There are nine main ways for non-EU citizens to move to Portugal. Which one fits depends less on how much money you have than on where it comes from: a pension, a remote job, a business, an investment, a Portuguese employer, a university place, or family who already live here.
For each route below you’ll find who it’s for, the main requirements, and the challenges people actually run into. Each one has its own color, so you always know which visa you’re reading about.
60-second visa finder
Which visa fits you?
Answer a few questions about your income and plans, and we’ll show you the routes worth looking at.
First things first
Do you even need a visa?
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EU / EEA / Swiss
No visa needed. Move freely and register at your câmara municipal after 90 days. Non-EU family members can come with you.
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90 days or less
US, UK, Canadian, Australian and most other Western citizens can visit Portugal — and the whole Schengen Area — for up to 90 days in any 180-day window with no visa.
Many other nationalities need a short-stay Schengen visa.
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Moving here
To live here, you need one of the residency routes below. Almost all are applied for at a Portuguese consulate in your home country, before you arrive.
Side by side
Which Portuguese visa fits you?
Find the row that sounds like you, then jump to that route below. The last column is the one to read: it’s what usually makes a route harder than it looks.
| Route | Best if you… | Financial test | Need a Portuguese job? | Need to move here? | Main challenge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 D7 (passive income visa) | Live on passive income | €920/month + savings | No | Yes | Finding accommodation before you move |
 D8 (digital nomad visa) | Work remotely for an employer or clients abroad | €3,680/month + savings | No | Yes | Employer permission, high threshold |
 Golden Visa | Invest significant capital | €500,000 investment | No | No | Money tied up for 5+ years |
 D2 (entrepreneur visa) | Start or run a business here | Business plan + means | No | Yes | Subjective review of your plan |
 D1 (general work visa) | Have a Portuguese job offer | Contract at €920+/month | Yes | Yes | Finding the job first |
 D3 (highly qualified work visa) | Have a highly qualified job offer | €1,611.39+/month salary | Yes | Yes | Qualification recognition |
 D4 (student visa) | Study in Portugal | Course place + means | No | Yes | Staying enrolled |
 D5 (student mobility visa) | Already study in another EU country | Means + mobility program | No | Yes | Only for existing EU students |
 D6 (family reunification visa) | Join family already here | Sponsor’s income | No | Yes | Proving the family link |
These are the nine routes most Portugalist readers use, not every residence permit Portugal offers. Figures are for one person; couples and families need more.
D7 vs D8 vs D2
Where does your money come from?
This is where most people get stuck. Go by where most of your income comes from.
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Pension, Social Security, rent or investments
→ D7
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A salary from an employer outside Portugal
→ D8
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Freelance clients outside Portugal
→ usually D8
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A business or freelance work you’ll run from Portugal, with customers here
→ potentially D2
Mixed income? See what if two visas fit.
Route by route
The 9 main routes: requirements and challenges
What you need, what tends to go wrong, and where to go next. The full guide for each visa covers the paperwork step by step.
D7 Passive income visa
Best for: Retirees and anyone living on pensions, US Social Security, rental income, dividends or royalties.
The D7 is the route most retirees use. You need €920 a month in passive income (about $1,033) for one person, plus savings, and Portugal has to become your main home.
It doesn’t matter where the income comes from, as long as it keeps arriving without you working for it.
Main requirements
- Passive income of at least €920/month for one person, more for a couple or family
- Savings of about €11,040, held in a Portuguese bank account
- Accommodation in Portugal, usually a 12-month lease
- A NIF (tax number) and a clean criminal record
- Travel insurance, and an application at the consulate covering where you live
Not the right fit? Most of your income comes from remote work? Look at the D8.
D8 Digital Nomad Visa
Best for: Remote employees and freelancers whose employer or clients are outside Portugal.
The D8 lets you live in Portugal and keep working for a company or clients abroad. The income bar is high: €3,680 a month (about $4,132), four times the Portuguese minimum wage.
The income has to come from work, not pensions or investments, and you need a track record of earning it.
