Is Portugal’s D7 visa worth it?
The D7 is Portugal’s visa for people who live on passive income: pensions, US Social Security, rent and dividends.
An individual needs €920 a month (about $1,030) and €11,040 in savings. A couple needs €1,380 a month and €16,560 in savings.
Search around and you’ll struggle to find an easier residency visa to qualify for anywhere in the EU.
But the hard part isn’t meeting the requirements. It’s having to rent or buy a property before moving here, it’s the consulates that each run on their own rules and their own clock, and it’s navigating Portugal’s opaque bureaucracy.
As well as showing you the D7 requirements, this article goes into the pros and cons and gives a more honest (and hopefully refreshing) look at the D7 visa.
I’ve been running Portugalist since 2016, and in that time thousands of people have used it to figure out how to apply for the D7 and move to Portugal. I’d be very glad to help you do the same.
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What’s changed
Last checked:
2026: €920 a month and €11,040 in savings for one person (Decreto-Lei 139/2025).
2027 (proposal, not yet law): the 2027 budget assumes a €970 minimum wage, and unions are pushing for €1,000 or more. At €970, one person needs €970 a month and €11,640 in savings. I’d plan around €970, with some room above it.
Show 4 more changes
AIMA fees: they went up on March 1, 2026. A first residence permit is now about €247 per adult. Costs ↓
Renewals: since September 11, 2026, a renewal is no longer treated as approved just because AIMA missed its deadline (Lei 62/2026). More ↓
Citizenship: 10 years for most nationalities since May 19, 2026, or 7 for EU and Portuguese-speaking countries. The rules that put it into practice were approved on October 29, 2026 but aren’t in force yet. More ↓
Family who join later: a two-year wait in most cases since October 2025. Minor children are exempt. More ↓
2-minute check
Do you qualify for the D7?
Answer a few questions about your income, savings, and situation, and get an answer straight away.
Where do you want to start?
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The honest verdict
What I like about the D7, what I don’t, and who should pick something else.
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Why applications fail
The six things readers most often report going wrong, and none of them is about qualifying.
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The step-by-step checklist
Every requirement in the order you need it, with how long each takes and when it expires.
The honest verdict
Pros and cons of the D7 visa
Short answer
For me, the biggest pro is attainability. Most people I speak to qualify on retirement income alone, such as US Social Security or the UK State Pension. Essentially, this means that most people in the US, Canada, or the UK can move to Portugal on their retirement income. A large number of people would also qualify simply by renting out their property back home.
The biggest con is probably having to have an address in Portugal before you apply, which means renting or buying a property here. That wouldn’t be so bad if you could get a rental contract that started when you arrived, but in reality, most people end up renting for several months before they move here. That quickly adds up.
The usual benefits lists (Schengen travel, public healthcare, a path to citizenship) come with almost any Portuguese residence permit, so I won’t pretend they’re reasons to pick the D7 specifically. These are the trade-offs particular to it.
✓ What I like
- A low income bar: €920 a month for one person
- A mostly objective test: do you have enough passive income or not?
- You can work once your card arrives
- Adding a partner or children stays cheap
- Your investments stay where they are
- It’s quicker (and more affordable) than the Golden Visa
✗ What I don’t like
- Months of rent on an apartment you can’t live in yet
- Portugal taxes your worldwide income
- Every consulate has its own rules and many are backlogged
- You have to live here about eight months a year (on average)
The pros in detail ↓ · The cons in detail ↓ · Is it right for you? ↓
The pros
What the D7 does better than other visas
Short answer
The D7 beats Portugal’s other residency visas on the cost of getting in: a lower income bar, a more objective test, cheaper add-ons for family and no investment requirement.
It’s quicker than the Golden Visa, and unlike Spain’s equivalent (the NLV), it lets you work once you’re a resident.
1. The income bar is very low
You need €920 a month in passive income, which is Portugal’s minimum wage. That means retirement income, rent, dividends, royalties or interest, not a salary. For a lot of readers, particularly retirees, that’s the easy part.
The average retired American on Social Security gets $2,071 a month as of January 2026, well over twice the line. And it isn’t only retirees. If you can rent out a property for €920 a month, you can qualify on that alone. Using rental income ↓
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On the old UK State Pension? You’re right on the line
The full new UK State Pension is £241.30 a week in 2026/27, about £1,046 a month. That clears the threshold by around €280.
The full basic State Pension is £184.90 a week, about £801 a month. At around €1.15 to the pound, that’s within a euro or two of €920. A small dip in sterling puts you under, and the threshold rises every January.
If that’s you, don’t apply on the pension alone. Show another income source or a healthy savings balance, and check the exchange rate on the day you apply.
The catch: €920 isn’t necessarily enough to live on
€920 a month qualifies you for the visa. It’s about the least you can live on here. Doable, but not a comfortable retirement, and you wouldn’t be able to live alone in somewhere like Lisbon.
New leases signed in the city of Lisbon in spring 2026 had a median rent of €17.79 per square meter (INE). For a 60 m² (650 sq ft) one-bedroom, that’s about €1,070 a month, and the asking rents you’ll see on the portals are higher. So €920 a month is definitely not enough to live here.
In cheaper inland towns such as Castelo Branco or Beja, you’ll find one-bedroom listings from about €500. That’s before utilities and other costs.
Basically: you can qualify for the D7 with €920 a month, but you’ll have to be strategic about where you live if that’s your entire income.
2. The test is mostly objective
Assuming you have €920 a month in passive income (or the amount required for a couple or family, if relevant), you’re unlikely to be rejected. The application mostly comes down to two questions: do you have enough passive income, and can you prove it?
