genuine integration into Portuguese society and that a switch to 10 years will discourage applicants who spend minimal time in Portugal, learn little Portuguese, and view citizenship primarily as an EU passport.

For those planning a long-term move to Portugal, this won’t have a major affect on their day-to-day lives. However, for those who were hoping for more flexibility after five years, this will mean they’re likely committed to Portugal for at least a decade.

3. One Year of Travel Insurance Is Now Commonly Required

Up until recently, most people applying for the D7 visa would apply for a 120-day travel insurance policy for their consulate or VFS Office and then, once they arrived in Portugal, they would apply for a health insurance policy for the AIMA appointment.

Recently, however, some consulates have begun asking for a one-year travel insurance policy. They have also begun promoting their own travel insurance policy.

The exact requirements will depend on the consulate you’re applying through, and your decision will depend on whether you planned to get private health insurance or rely solely on the public healthcare system.

For some people, a one-year policy will be enough. Others may decide to cancel their one-year policy once they arrive in Portugal, and get health insurance. A more in-depth overview of the pros and cons of each approach can be found here.

4. FBI Background Check Validity Is Being Enforced More Strictly

For U.S. applicants, apostille timing is critical—documents expire quickly. The FBI background check is one of the most time-sensitive documents in your D7 application, and misunderstanding the timing requirements causes frequent rejections and delays.

In a recent Portugalist webinar, immigration lawyer Sandra Gomes Pinto noted, “they are being more demanding in terms of the validity of the FBI background check.” They do not want “to see an FBI background check that has only give days of validity left. It’s better to have an FBI background check that has 15-20 days of validity.”

Here’s what’s changed: The Portuguese consulates in the US do not want to see a background check that is near expiration. The FBI report should have at least 15 to 20 days of validity remaining.

FBI background checks don’t have an expiration date printed on them, but Portuguese authorities treat them as having a limited shelf life—typically 90 days from the issue date, though some consulates and AIMA offices interpret this as 3 months. After that period, the document is considered too old to reliably reflect your current criminal status.

5. Proof of Accommodation Is Being Scrutinized More Closely

AIMA has become significantly more demanding when it comes to proof of accommodation. They want to make sure people actually have legitimate housing in Portugal—that it’s not a scam, not a fraud, but a proper contract that demonstrates you genuinely live here.

At your AIMA biometric appointment, expect to provide multiple documents proving your accommodation. The requirements now typically include: a notarized lease agreement, rent receipts showing you’ve actually paid rent, registration of the lease with the Portuguese tax authority (Finanças), an additional declaration from your landlord, a declaration from you as the tenant, documents about the property itself from the land registry, additional tax authority documents, and often a certificate of residency from your local parish.

In some cases, AIMA officers have even requested a copy of the landlord’s Portuguese citizen card to verify the landlord’s identity and legal right to rent the property. When applicants couldn’t provide all the requested documentation, appointments were postponed—not rescheduled for a few days later, but delayed significantly while documents were gathered.

6. Social Security (NISS) Documentation Is Now Requested

Even if you do not work in Portugal, AIMA may request either a NISS number, or a formal certificate of exemption.

Context: This is a relatively new requirement that’s caught many applicants off guard. Historically, the D7 process didn’t involve Portuguese social security at all.

Why the change? Portugal is tightening integration between its immigration and social security systems. AIMA wants clarity on whether you’ll be contributing to Portuguese social security, claiming benefits from it, or operating entirely outside the system with foreign income and pensions.

What this means practically: If you’re living purely on passive foreign income (US Social Security, UK pension, rental income from property abroad), you may need to obtain documentation confirming you’re exempt from Portuguese social security contributions. If you plan to do any work in Portugal—even remote work for non-Portuguese companies—you may be required to register and contribute.

7. Some Consulates Are Accepting Applicants Outside Their Normal Jurisdiction

Due to bottlenecks, especially in Washington, D.C., some consulates are allowing out-of-jurisdiction D-visa submissions. This is not public policy. It must be requested politely and justified.

What’s happening: Portuguese consulates have strict geographic jurisdictions—which states or regions they serve. In theory, you must apply through your jurisdictional consulate. However, severe appointment backlogs, particularly in Washington D.C., have led some consulates to quietly accept out-of-jurisdiction applications on a case-by-case basis.

This is entirely unofficial. You won’t find this option on any consulate website. It requires directly emailing or calling a consulate outside your jurisdiction, explaining your situation (typically: no available appointments within a reasonable timeframe at your home consulate), and respectfully requesting consideration.

8. Enforcement of Time Spent Outside Portugal May Tighten

For years, Portugal’s residency rules included physical presence requirements, but enforcement was lax. Border records were manual and incomplete, making it difficult for AIMA to track absences.

The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES), now being implemented across Schengen borders, changes this entirely. Border crossings are digitally recorded with biometric data. AIMA can now easily see exactly when you entered and left Portugal (and the Schengen area), making it trivial to calculate your days of absence.

What this means for you: If you’re obtaining a D7, you must genuinely intend to make Portugal your primary residence. The days of maintaining Portuguese residency while spending considerable time elsewhere are potentially over. At renewal (year two) and when applying for permanent residency (year five), AIMA can scrutinize your travel patterns more closely, if they wish to.

However, whether they will or not is yet to be seen. Up until now, Portugal has focused on whether you’re making your life in Portugal—rather than counted the number of days you spent in the country. In theory, Portugal could have

9. Payment Methods Vary by Consulate

One practical detail that catches applicants off guard is that payment methods for visa application fees now vary significantly by consulate.

Some consulate officers—specifically Washington D.C., Miami, and Houston—only accept payments by credit or debit card. You cannot pay with cash, personal checks, cashier’s checks, or money orders at these locations. If you arrive at your appointment without a valid credit or debit card, you won’t be able to submit your application.

San Francisco, however, still follows the traditional payment method and accepts cashier’s checks or money orders. They have not made the switch to card-only payments.

This might seem like a minor administrative detail, but it’s caused problems for applicants who assumed all consulates operated the same way

Staying Ahead of Constant Changes

These are just nine changes we’ve identified—some significant, others smaller administrative shifts. But here’s the reality: changes happen constantly throughout the year. More will undoubtedly occur in 2026. Requirements that are standard practice today may be different in three months, and you won’t find announcements about most of these changes on official websites.

This is precisely why working with an immigration lawyer who specializes in Portuguese residency visas is so valuable. Not just any lawyer, but one who keeps on top of these changes constantly through active casework—someone who has multiple clients going through the process every week and is gathering real-time intelligence from every appointment.

The lawyers who understand the system best are those who have developed good relationships with the people working at the consulates, VFS offices, and AIMA. They know the officers, they’re in regular contact, and they understand how each location interprets and applies the rules. This insider knowledge is how they learn about requirement changes before they’re officially announced—if they’re ever announced at all.

Want to know more? Get in touch with Portugalist today.