So you want to move to Portugal, but how do you do that? If you or your spouse have an EU passport (e.g. an Irish or German passport), the process if fairly straightforward, but what if you come from the UK, US, South Africa, or anywhere else outside of the EU, EEA, or Switzerland?
Basically, you will need to apply for, and be approved for, a residency permit.
Portugal offers a number of residency visas and permits that allow students, entrepreneurs, retirees, and digital nomads move here. Many of these permits are considered extremely obtainable when compared to other EU countries, which is one of the reasons Portugal has become such a popular place to move to. And, in most instances, if you live in Portugal for 5 years or more, you will be eligible to apply for Portuguese citizenship and obtain a Portuguese passport, which will then give you freedom to move to another EU country.
Moving to Portugal involves a lot of steps like transferring money, shipping your belongings, and deciding on a location, but for now, let’s start with the most important part: residency permits.
A Look At The Different Residency Permits
As mentioned, Portugal offers a number of different residency permits. The most popular are probably the D7, which is aimed at those with a passive income such as a pension or social security, the D2, which is aimed at entrepreneurs, and the digital nomad visa, which is aimed at those with a salary or regular income from clients. There’s also the golden visa, however, following an announcement in February 2023, it’s expected that the Portuguese government will phrase this out.
- Retirees: Portugal’s D7 visa is aimed at those with a regular, and ideally passive, income from sources such as a pension, social security, rental income, or dividends. As such, it’s very popular with retirees or those with investments such as rental properties. There’s also the golden visa, which is aimed at those with cash to invest, and one of the options is simply buying a residential property in Portugal.
- Digital Nomads: Portugal’s D8 or digital nomad visa is aimed at digital nomads, freelancers, and remote workers. If you have a salary from a remote job or you have a freelancing business, this visa could allow you to move to Portugal.
- Employees: Portugal offers two main visas that are aimed at employees: the D1 and D3. Both require you to be either highly qualified or to have skills that employers can’t find among Portuguese or European candidates, but if you’re an exceptional employee, this could be your path to residency in Portugal.
- Students: If you’re an international student from outside of the EU, you could come to Portugal to study on either the D4 or D5 visas. The D4 is aimed at students that want to study for at least a year while the D5 is aimed at students already studying in another EU country that want to transfer their studies to Portugal or spend a portion of time studying there.
- Entrepreneurs: The D2 visa is aimed at entrepreneurs and independent service providers that want to start an entrepreneurial activity in Portugal. This could be anything from a guesthouse or restaurant to a larger enterprise. It’s also suitable for those that want to invest in a business or a portion of a business.
- Investors: The golden visa offers residency in return for making an investment in Portugal. The most common form of investment is simply to purchase a residential property, but other ways to invest include investing in commercial property, investing in a fund, such as a venture capital fund, or investing in a Portuguese company.
As well as these visas, there’s also the D6 or family reunification visa. If you have a non-EU/EEA spouse (or other permittable family member) that’s already living in Portugal, this visa allows you to come join them and live in Portugal.
If you potentially have the opportunity to obtain an “EU passport,” this is another route to consider as well. Many Americans can claim an Irish or American passport through their Irish or American ancestry, for example, which enables them to move to Portugal as an EU citizen.
A more in-depth overview of residency permits can be found here.
Steps To Moving to Portugal
The following are some steps to take when considering moving to Portugal.
Research Portugal
It’s a good idea to research Portugal and decide whether it’s the right country for you. The following are some very basic steps to consider when moving.
You could begin your research with the following:
- Take a look at some of the pros and cons of living in Portugal.
- Decide where you might like to live (some examples include the Algarve, Lisbon, or the Silver Coast).
- Look at the cost of living to determine whether you can afford to live here (especially rental and property costs).
- Research the Portuguese healthcare system
- If you have children, take a look at public, private, and international schools to decide which option is right for you.
- If you have pets, think about how you might move them to Portugal.
- Decide which of your belongings you want to bring to Portugal. Some people bring everything, others start afresh, and some choose somewhere in the middle.
- Take a look at the different residency permits to see which you might qualify for.
Visit Portugal on a Scouting Trip
Come to Portugal on a scouting trip to get a feel for the country and to decide where you might like to live.
Choose a moving date
Although you will be a little at the mercy of when your visa is approved, have a think about when you would actually like to move to Portugal.
Apply for that visa
Apply for the visa (and hopefully get accepted)
Make The Move
Finally, make the move and come to Portugal.
Hi,
It’s Valentino again , I already commented on one of your sections and I already sent you emails but I don’t know if you received them. I got time to think about moving Portugal but I really want to know more info & plus some websites has got different info & they are out of date besides that most of the vlogs that are about moving to Portugal is from an American position & I’m of British nationality. The job that I really want to do in probably marketing the most, if not then I’ll be an estate agent. Is it possible for me to do marketing there? Because the job market is limited for me.
I’m studying law in university and I have a business diploma from college. I looked for jobs in Portuguese in LinkedIn and that website you gave me and they are all in Portuguese which I don’t understand and I’m confused how expats from Britain find a job there if there websites are Portuguese. I could be doing something wrong but I don’t what so I want your input on this as you know Portugal very well.
What are the steps to move to Portugal and in what order? Like do I get an NIF first or apply for the job first etc.
I apologise if I seem annoying / bothering you
Hi Valentino,
It's possible to work in marketing here, sure, but most jobs where you're working in a Portuguese company are going to require you to speak the language. Being an estate agent may require less as there are a lot of foreign buyers but you're still going to need to be able to speak Portuguese and to get your licence (the exam is in Portuguese).
There are very few jobs that are specifically for English speakers apart from specific roles in call centre work. You may also find that some of the tech companies in Lisbon work in English rather than Portuguese. Being able to speak English isn't a huge advantage since so many Portuguese people speak fantastic English.