Compare that to other visas:
- The D2 entrepreneur visa needs a business plan the person reviewing it believes in.
- The startup visa needs an incubator to accept you.
- On the D8, your employer has to agree to you working from Portugal, and a lot won’t.
The central D7 question is simpler: is there enough passive income arriving each month? If there is, you’re most of the way there.
The paperwork around it still leaves room for judgment and confusion. Consulates decide whether your income looks “stable and regular,” whether your documents are current, and whether your savings are in the right place. People do get refused but, for the most part, it’s more straightforward than other visas. The six things that trip people up ↓
3. You can work once you’re a resident
“Passive income visa” sounds like you’re signing up to sit still forever. You’re not. Once your residence card comes through, you can take a job, freelance, or run your own business.
Readers run all sorts: an Etsy store, a small guesthouse, dog boarding, a market stall selling their own produce. You don’t need another visa for any of it, but you do register the business and pay tax on it like anyone else.
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Why people pick Portugal’s D7 over Spain’s
Spain’s non-lucrative visa costs far more to get into. Spain’s US consulates ask for $33,400 a year, plus $8,330 for each dependent, and the visa doesn’t allow you to work locally. Whether remote work for a foreign employer is allowed under Spain’s 2025 immigration regulation is disputed.
On Spain’s visa you also buy private health cover, where in Portugal you can register with the SNS once your residence card arrives.
The catch is timing. You can only work once you hold the card, and that arrives after your AIMA appointment, which can be weeks or many months after you land. So don’t assume you can start working as soon as you arrive in Portugal.
We’ve also heard of a few cases, discussed on our webinars, where a residence card expressly forbade working in Portugal. It’s rare. But if a paycheck is the whole point of moving, a D1 or D3 suits you better. Working on a D7 visa →
4. Adding family stays cheap
Most Portuguese visas use the same family formula: add 50% for each extra adult and 30% for each child. What changes is the base number, and the D7’s is low to begin with.
| Monthly income | D7 | D8 (digital nomad) |
|---|---|---|
| Main applicant | €920 | €3,680 |
| Couple | €1,380 | €5,520 |
| + each child | €276 | €1,104 |
On one person’s pension, a couple clears the D7 far more easily than the D8. Family figures in full ↓
5. Your money stays where it is
The Golden Visa makes you put €500,000 into a Portuguese fund and lock it away, or donate €250,000. The D2 usually means tying up capital in a business.
The D7 doesn’t ask you to touch whatever earns your income. The rental stays rented, the pension stays invested, and the dividends keep coming.
You do move your savings buffer, at least €11,040 for one person, into a Portuguese bank account. I’d start sending your income into a Portuguese bank account too. Some readers who left most of their money at home are the ones who report being refused. Why ↓
6. It’s quicker than the Golden Visa, but plan on a year
“Quicker” is the honest word, not “quick.”
The D7 has two bottlenecks. The first is the consulate, where applicants report decisions anywhere from 8 weeks to about 13. It’s the expensive one, because you’re usually paying Portuguese rent while you wait.
The second is AIMA. Some applicants get their AIMA appointment booked with the visa. Others don’t, and wait months. Timings, as readers report them ↓
Still, it’s faster than the Golden Visa. In October 2025, the government promised AIMA would clear the Golden Visa backlog during 2026. By August 2026, Portuguese press reported about 29,000 investors still waiting in the backlog (idealista/news).
The cons
What people don’t like about the D7
Portugalist Insights
I speak to people applying for the D7 all the time, and these are the most challenging parts of the application.
1. Paying rent on a place you can’t live in yet
This is the most expensive part of the D7, and my least favorite. You need a Portuguese address before you apply, which for most people means signing a 12-month lease and paying rent on an empty apartment while they wait.
You can buy instead, or have someone already living here host you with a termo de responsabilidade. Most people don’t want to buy before they know where they want to live, and don’t have that friend.
Some people grab a cancellation and get an appointment within days. If you’re unlucky, it looks like this:
Sign the lease
Usually 12 months, so you can apply.
Wait for an appointment
Weeks to months, depending on the office.
Wait for a decision
Readers report 8 to 13 weeks.
Wait to move
Pack up, give notice at home, then fly.
Unless your landlord is unusually generous, you pay rent the whole time, almost certainly on top of rent, a mortgage, or Airbnb costs back home.
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Finding a place from abroad
As if paying rent on a place you don’t live in wasn’t bad enough, it’s genuinely hard to rent a property from abroad.
Many landlords won’t respond to people who don’t already live in the country and, if they do, they often want a fiador (a guarantor with Portuguese income) that you won’t have. If you don’t have one, many charge several months’ rent in advance.
Some people come to Portugal on a scouting trip to view properties in person. Others use an agent to find them somewhere. And others just keep messaging landlords in the hope one will reply (and not want a fiador).
D7 accommodation options, in full →
2. Portugal becomes your tax home
Move here and you’ll normally become a Portuguese tax resident, which means Portugal taxes your worldwide income. The usual test is more than 183 days a year, but a home here that looks like your main residence can make you resident sooner. The place you rented for the visa can count.
The old NHR regime has closed to new applicants, and its replacement, IFICI, doesn’t cover pensions or other passive income. So most D7 holders pay tax in Portugal under the standard rules and rates.
Tax treaties with the US, the UK and Canada stop you paying twice on the same income. But three things catch people out:
Of course, for every downside there’s an upside. Even if taxes are higher here (and that isn’t always the case), other things are cheaper and the lifestyle you get in return would cost you a fortune elsewhere.