Main requirements
- Remote income averaging at least €3,680/month over the last three months
- An employment contract or freelance service contracts with clients outside Portugal
- Savings of about €11,040 (the same as the D7), held in a Portuguese bank account
- Accommodation in Portugal, a NIF and a clean criminal record
- Travel insurance
Not the right fit? Mostly passive income? The D7. Building a business with Portuguese customers? The D2.
Golden Visa Residency by investment
Best for: People with significant capital who want EU residency without moving yet.
The Golden Visa gives you residency in exchange for an investment — usually €500,000 in a qualifying fund. You only need to spend an average of seven days a year in Portugal.
It’s a way to keep options open: you can stay where you are, or move here later. After five years you can apply for a Golden Visa version of permanent residency, which costs more (about €8,000) but keeps the seven-days-a-year flexibility.
Main requirements
- A €500,000 fund investment, or a €250,000 cultural donation
- The investment kept for at least five years
- An average of 7 days a year in Portugal
- A NIF, a Portuguese bank account and a clean criminal record
Not the right fit? Want to move now and live here full time? A D7 or D8 costs a fraction of the price.
D2 Entrepreneur visa
Best for: People starting or moving a business to Portugal, or self-employed people with customers here.
The D2 is for running a business in Portugal. There’s no fixed investment amount and any sector qualifies.
Instead of a hard number, you have to show the business is viable and that you can support yourself — usually at least €920 a month, plus savings.
Main requirements
- A business plan showing the business is viable
- A Portuguese company or self-employed registration
- Means to live on — usually €920/month plus savings
- Accommodation in Portugal, a NIF and a clean criminal record
Not the right fit? Freelance for clients who are all abroad? The D8 is usually more straightforward.
D1 General work visa
Best for: Anyone with a job offer from a Portuguese employer.
The D1 is the general work visa. Once a Portuguese employer offers you a contract paying at least the minimum wage (€920 a month), it’s the route that gets you here.
Main requirements
- A signed employment contract (or promise of one) paying at least €920/month
- An employer registered in Portugal
- Accommodation in Portugal and a clean criminal record
Not the right fit? The role is highly qualified and well paid? The D3.
D3 Highly qualified work visa
Best for: Professionals with a job offer for a highly qualified role in tech, medicine, engineering, finance or research.
The D3 is the work visa for skilled roles. The salary has to be at least €1,611.39 a month (about $1,809), and your qualifications have to be ones Portugal recognizes.
It’s also the route to an EU Blue Card.
Main requirements
- A contract for a highly qualified role with a Portuguese employer
- A salary of at least €1,611.39/month
- A degree or specialist qualification Portugal will recognize
- Accommodation in Portugal and a clean criminal record
Not the right fit? The role doesn’t need higher qualifications? The D1.
D4 Student visa
Best for: Anyone accepted onto a degree or other accredited course in Portugal.
The D4 is for full-time study. You need a place on a course and enough to live on — generally at least €920 a month — and you’re allowed to work alongside your studies.
Main requirements
- An acceptance letter from an accredited Portuguese institution
- Means to live on — generally €920/month, or a scholarship
- Tuition paid or arranged
- Accommodation, health insurance and a clean criminal record
Not the right fit? Education isn’t really the goal? Look at the route that matches your income.
D5 Student mobility visa
Best for: University students who already study in another EU country and are moving to Portugal for part of their course.
The D5 covers higher-education students who already hold a student residence permit in another EU country and are coming to Portugal through an exchange program or an agreement between universities.
It’s a niche route. If you’re starting a degree in Portugal from outside the EU, you want the D4.
Main requirements
- A student residence permit from another EU country
- Proof you’re joining a mobility program or university agreement (such as Erasmus+)
- Means to live on — generally €920/month
- Accommodation and health insurance
Not the right fit? Starting a degree in Portugal from outside the EU? The D4.
We don’t have a full D5 guide yet. The D4 guide covers most of the same paperwork.
