Can You Apply for the D7 Visa With Just Savings?

This is one of the most common questions people have about the D7 visa. On paper, the D7 is intended for those with regular passive income (such as pensions or rental income), but in real-world practice, some people try to apply using savings alone. Some are successful; others are not.

The short version is:

Savings can help your application, but they do not officially replace the requirement for stable monthly income.
Approval depends heavily on the consulate, the documentation, and how your case is presented.

What Lawyers Say

According to immigration lawyer Sandra Gomes Pinto:

“Normally the consulates demand that people show regular passive income and not just savings or a lump sum. However, we do know of cases where savings or a lump sum were accepted. So, it’s difficult to be 100% sure, but it might be accepted.”

Importantly, she follows this with:

“The solution would be to discuss this with the consulate directly.”

Because:

• Different consulates interpret the rules differently.
• Standards can change, sometimes without public notice.
• Some consulates are more flexible than others.

Sandra explains that her firm routinely contacts the relevant consulate in advance to determine whether a savings-only application is realistic for a specific applicant. Someone applying through San Francisco may get a different answer than someone applying through Toronto, London, or Paris.

How Much Savings Do You Actually Need for the D7?

Even if you have regular passive income, you will still need some savings. This is because the D7 is a residency visa, not just an income test, and part of the financial requirement is showing that you have enough funds to support yourself when you first arrive in Portugal.

The standard benchmark many lawyers use is:

At least 12 months of living costs in savings, based on the Portuguese minimum wage for the year you are applying.

For 2026, the Portuguese minimum wage is €920 per month for the primary applicant. So the minimum recommended savings for a single applicant is: €920 × 12 = €11,040.

This is the baseline. Some consulates ask for more, especially if your income is variable or close to the minimum.

For Couples and Families

Dependents are calculated as:

• +50% of the amount for a spouse/partner
• +30% for each dependent child

Now 12X is just a number that many lawyers use and, in practice, many suggest you show a little more than that anyway. Given that it’s a 2-year residency permit initially, many suggest you show 24 months.

So, even if you have passive income, you still need some savings. But they’re almost always not enough by themselves.

Why Savings Alone Are Often Not Enough

The D7 is designed for people who can support themselves every month, without needing work in Portugal.

Consulates generally prefer:

• Pensions
• Rental income
• Dividends
• Royalties
• Remote employment income (which is what the Digital Nomad Visa is designed for)

Savings, even large savings, are seen differently because:

A large lump sum can theoretically be spent quickly, whereas recurring income shows ongoing support.

This is why many applicants who rely entirely on savings receive follow-up questions, requests for additional proof, or rejections.

Real-World Applicant Experiences

These examples from Portugalist readers illustrate how differently consulates may interpret similar financial situations:

“We only showed savings… no income.”
Family of three transferred €25,000 to Portugal and showed ~$139k USD in US savings and CDs.
Approved. — Charli

“We had savings of around $3 million and transferred €50k to a Portuguese bank account. I was 70 and applied for my spouse and myself.” – Julio

“Curt and I are 65 and 66, we did not show SS income as we were not collecting any. We only showed our individual IRA accounts with enough money to fill their requirements to live here for 2 years. We only transferred the required amount to live here for one year, which was about $13,000 US. We did not share our bank accounts or any other proof of income or savings or home ownership. We figured if we were questioned we could appeal and show them more, but it never came up.” – Cathy

“I have 400k in cash savings and was told that would not be sufficient.”
Applying through San Francisco, told that savings alone would not be accepted.
Rejected (without passive income). — Natalie

“My husband and I decided to take the chance and send in our applications to VFS in DC. We are in our early thirties with two little ones. They received our applications on Thursday, Jan 21st and we received an email from them the following day requesting information regarding passive income. We told them we did not have any and wished to apply based on our savings alone. On Monday, Jan 25th we received an email stating: ‘In order to apply for a residency visa you need to prove you have a passive income or that you work remotely. Unless you prove you work remotely and receive a steady (regular) income, the request cannot be accepted. Please provide the missing documents not later than 24 hours. Otherwise we will need to return you applications.’” – Yanira

“I showed enough to live by Portuguese standards for the remainder of my life.” – Danna

“We applied as a family of four – my husband and me plus two kids, ages 47, 49, 13 and 10 at the time. We didn’t need to transfer to a Portuguese bank.  The accounts we submitted with our application were all liquid (a combo of checking, savings and money market accounts – we didn’t include any stocks, partnerships or retirement accounts whose value could decline or that we couldn’t access easily). There’s so little information on how much they want to see (if you’re not showing regular income), I wasn’t sure what to include. I figured if we showed enough liquid assets to support ourselves until retirement age they would hopefully be comfortable approving us. In total we were in the mid six figures.” – [Anonymous source] 

This contrast is typical. The rules are not applied uniformly. Also, it’s important to note that consulate requirements change from year to year, and consulates may apply the rules more strictly over time.

When the Golden Visa May Be a Better Fit

If your finances are savings-based rather than income-based, the Golden Visa is often the more predictable option. Instead of proving passive income, you make a qualifying investment—typically €500,000 in an investment fund (or, in some cases, a €250,000 cultural donation).

This route does involve:

• Higher upfront costs (investment + legal + government fees)
• Capital being tied up for the required holding period

However, it offers two major advantages:

1. More certainty: The Golden Visa is generally a reliable, structured path to residency, whereas applying for the D7 with savings alone can be unpredictable and dependent on consulate interpretation.
2. Minimal stay requirement: You only need to spend an average of 7 days per year in Portugal, rather than demonstrating residency and presence like the D7.

Alternatively, you could still qualify for the D7 with savings—you would just need those savings to generate passive income in some form whether that’s through interest or by investing it into an annuity, an investment that generates dividends, or a rental property that generates income, for example.

Which makes more sense? That varies on a case-by-case basis. For most people, it their goal is to move to Portugal full-time, the D7 should be the end goal since the fees are lower. However, if you value the flexibility the Golden Visa offers, you may decide this could be a better fit.

Conclusion

It is possible to apply for the D7 with savings alone, but it is not guaranteed, and the outcome depends heavily on the consulate and how your case is presented. The most reliable applications show both:

• Regular passive income (even if modest), and
• Enough savings to cover at least 12–24 months of living costs.

Savings help strengthen an application; they rarely replace income entirely.

If your financial situation is mainly asset-based, you may want to either:

• Use those savings to generate passive income (dividends, rental income, interest, etc.), or
• Consider whether the Golden Visa is a better strategic fit.

In other words, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. What matters is showing that you can support yourself sustainably in Portugal without needing local employment.

If you’re unsure which route makes the most sense for your situation, it is worth having someone speak directly to the consulate on your behalf. A short pre-check can save months of uncertainty, delays, or refusals.