3. Every consulate has its own rules and its own clock
The income threshold is clear. Almost everything around it isn’t. The most common complaint I hear isn’t about any one rule. It’s that the same file can sail through one office in eight weeks and sit at another for three months.
| Requirement | What varies |
|---|---|
| Where your savings sit | The UK checklist accepts either three months of statements showing your income arriving or a Portuguese account holding twelve months’ minimum wage. The US checklist wants your income available in Portugal, through a Portuguese account. New Delhi’s only says it’s welcome if the money is in Portugal. |
| Bank statements | New Delhi asks for six months of stamped statements plus three years of tax returns. Other offices ask for anything from three to twelve months. |
| Travel insurance | The UK checklist asks for 120 days and Toronto for at least six months. San Francisco has asked for 12, and New Delhi for your entire stay. |
| Accommodation | Toronto accepts a six-month lease, and Washington, DC has accepted an Airbnb booking and a six-month rental, readers report. The US and UK checklists want 12 months, registered with Finanças. |
| Paying the fee | San Francisco wants the visa fee as a money order or cashier’s check. New York, Washington, DC, Miami and Houston take everything by card through VFS. |
| Your passport | Washington, DC keeps it for the whole time it’s assessing your application. Toronto only returns it by mail or courier. |
The law gives consulates 60 days to decide. Applicants report anything from about 8 weeks in San Francisco and London to about 13 in Newark and Washington, DC. Reported timelines ↓
This is the best argument I know for using a lawyer. Not because the process is hard, but because someone who has filed at your consulate knows what it actually wants. Do you need a lawyer? ↓
4. You have to actually live here
For your first five years, you can be away for up to six months in a row, or eight in total, per permit, not per year. The first permit lasts two years and the second three, so in practice you spend about eight months a year here.
Permanent residency after year five loosens this a lot, and citizenship removes it. It’s a small price to pay for the right to live in Europe. Stay rules in full ↓
What you’ll need
D7 visa requirements, step by step
Short answer
The D7 visa requires €920 a month in passive income, €11,040 in savings (ideally in a Portuguese bank account), a Portuguese address, a clean criminal record, travel insurance, a NIF and a personal statement. You apply at the consulate or VFS center covering the country where you live, not from Portugal.
In order: choose a lawyer if you’re using one, get a NIF and a Portuguese bank account, book your appointment and sign a lease, gather the documents that expire, apply and wait, then move on your 120-day visa and attend your AIMA appointment.
Free PDF checklist
Get the D7 checklist, in the order you need it
Every requirement on this page as a printable checklist, so you can tick things off as you go or hand it to your lawyer.
- All 26 requirements, grouped into the five steps
- How long each one takes, and when it expires
- Which documents to order in the 90 days before your appointment
We’ll email the PDF to you straight away.
Each consulate publishes its own checklist, and they don’t agree. Treat the steps below as the core, and your consulate’s checklist as the final word.
The order matters as much as the documents. Some take weeks to arrange, some expire 90 days after they’re issued, and the lease costs you money every month from the day you sign it. So rather than a list, here’s the order I’d do things in, with how long each one takes and how long it stays valid.
How to apply: the five steps
| Step | When | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Get set up | 6 months or more before you want to move | Choose a lawyer, get a NIF and a bank account, check your passport and income history |
| 2. Book and find a home | Once you have a NIF | Book your appointment, sign a lease |
| 3. Gather the documents that expire | In the 90 days before your appointment | Criminal record check, travel insurance, bank statements, forms |
| 4. Apply and wait | Your appointment, then about 2 to 3 months | Hand in your passport, wait for a decision, get the visa issued |
| 5. Move and get your card | Within the visa’s 120 days | Enter Portugal, attend AIMA, get health insurance and a NISS |
Step 1: Get set up (6 months or more before you move)
1. Check you can apply, and from where
18 or over, and not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen. EU citizens don’t need a visa to live in Portugal.
You apply where you legally live, which may not be your country of citizenship, so bring proof such as a US green card. In the US, VFS handles appointments; residents of Houston and Miami now fall under the Washington, DC consulate. Canada has no VFS: you book through the Foreign Ministry’s e-visa system and apply at the consulate.
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You can’t apply from Portugal
A lot of people plan to fly over as tourists and apply once they’re here. The D7 doesn’t work that way. You need the visa in your passport before you move.
2. Choose a lawyer, if you’re using one
If you’re going to use a lawyer, choose them now, not after you’ve signed a lease. One who files at your consulate knows what it actually wants, and most can also get your NIF and help open your bank account, which covers the next two steps. Doing it yourself? Skip this, but think about a document check before you submit. Do you need a lawyer? ↓
3. NIF (Portuguese tax number)
You need one to open a bank account, sign a lease and submit the application, so it comes before almost everything else. Most people get it remotely through a fiscal representative, a lawyer or an online service.
4. Portuguese bank account
In your name. Wise and other e-money accounts don’t count. Revolut has offered Portuguese IBANs through a Lisbon branch since 2025, so it may now work, but check with your consulate first. Several Portuguese banks open accounts remotely for non-residents.
Open it early, because your savings and income need somewhere to land before you apply.
5. Savings
Proof you can support yourself for at least 12 months: €11,040 for one person. Some checklists require it in a Portuguese bank account, others only prefer it there. Put it there anyway, with a little extra.
6. Passive income, with a track record
€920 a month for the first adult, plus 50% for each additional adult and 30% for each child (Portaria 1563/2007). The passive part alone has to clear the threshold.