D6 Family reunification visa
Best for: Spouses, partners, dependent children and dependent parents of someone who already lives legally in Portugal.
The D6 lets you join a family member who already has Portuguese residency. Your sponsor shows €920 a month for themselves, plus €460 for each additional adult and €276 per child.
Main requirements
- A sponsor with a valid Portuguese residence permit (or Portuguese citizenship)
- Proof of the relationship — apostilled marriage or birth certificates, or proof of partnership
- The sponsor’s income covering everyone
- Accommodation big enough for the family, and a clean criminal record
Not the right fit? Could you qualify for a visa of your own? Applying together at the start is often simpler — see bringing your family.
Borderline cases
What if two visas fit?
D7 or D8?
Go by where most of your money comes from. If a pension or investments already clear the D7 bar on their own, the D7 has the lower threshold. If you’re relying on your salary, it’s the D8.
D8 or D2?
Clients abroad and no plans for a Portuguese business: D8. Building a business here, hiring, or selling to Portuguese customers: D2.
D1 or D3?
If the role needs a degree or specialist skills and pays at the D3 level, the D3 is the better route. Otherwise it’s the D1.
D7 or Golden Visa?
Want to live here? The D7 costs far less. Want residency without moving yet? That’s what the Golden Visa is for — and you can still move later.
Family members
Bringing your family
Moving together
Most routes let a spouse or partner and dependent children apply alongside you. The main applicant shows extra income and savings for each: 50% more for a spouse or partner and 30% more per dependent child. On the D7, that’s €460 and €276 a month.
Joining later
Family members can also follow once you have residency, through family reunification. It works, but it means a second application and a wait, so applying together is usually simpler.
EU citizens bringing non-EU family follow different, easier rules. How EU citizens move →
The end goal
From visa to passport: a sample path
Whichever route you arrive on, the long-term path is broadly the same. Here’s what it looks like for most non-EU applicants.
1
Apply
Month 0
Get your visa at the Portuguese consulate covering where you live.
2
First permit
Within 4 months
Fly to Portugal and attend your AIMA appointment. Your first residence permit lasts 2 years.
3
Second permit
Year 2
Renew. Your second permit lasts 3 years.
4
Permanent residency
Year 5
Apply once you have 5 years of legal residence and A2 Portuguese.
5
Citizenship
Year 10
Apply after 10 years, with A2 Portuguese and a civic knowledge test.
6
Passport
Year 12–13
Applications currently take around two to three years to process.
The 10-year rule has applied since May 19, 2026 for most non-EU nationals (7 years for EU and Portuguese-speaking countries). Golden Visa holders can instead apply for Golden Visa permanent residency. It costs more (about €8,000) but keeps the seven-days-a-year flexibility. Read more about permanent residency and Portuguese citizenship.
Not sure?
Still between two routes?
Try the visa finder, or book a free 20-minute call and tell us your situation. We’ll tell you which route fits and which paperwork to start gathering.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for a Portuguese visa while I’m already in Portugal?
Generally, no. Residency visas are applied for at a Portuguese consulate in your country of residence before you arrive. There are a few narrow exceptions, mainly for some highly qualified workers.
How long does the whole process take?
From starting your paperwork to holding a residence permit, plan on six months to a year. Consulate appointments, visa decisions and AIMA appointments can each add months.
Do I have to pay taxes in Portugal?
Most residency routes (D7, D8, D1, D2, D3) make you a Portuguese tax resident, because Portugal becomes your main home. The Golden Visa doesn’t have the same stay requirement, so you can avoid tax residency.
Is it really 10 years to citizenship now?
For most non-EU nationals, yes — the new nationality law took effect on May 19, 2026. Permanent residency is still available after 5 years. Read the full breakdown.
What if I don’t qualify for any of these right now?
That’s common, and it isn’t a dead end. Many applicants spend a year or two building passive income, securing remote work, or developing a business plan before applying. Get in touch and we’ll help you put together a plan.
Thinking about Moving to Portugal?