Generally, expats from Britain don't come to Portugal for a job. Most either have a pension, set up a business here, or work remotely for a British company. Wages here are low and there are limited jobs, so you generally have to make your own source of income.
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Hi,
I am a 67-year-old single American woman receiving $1,314 per month in Social Security. I'm still working a full-time job here in Pa. but, as it's merely a survival job with a physical component (I lost my last career position in 2014), I'm very eager to leave it to concentrate on writing and editing remotely.
I'm incredibly burnt out and no longer want to wait any longer. Although my job income is very low and, ideally, shouldn't take long to replace, I know it will take a bit of time to achieve a regular remote working income.
I cannot live here in the U.S. on my Social Security alone. But I've heard I can live on it in Portugal for a while if I have to. I already have a friend there and I know others moving there within a few years. I want to come over as soon as possible after the start of 2022. How much do I need to have saved? How easy is it to get a studio apartment in a place like, say, Faro? How about Lisbon?
Thank you very much,
Ana Y.
Hi Ana
As a single, frugal person, you could probably live on the equivalent of €1,135.95 (I have!). Not in Lisbon (unless you're happy with a houseshare) but in another part of the country. I would look at idealista.pt to get an idea of studio apartment costs and see where you can afford. I think you would have to prioritise smaller towns, most likely inland, in order to find places with cheaper rents. After rent, groceries, utilities, etc it will probably only leave you with a small amount of money. If you can pick up remote work from editing and writing, it'll help, but if your freelancing career isn't established, it isn't a good idea to rely on it.
Now, whether you would be approved for a visa like the D7 on that amount is another question. Besides cost of living, that's another thing you will need to consider.
Personally, I think moving abroad can be difficult when you're doing it on a very tight budget. You don't have a support network around you, and the local job market here doesn't pay particularly well. I would thinking about both of those things when you're sizing up Portugal.
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Hi James,
Thanks so much for your work helping people understand the different Visa routes and Portuguese bureacracy.
I've a situation where I am a UK citizen but with permanent residency in Spain. I also own a house in Portugal (inherited after two previous generations).
I've seen some people ask similar questions about whether another EU residency would make applying for residency in Portugal easier, and it seems it doesn't. However you mention the potential option of remote work as fulfilling the requirements for the D7 Visa. I have worked remotely previously and my income was sufficient to exceed the minimum requirements, however it was as a freelancer.
So my question is, does the D7 remote worker option include freelancers, or only permanent employees? And if only permanent employees, do you think it could be done if I were to set up a company?
Many thanks
Hi James,
Have you written at all about the non-habitual residency visa?
Cheers,
J.R.
Hi JR
There's an article on it here: https://www.portugalist.com/non-habitual-tax-regime/
It's not a residency visa though.
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Hi Mikey,
Did you get any answers to you query.
I am a British citizen.
I have a French permanent residency applied for after Brexit, granted for living and working there for a long time.
I am hoping I might help me come to Portugal, so did you get any info.
Thanks Andrew.
Hi James,
I wonder if you could point me in the right direction to find information on requirements for working as an architect in Portugal?
Hi Christine,
Unfortunately, not something I know a lot about. I will try and find an architect who has moved and interview them, though.
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Dear James,
fantastic website!
might I please ask you or others familiar with the process about obtaining a NIF and D7 visa.
1. I know a third party can obtain a NIF for someone resident in the UK and open a bank account too what i am not clear about is if on a 2 week holiday to Portugal i can call into a "citizens shop"/ /SEF office to obtain one and the process if booking an appointment ? (my wife speaks fluent portuguese and is Brazilian).
2. if NIF is obtained then i think i can open a basic function bank acccount with Activobank online (to put funds into prior to D7 application) using current UK adddress
3. with a NIF and portuguese bank account i think i can use the form "Portugal application for National Visa" to put in a request for a D7 visa via VFS Global offfice london and then use the temporary visa issued to apply for a 2 year D7 once we actually move
4. I want to to avoid paying intermediaries to do these above actions on my behalf where possble.
5. what are your virws about challenges of completing steps 1 to 3 without assistance , is it possible ?
regards
Mike
Hi Mike,
1. You might find this answer from Bordr helpful - "All non-EU residents need a fiscal representative to apply for a NIF on their behalf. Your fiscal representative does not necessarily need to be a lawyer, but they do need to be a Portuguese tax resident and a Portuguese permanent resident or citizen. If you have a trusted friend or know someone in Portugal who is willing to take on the responsibility, they can absolutely be your fiscal representative."
If your wife lives in the UK with you then presumably she doesn't meet the criteria.
You can go to Finanças with a fiscal representative (e.g. a lawyer or, as Bordr suggests, someone resident in Portugal) but I think this route is only worth it if it's a friend or family member. You would probably need to pay a lawyer and you might as well save both your time and do it remotely rather than queue at Finanças or a Loja de Cidadão. Bordr are very helpful and offer a discount, which you can find on this page.
2. Not sure about online (I think this is only an option for residents) but it should be possible in person.
3. You don't necessarily need a lawyer to apply for the D7, and many people apply without one. The benefit of a lawyer is they submit tons of these applications every month, so they know what is likely to get accepted, which means you're more likely to get accepted the first time around.
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I am also on the DIY route. I applied online for NIF at e-residence.com - €99 including one year of fiscal representation and received it in about 10 days. Using this I opened a Millennium bank account in South Africa. Both were painless!
I am also on the DIY route. I applied online for NIF at e-residence.com - €99 including one year of fiscal representation and received it in about 10 days. Using this I opened a Millennium bank account in South Africa. Both were painless!
Can D7 visa holders work in a company in any job in portugal