It also has to look stable and regular. The UK checklist asks for at least three months of it arriving before you apply. If a rental or dividends are new, this is the step that sets your timetable, so start the clock now, and start sending the income to your Portuguese account.
7. Passport
Valid for at least three months beyond your intended stay, with two blank pages. Some offices also want it issued within the last ten years. If yours is close, renew it now: you’ll hand it over at your appointment and may not see it again until the decision.
Step 2: Book your appointment and find a home
8. Book your appointment
Through VFS in the US and the UK, or the e-visa platform in Canada. Waits for a slot run from days to months, and Washington, DC asks you to apply at least two months before you travel, so book as soon as you can. Your appointment date sets the clock for everything in step 3.
9. Proof of accommodation
A 12-month lease registered with Finanças, property deeds, or a notarized termo de responsabilidade from someone hosting you. Airbnb and hotel bookings usually aren’t accepted, though readers report Washington, DC taking one.
This is the step that costs you money every month, so time it. Sign once your appointment is booked, and ask for a start date as close to your move as the landlord will agree to. The UK checklist asks for 12 months from your intended arrival date; Toronto accepts six. Why this hurts ↑
10. Proof you live in the consulate’s area
The US checklist asks every applicant, citizens included, for proof of a US address, such as a lease or a driver’s license, so it can confirm you’re applying at the right office. If you’re not a citizen of the country you’re applying from, you also need your residence permit, valid beyond the visa you’re asking for.
Step 3: Gather the documents that expire (in the 90 days before your appointment)
Several documents have to be recent on the day you apply. Once your appointment date is fixed, count back from it and order these.
11. Criminal record certificate
From your country of nationality and anywhere you’ve lived for a year or more, apostilled (or legalized by a Portuguese consulate in non-Hague countries) and issued no more than 90 days before you apply. Americans need an FBI report, Britons an ACRO certificate and Canadians an RCMP check. The UK checklist only asks for one from age 16. Something on your record? See applying with a criminal record.
The State Department, which apostilles FBI reports, doesn’t return documents by FedEx. Send a stamped envelope, UPS or DHL instead.
12. Permission for a Portuguese record check
A signed form letting Portugal check its own criminal records. Almost always a formality for first-time applicants.
13. Travel insurance
At least €30,000 of medical and repatriation cover. Offices ask for different lengths: the UK checklist asks for the visa’s full 120 days, Toronto for at least six months, and San Francisco has asked for twelve. A 12-month policy satisfies all of them.
The policy document has to show your name, the dates and that it covers Portugal; Toronto won’t accept a general brochure. VFS sells its own policy, but you don’t have to buy theirs. See travel insurance for the D7 visa.
14. Proof of your income
Recent bank statements showing it arriving, plus whatever backs it up: pension statements, leases, dividend and brokerage records. Offices ask for anything from three to twelve months; New Delhi also wants three years of tax returns.
15. Family documents
Apostilled marriage and birth certificates if anyone’s coming with you, proof of two or more years together for unmarried partners, and the other parent’s consent if only one parent is bringing a child.
16. Translations
Documents in Portuguese never need translating, and English ones usually don’t. Most other languages need a certified Portuguese translation, and a few consulates have their own rules, so check before you pay for one.
17. Application form and photos
The national visa application form, in the version your consulate currently uses, plus two passport photos per person in the EU size (35 × 45 mm).
18. Personal statement
A short letter on who you are, why Portugal, where your income comes from and how you’ll settle in. End it with an index of your documents, because the person reviewing your file is the person deciding your visa. See how to write a D7 personal statement.
19. Flight itinerary
Some consulates want to see a planned flight. Book something refundable or hold a reservation, and don’t lock in a non-refundable ticket before you’re approved.
Before you submit: the six things that trip people up
These are the problems readers report most often. None of them is about whether you qualify.
Step 4: Apply and wait (about 2 to 3 months)
20. Your appointment
Most applicants have a short interview. Expect to hand over your passport: Washington, DC says it keeps passports for the whole time it’s assessing the application, and Toronto only returns them by mail or courier. Don’t plan international travel while you wait.
San Francisco wants the visa fee as a money order or cashier’s check. New York, Washington, DC, Miami and Houston take it by card through VFS. Fees ↓
21. The decision
If the consulate asks for more documents, the review stops until you send them, so answer quickly. Reported timelines ↓
22. Getting the visa issued
Once it’s approved, the visa has to be issued within 90 days or it lapses (Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007, article 37). If your office asks you to send or bring your passport back, do it promptly. The visa itself is valid for 120 days, with two entries.
Step 5: Move and get your residence card (within the visa’s 120 days)
23. Enter Portugal
Fly in through another Schengen country and Portugal doesn’t know you’ve arrived until you tell it: file an entry declaration with AIMA within three working days. Why the 120 days matter ↓
24. AIMA appointment
Some visas come with an AIMA appointment already booked; Toronto’s do, unless none are available. UK visas don’t: the London consulate tells you to book directly with AIMA once you’re here.
At the appointment, AIMA takes your biometrics and turns the visa into a two-year residence permit. Bring originals of everything. See what to bring to your AIMA appointment.
25. Health insurance for your AIMA appointment
You don’t need it to apply, but you do at AIMA, and travel insurance isn’t accepted there. You’ll need a private health policy valid in Portugal, for at least 12 months and renewable. You normally can’t register with the public health service until you have your card.
26. NISS (social security number)
You’ll need a NISS, or proof you don’t need one, but not until your AIMA appointment in Portugal.
Once your card arrives, register with the SNS, the public health service, at your local centro de saúde.
