If you’re thinking about moving to Portugal, the D7 visa is one of the most straightforward residency pathways. It’s designed for people who earn income from non-active sources—income that arrives regularly without requiring day-to-day work.
To qualify, you must show a stable monthly income of at least €920 per month for a single applicant in 2026.
For dependents, add:
- 50% for a spouse or partner → €460 per month
- 30% per dependent child → €276 per month
This is significantly lower than the Digital Nomad Visa, which requires €3,680 per month in 2026.
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What Exactly Is Passive Income?
For the D7 visa, passive income means income that does not depend on you actively working. It must be:
- Predictable
- Regular or recurring
- Supported by documentation
Its core purpose is to show that you can support yourself in Portugal without needing employment there. You can work on a D7 visa, but the aim of the D7 visa is that you should be able to support yourself without needing a job.
Types of Passive Income That Typically Qualify
| Source of Income | Accepted? |
|---|---|
| Pensions & Social Security | Yes |
| Private Retirement Accounts / Drawdown Plans | Yes |
| Income from Annuities | Yes |
| Dividends from Stocks or Funds | Yes |
| Interest from Bonds / Savings / Fixed Deposits | Yes |
| Rental Property Income | Yes |
| Royalties (books, music, software, licensing) | Yes |
Key point: You do not need all of your passive income to come from one source. Mixed income stacks are normal.
Income That is Not Considered Passive for D7
| Income Type | Type | Apply Instead? |
|---|---|---|
| Remote job salary (even if fully remote) | Active | Digital Nomad Visa |
| Freelancing / Contracting / Consulting | Active | Digital Nomad Visa |
| Self-employment income that requires ongoing work | Active | Digital Nomad Visa |
| Operating a business day-to-day | Active | D2 Entrepreneur Visa |
| Lump Sum | Savings | Golden Visa – €500k investment or €250k donation |
The D7 is no longer treated as the visa for remote workers. If your income requires your ongoing labor, choose the Digital Nomad Visa instead.
What About Savings?
If you’re applying for the D7, you will need passive income (e.g., €920 per month for a single applicant in 2026) and you will also need some savings as a safety net (e.g., €11,040 in 2026).
But what if you have savings (e.g., a significant lump sum) but don’t have passive income? Can you apply with savings alone?
Savings do not automatically count as passive income. However:
- You could apply for the Golden Visa with savings
- If your savings can generate passive income (e.g., through a rental property, annuity, etc.) this could allow you to qualify
- Savings can supplement an application
| Golden Visa | D7 | |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Requirements | Investment (€500k) or donation (250k) | Passive Income (e.g. €920 per month for an individual |
| Physical Stay Requirements | 7 days per year (average) | Around 8 months per year |
Example (Real Case Shared by a D7 Holder)
“We only showed savings… no income. We transferred €25,000 into a Portuguese account and showed additional U.S. savings and CD funds. Approved for a family of 3.”
Approval varies by consulate, and strong savings require a stronger explanation of how they support long-term living. If you are unsure, this is where an immigration lawyer is valuable—they will know what your consulate accepts.
How to Prove Passive Income
There are various ways to prove your passive income, depending on the income type and the requirements of the consulate:
- Bank statements
- Tax returns
- Investment account / brokerage statements
- Pension award letters or retirement benefit schedules
- Rental contracts + proof of rent received
Consistency matters more than total wealth. As a general rule, you should be receiving the income for at least three months to show consistency.
What if you don’t have enough passive income?
In 2026, a single applicant needs €920 per month. But what happens if that person only has 75% or even 50% of the required income? Could they apply anyway, especially if they have savings or some other form of passive income.
The answer to this question is: it depends.
It’s worth noting that €920 per month is considered the minimum amount you need to live in Portugal. Any less any you are likely to become a burden on the Portuguese state. So, if your total income is less than €920 per month in 2026, there’s a high chance of rejection.
But what happens if you have 75% of the required amount and then a few hundred thousand in savings? Or you are due to start receiving a pension or US Social Security in a few years?
This is where an immigration lawyer comes in useful.
They can speak with the consulate or VFS office to see what is likely to be expected before you submit your application. They will also have the experience of submitting multiple applications and will know how likely AIMA are to accept or reject such an application.
What Happens if Your Income Fluctuates?
Not all passive income arrives in the same amount every month. Dividends vary, tenants come and go, bond interest may be quarterly rather than monthly, and royalty income can be seasonal. This is normal, and Portugal does not require your income to be exactly the same amount every month.
What matters is that the income is:
- Recurring (not one-off or temporary)
- Reasonably stable over time
- Well-documented
- Sufficient on average to meet the minimum threshold
If your income fluctuates month-to-month, the consulate or AIMA will typically look at your average monthly income over a period (often 3–12 months) rather than a single month in isolation.
Final Thoughts on Passive Income
The D7 visa is designed for people who can support themselves in Portugal through reliable, ongoing passive income, rather than through active work (either local or remote). If your income is regular, well-documented, and meets or exceeds the required monthly threshold, you are likely to be a strong candidate. Savings can strengthen an application, especially if your income fluctuates or sits close to the threshold, but savings alone are rarely enough unless they are structured into a predictable, recurring income stream.
If your income comes from remote work, freelancing, or running a business, the Digital Nomad Visa or D2 Entrepreneur Visa will usually be a better fit. The key is to choose the visa category that aligns with the true nature of your income rather than trying to reshape your financial situation to fit a program it wasn’t designed for.
Because each consulate can apply the rules slightly differently, and every applicant’s financial picture is unique, it’s often useful to speak with an immigration lawyer who can assess your circumstances, suggest ways to strengthen your application, and confirm what your specific consulate is expecting before you apply.
Next steps are typically to:
- Confirm your passive income sources and monthly average
- Ensure you have sufficient savings for stability
- Open a Portuguese bank account and transfer an appropriate amount
- Gather documentation that clearly proves the income and its regularity
With the right preparation, the D7 visa remains one of the most accessible and flexible pathways to long-term residency in Portugal.
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