The money
What counts as passive income for the D7?
Short answer
Passive income for the D7 is money that arrives whether or not you work: pensions, US Social Security, annuities, dividends, interest, rental income, and royalties. A salary or freelance income doesn’t count on its own. Mixing sources is fine, as long as the passive part alone clears €920 a month.
Consistency matters more than total wealth. Consulates look at your average over several months, so quarterly dividends or a slow month of rent aren’t a problem. Income that only started recently is. Some readers report refusals for dividends that had been arriving for just six months.
✓ Counts as passive income
- State or private pensions
- US Social Security
- Rental income (usually counted gross, not net of mortgage)
- Dividends, fund income and other investment income
- Interest on savings (ongoing and recurring)
- Royalties from books, music, software or patents
✗ Doesn’t count
- Freelancing income: use the D8 instead
- Salary from a remote job: also the D8
- Profits from a business you actively run: readers report refusals (but it may be allowed if you don’t actively run it)
- Savings alone: they need to generate ongoing income (e.g. interest)
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Moving to Madeira or the Azores?
Both set their own minimum wage: €980 a month in Madeira in 2026 (DLR 1/2026/M) and €966 in the Azores, against €920 on the mainland.
What counts as passive income for the D7, including the gray areas →
Can you use rental income?
Yes, even with a mortgage on the property. It’s a popular route for people in their 30s, 40s and 50s who own a home but don’t have retirement income yet.
Consulates generally look at gross rent, not what’s left after the mortgage. But if your costs eat 90% of the rent, expect questions about how you’ll live.
Have at least three months of rent landing in your bank account before you apply, and a lease of a year or more. If you still live in the property, that may mean moving out early. Some readers stayed with family for a few months to build up the history.
Don’t buy a rental property in Portugal to qualify. The income is meant to come from outside the country. Applying for the D7 with rental income →
Can you apply with savings instead?
Sometimes, but I wouldn’t plan on it. Savings are a lump sum, and the D7 is designed for income that keeps coming. Half of the readers using our calculator list savings as one of their sources, so you’re not alone in asking.
The outcomes readers report back show why. One San Francisco applicant with around $400,000 in cash was told savings alone wouldn’t do and was refused. A family of three with about $139,000 in US savings and CDs, plus €25,000 moved to Portugal, was approved.
Some lawyers have seen savings-only applications approved, but not reliably, and they advise asking your consulate first.
The safer route is to turn savings into income first: an annuity, a rental property, dividend-paying investments or locked-in interest. If you have a large lump sum and don’t need to move yet, the Golden Visa is the more predictable route. Applying without passive income →
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If someone in Portugal is hosting you, you may need less
Few people know this one. The New Delhi checklist says the means you need can be halved if your accommodation is covered, and reduced by up to 90% if your food is covered too, through a termo de responsabilidade.
I haven’t seen it written down on other offices’ checklists, so ask your consulate before you rely on it.
Who it’s for
Is the D7 visa right for you?
Short answer
The D7 visa is for non-EU citizens with passive income who want to live in Portugal full-time: retirees on pensions or Social Security, landlords, people living off dividends and authors on royalties. It’s nicknamed the retirement visa, but there’s no age limit. Officially it’s the residence visa for pensioners and people living on their own income.
Probably yes, if…
- You want to genuinely live in Portugal (around 8 months of the year)
- Your passive income clears €920 with room to spare
- That income has been arriving for a while (at least 3 months)
- You’re fine with Portugal becoming your tax home
Probably not, if…
- You want EU residency without moving. That’s the Golden Visa (only about seven days a year in Portugal required, on average).
- Your income comes from remote work or freelancing. That’s the D8.
- The whole point is to work in Portugal. Consider the D1 or D3 (even though the D7 allows work). The D3 can come with an EU Blue Card, which lets you move on to another EU country faster.
The income type decides the visa, not how much money you have. That’s the part people get wrong most often.
| If your money comes from… | Look at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Pensions, Social Security, rent, dividends, royalties | The D7 | It’s built for exactly this |
| A remote job or freelance clients outside Portugal | The D8 | Salary and freelance income don’t count for the D7. The D8 asks for €3,680 a month, though |
| A large lump sum, and you don’t want to move yet | The Golden Visa | About seven days a year in Portugal, but €500,000 tied up |
| A job offer from a Portuguese employer | The D1 or D3 | Built for employment from day one |
| A business you’ll run here | The D2 | A business plan someone has to believe in |
Full trade-offs: D7 vs D8 · D7 vs the Golden Visa ↓ · Portugal vs Spain · all of Portugal’s residency permits
Couples and families
How much do you need as a couple or a family?
Short answer
Each extra person on a D7 application raises the income and savings you need to show: 50% more for each additional adult, such as a spouse or partner, and 30% more for each dependent child. Only the main applicant’s income counts toward the total.
Most D7 applicants aren’t applying alone. Of the American, British, Canadian and Australian readers who’ve used our calculator since June 2026, 58% were applying with a spouse or partner.
Income and savings, by household
| Household | EUR official | USD approx. | GBP approx. | CAD approx. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly passive income | ||||
| Single applicant | €920 | $1,030 | £767 | CA$1,441 |
| Couple | €1,380 | $1,544 | £1,151 | CA$2,161 |
| + each dependent child | €276 | $309 | £230 | CA$432 |
| + each dependent parent | €460 | $515 | £384 | CA$720 |
| Savings (≈ 12 months of income) | ||||
| Single applicant | €11,040 | $12,356 | £9,210 | CA$17,289 |
| Couple | €16,560 | $18,534 | £13,814 | CA$25,933 |
| + each dependent child | €3,312 | $3,707 | £2,763 | CA$5,187 |
| + each dependent parent | €5,520 | $6,178 | £4,605 | CA$8,644 |
Spouse or partner
Married, civil-partnered, or long-term unmarried partners can be added. For unmarried partners you’ll usually need 2+ years at the same address, with paper evidence (shared bills, both on the lease).
Adds 50% of the main applicant’s income and savings requirements
Dependent children
Under-18s are added easily. Children 18 to around 24 can be included if they’re in full-time education; older children, or those not studying, normally need their own separate visa.
Adds 30% of the main applicant’s income and savings requirements
Dependent parents
Can be included if they’re physically or financially dependent on you. If they have their own passive income, such as a pension, they’ll usually apply for their own D7.
Adds 50%, as an additional adult, to the income and savings requirements
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Apply together. Bringing someone over later takes years
Family members moving with you apply at the same time, as accompanying family members, and are assessed together with you. Bringing someone over after you’ve moved is family reunification, and that’s much harder now.
Since October 2025 (Lei 61/2025), you generally need to have held your permit for two years first, and AIMA has nine months to decide. Minor children are exempt, and so is a spouse or partner when minor or dependent children are part of the family.
The first version of this law was struck down by the Constitutional Court for being too hard on spouses, which tells you how strict it was.
If a parent might follow you later, read bringing dependent parents to Portugal before you apply.
The bill
How much does the D7 visa cost?
Short answer
Official fees for a D7 come to about €360 to €400 per adult: the €110 national visa fee, a VFS service fee of around €38 where VFS handles applications, and about €247 for the first AIMA residence permit. The real cost is rent on an apartment you can’t live in yet.
| Official fee, per adult | United States | United Kingdom | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| National visa fee | $127.11 | €110, charged in pounds | €110, charged in Canadian dollars |
| VFS service fee | $43.91 | £32.85 | None: you apply at the consulate |
| First AIMA residence permit | About €247 | About €247 | About €247 |
US figures are from VFS USA, effective April 1, 2026; UK from VFS UK. AIMA’s fee is €133 to process the application plus €114.30 to issue the card, under the table in force since March 1, 2026. It rises every March.
What it really costs, all in
These are my estimates for a single applicant doing their own paperwork, based on €900 a month in rent and no scouting trip. The rent is most of it.
| Applying from | Rough total | Of which: rent while waiting |
|---|---|---|
| United States | €7,100 | €4,500 |
| Canada | €6,000 | €3,600 |
| United Kingdom | €4,050 | €2,700 |
A lawyer adds €1,500 to €5,000, taking an American applicant to about €10,000. A US couple comes to about €9,100 without one. Don’t just double the single figure: the rent and the lease are shared.
Timing
How long does the D7 take?
Short answer
Plan on about a year from signing a lease to holding a D7 residence card. Consulates say they decide within 60 days, but applicants report 8 to 13 weeks. After that, the visa gives you 120 days to enter Portugal, and the wait for an AIMA appointment ranges from pre-booked to many months.
The one thing every timeline has in common is that nobody’s matches anyone else’s. Here’s what applicants have published about their own D7s. They’re individual reports, not policy, but they show the range.
| Office | Applied | Decision | AIMA appointment | Reported by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | 2024 | Exactly 8 weeks | Not stated | Forum poster |
| London | Early 2024 | About 9 weeks (back March 13, 2024) | Booked for May 8 | Forum poster |
| Newark | May 20, 2024 | About 86 days (mid-August) | Pre-booked for October | An American in Porto |
| Washington, DC | September 2023 | About 90 days (December) | Pre-booked for February 2024 | Portugal Junkies |
| San Francisco | September 2024 | Both spouses approved together | One card arrived June 2025; the spouse was still waiting | Reader comment, Portugal Beckons |
Two patterns stand out. Budget three months for the consulate, whatever the website says. And don’t assume an AIMA slot comes with the visa. Toronto’s consulate says its residence visas include an AIMA appointment unless none are available, which is about as honest as an official page gets.
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Be in Portugal before your visa runs out
The visa is valid for 120 days. AIMA appointments are often set for a date after that, which is normal, but you need to have entered Portugal while the visa was still valid.
Until your card arrives, think twice about trips elsewhere in Schengen. Other countries aren’t bound by Portugal’s arrangements for people waiting on AIMA. And expect long passport lines at Lisbon, Porto and Faro, which got worse as the EU’s new Entry/Exit System came in during 2026.
Getting help
Do you need a lawyer for the D7?
Short answer
You don’t legally need a lawyer for the D7, and some people do the whole thing themselves. Even with a simple pension and a lease in hand, I’d still want at least a document review before submitting, because most refusals come from paperwork, not eligibility.
Most of you are planning to go it alone. Of the 35 readers who’ve told our calculator how they’ll apply since October 5, 2026, 24 (69%) plan to do it themselves and 11 (31%) want a lawyer or relocation firm. It’s a small sample so far, and I’ll update it as more come in.
If that’s you, the document check is the option to look at. Look back at the six trip-ups: money in the wrong place, income that’s too new, the wrong lease, a missing apostille, mismatched statements, an expired record. A second pair of eyes catches all six.
| Option | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself | Official fees only | One simple income source, and patience with paperwork |
| Document check | €250–€1,000 | You prepare the file; a professional reviews it before you submit |
| Full lawyer | €1,500–€5,000 per person | Couples, families, mixed or rental income |
Most people spend thousands moving. Saving a lawyer’s fee only makes sense if your application is genuinely simple.
Doing it yourself? Get your file checked first
Tell us about your situation and we’ll put you in touch with someone who can review your D7 application before you submit it, or handle the whole thing if you’d rather. Not sure the D7 is right for you at all? They can help with that too.
Time in Portugal
How much time do you have to spend in Portugal on a D7?
Short answer
On a D7, you can be outside Portugal for up to six consecutive months, or eight months in total, during each residence permit (Lei 23/2007, article 85). The first permit lasts two years and the second three, so in practice you spend about eight months a year here.
The law says a permit “may” be canceled for absences “without good reason,” so it isn’t automatic. If you know you’ll need a longer stretch away, for health or work, ask AIMA before you go, not after.
Permanent residency loosens all of this, and once you hold Portuguese citizenship there are no stay requirements at all.
| Stage | Longest single absence | Total absence allowed | In practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| First permit (years 1–2) | 6 months | 8 months | About 8 months a year here |
| Second permit (years 3–5) | 6 months | 8 months | About 9 months a year here |
| Permanent residency (year 5+) | 24 months | 30 months in any 3 years | Up to 2.5 years away in every 3 |
Renewals
Renewing your D7 residence permit
Short answer
You renew a D7 permit online through AIMA by showing you still meet the rules: income at the current year’s threshold, a Portuguese address, no debts to Finanças or Social Security, time spent here within the limits, and health cover. Your first permit lasts two years, and after that you renew for three years at a time.
Renewals have got noticeably better. One Washington, DC applicant filed online on February 11, 2026, was approved on April 10, and had the cards at the post office by May 12, with no in-person appointment at all (Portugal Junkies).
Two things got stricter in 2026, though. The blanket extensions that kept expired cards valid have ended. And since Lei 62/2026 took effect on September 11, a renewal is no longer treated as approved just because AIMA missed its deadline.
Income that still meets the threshold
The figure is the one for the year you renew, not the year you applied, and it rises every January. A pension that cleared it comfortably in year one may not in year five.
Proof of address in Portugal
A rental contract, property deeds, or similar showing where you live now.
Tax and social security in order
Proof that you’re up to date with Finanças and Social Security, usually no-debt certificates (certidões de não dívida). This is one reason to register as a tax resident as soon as you arrive.
Time spent in Portugal
You’ll need to have stayed within the absence limits above. Long stretches abroad can put a renewal at risk.
Health coverage and criminal record check
Proof of health coverage (by now, usually your SNS registration) and authorization for a Portuguese criminal record check.
⚠️
File the moment AIMA lets you
The law lets you file from 30 days before your card expires, and your receipt counts as your permit while you wait. AIMA has started opening the portal earlier: in late October 2026 it opened renewals for cards expiring by January 31, 2027.
The end goal
Does the D7 lead to citizenship?
Short answer
Yes. The D7 leads to permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after ten, under the nationality law in force since May 19, 2026 (Lei Orgânica 1/2026). It’s seven years for EU and Portuguese-speaking (CPLP) nationals.
The part I find most disappointing: as the new law is being read, the clock starts when AIMA issues your first residence card, not when you apply. So every month spent waiting on AIMA is a month added to your citizenship date.
The law was rewritten after the Constitutional Court rejected the first version. Applications already pending on May 19 stay under the old five-year rules. The regulation that puts the new law into practice was approved on October 29, 2026, but it won’t apply until it’s promulgated and published.
You’ll also need A2 Portuguese, the second-most basic level, and the law adds a culture and civics requirement. What the civics test will cover hasn’t been confirmed yet.
If a passport was the main reason you were looking at the D7, ten years is a long time. Some countries are faster, but they’re usually much harder to move to in the first place. Permanent residency at year five is still the milestone that matters most day to day. More in getting Portuguese citizenship.
Alternatives
D7 vs D8 vs Golden Visa
Short answer
The D7 and D8 have the same savings, stay and tax rules. What differs is where the money comes from and how much of it you need. The Golden Visa is a different idea altogether: you invest and aren’t required to move here.
| D7 | D8 (digital nomad) | Golden Visa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Money that qualifies | Passive income | Remote salary or freelance income from outside Portugal | €500,000 in a fund, or a €250,000 cultural donation |
| Monthly income needed | €920 | €3,680 | None |
| Time in Portugal | About 8 months a year | About 8 months a year | About 7 days a year |
| Tax residency | Portugal | Portugal | You can keep your current one |
| Wait for a card | Months | Months | Reported at 12 to 18 months, with a large backlog |
| Citizenship | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
Apply for the one your evidence cleanly supports. If you have enough passive income, most lawyers would point you to the D7 even if you also work remotely. The Golden Visa’s rules have changed several times, including dropping real estate in 2023, so it carries more uncertainty.
Full comparisons: D7 vs D8 · Portugal vs Spain · all of Portugal’s residency permits
What I’d do
Where to go from here
If it’s probably the D7
Check your numbers
Run them through the calculator, at next January’s figure if you’ll apply then.
Talk to a lawyer
If you’re using one, about your consulate, before you open accounts or sign a lease.
Get a NIF and bank account
Set up your NIF and bank account early, and move your savings. They commit you to nothing.
🔀
If it doesn’t fit
Look at the D8 for remote income, the Golden Visa for capital without moving, or all of Portugal’s residency permits compared.
📬
If you’re not ready yet
You’re in good company. 43% of the American, British, Canadian and Australian readers who’ve used our calculator since June 2026 are a year or more away from applying. Get the free D7 checklist ↑
📖
If you want the whole move
The full process, with checklists, is in my book, Moving to Portugal Made Simple.
Common questions
D7 FAQ
Does the D7 lead to citizenship?
Yes. Permanent residency after 5 years; citizenship after 10, or 7 for EU and Portuguese-speaking countries.
If using rental income, should this be gross or net?
Authorities typically look at the gross income before any costs like a mortgage, insurance, property management costs, etc. However, if your net income (what’s left over) is very low and you have no other income sources, your application has a higher risk of rejection. Read more about applying for the D7 as a landlord.
How much does a D7 application cost?
This varies. We have a full breakdown of the costs involved in a D7 application.
Can I work on the D7 visa?
Yes, once your residence card arrives, unless the card says otherwise. You can take a job, freelance or run a business. More in can you work on a D7 visa.
Will I need to pay taxes in Portugal?
Almost certainly. Spending more than 183 days a year in Portugal makes you a tax resident, so your income will be taxed under Portuguese law. Tax treaties with the US, UK, and Canada prevent double taxation; however, income that isn’t taxed in your home country can still be taxable here. US Social Security, for example, is generally taxable in Portugal, although individual situations vary. Always speak to an experienced tax advisor. More on tax ↑
Can I get the NHR tax regime on a D7?
Not anymore. The old Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) regime has closed to new applicants. Its replacement, IFICI (sometimes called NHR 2.0), is aimed at people working in specific fields such as research, tech, and startups. Pension and other passive income aren’t covered, so most D7 holders are taxed under Portugal’s standard rules. Plenty of older articles still promise D7 retirees a low flat tax rate, so treat those with caution and speak to a tax advisor.
Can I apply for the D7 from Portugal?
No. You apply from the country where you legally live, and you need the visa in your passport before you move. In the US, residents of Houston and Miami now fall under the Washington, DC consulate.
Do I need to speak Portuguese?
Not for the visa, but you’ll need A2 Portuguese for permanent residency and citizenship. A2 is the second-most basic level, with a 55% pass mark, or you can complete a 150-hour approved course instead.
Are there restrictions on where I can live?
No. Anywhere in Portugal, including Madeira and the Azores.
Can I apply with a criminal record?
Minor offenses are often fine; serious crimes (punishable by more than a year in prison under Portuguese law) tend to cause problems. More in applying for a Portuguese visa with a criminal record.
What’s the maximum time I can spend in Portugal?
365 days. The D7 is a residency visa, so you can live here full-time and renew the permit while you’re resident.
Can I buy property on the D7?
You can buy property in Portugal without residency, so you could buy property before or after getting your residence permit. Buying doesn’t grant residency on its own; the D7 is still needed to live here.
What if my visa application is denied?
You can appeal or re-apply. Most refusals readers report come down to money not held in Portugal, income that started too recently, or paperwork. The six trip-ups ↑ A lawyer beforehand is cheaper than an appeal after.
Sources
The official rules and figures this guide is based on, checked on .
- Decreto-Lei n.º 139/2025, setting the 2026 minimum wage (Diário da República)
- The 2027 budget’s assumption of a €970 minimum wage (DNoticias, October 8, 2026)
- Decreto Legislativo Regional n.º 1/2026/M, Madeira’s 2026 minimum wage (Diário da República)
- Means of subsistence for national visas, Portaria 1563/2007 (Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
- Residence visa documentation (Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
- National visa application form, PDF (Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
- Portugal visas in the US: fees and jurisdictions (VFS Global USA)
- D7 checklist for US applicants, November 2025 (VFS Global USA)
- Portugal visas in the UK: fees (VFS Global UK)
- D7 checklist for UK applicants (VFS Global UK)
- D7 checklist for applicants in India (VFS Global India)
- Residence visas at the Portuguese Consulate General in Toronto
- AIMA fee table update, in force March 1, 2026 (AIMA)
- Lei n.º 23/2007, the Foreigners Law, consolidated version (Diário da República)
- Lei n.º 23/2007, article 85, absences and cancellation (PGD Lisboa)
- Lei n.º 62/2026, amending the Foreigners Law (Diário da República)
- Decreto-Lei n.º 85-B/2025, the last blanket extension of expired permits (Diário da República)
- Lei n.º 61/2025, including the family reunification changes (Diário da República)
- Constitutional Court press release on the 2025 Foreigners Law ruling (Tribunal Constitucional)
- Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026, the 2026 nationality law (Diário da República)
- Civil Code, consolidated version, including article 1098 on ending a lease (Diário da República)
- Rents on new lease agreements, Q2 2026 (INE, Statistics Portugal)
- 2026 Social Security COLA fact sheet, average retirement benefit (US Social Security Administration)
- State Pension rates for 2026/27 (House of Commons Library)
- Income tax rates and Personal Allowance (GOV.UK)
- Portugal: taxes on personal income (PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries)
- Spain’s non-lucrative residence visa for US applicants (Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
- AIMA promises to clear the Golden Visa backlog in 2026 (idealista/news, October 30, 2025)
- AIMA opens early renewals for expiring permits (The Portugal News, October 26, 2026)
- Airport lines in Portugal and the Entry/Exit System (The Portugal News, May 21, 2026)
Applicants’ own accounts
Individual experiences, not policy. They show the range of what happens in practice.
- D7 approved: a Newark application in 2024 (An American in Porto)
- A D7 application through Washington, DC and an online renewal in 2026 (Portugal Junkies)
- One country, two visas: reader comments on San Francisco timelines (Portugal Beckons)
- D7 process timelines shared by applicants (Expats Portugal forum)
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