The D2 is Portugal’s residence visa for entrepreneurs and freelancers. It’s for people starting a business here, moving an existing one, buying into a Portuguese company, or freelancing for Portuguese clients.
It’s also one of the most accessible entrepreneur visas in Europe. There’s no minimum investment, no hiring quota and no turnover target. You need a believable business and enough to live on: at least €920 a month (about $1,030) for a single applicant in 2026.
For the right person, it’s still the best way into the EU that doesn’t need a pension, a remote salary or half a million euros.
The right person wants to live in Portugal and has a real business that makes sense here. What the D2 isn’t is a backup. If you don’t qualify for the D7 or D8 and a business seems like a way around that, read the cons ↓ first.
The short version
- Who the D2 is for: Non-EU founders starting or relocating a business in Portugal, and freelancers with Portuguese clients or a clear Portugal connection. Remote freelancers whose clients are all abroad are usually steered to the D8. More ↓
- How much money you need: There’s no minimum investment. You need personal means of at least €920 a month, savings of around €11,040, and whatever your business plan realistically needs. More ↓
- Jobs and turnover: The D2 doesn’t require you to hire anyone or hit a revenue target. The Startup Visa does: your business needs the potential to reach €325,000 in turnover or assets within five years. More ↓
- Where you apply: At the Portuguese consulate or VFS center covering the country where you live. Applying from inside Portugal stopped being possible in June 2024. Consulates have 60 days to decide. More ↓
- Taxes: You’ll be a Portuguese tax resident. Most D2 holders don’t qualify for IFICI (sometimes called NHR 2.0) and pay standard Portuguese rates. More ↓
- Citizenship: Permanent residency after five years. Citizenship after ten, counted from the date your first residence card is issued (seven for EU and CPLP nationals). More ↓
2-minute check
Do you qualify for the D2 Visa?
Answer a few questions about your business plans, investment, and situation, and get an answer straight away.
Where Do You Want to Start?
📖
The full guide
Who the D2 is for, the honest pros and cons, and whether Portugal is the right base for your business.
📋
Just show me the requirements
All 23 requirements, numbered, with links for getting your NIF, bank account, lease and insurance in place.
🚀
Just show me the Startup Visa
For tech founders, especially with co-founders. How it works, and when it beats the D2.
Who it’s for
Who Is the D2 Visa For?
Short answer
The D2 visa is for non-EU citizens who want to run a business in Portugal: founders starting or relocating a company, investors who’ll actively run a Portuguese business, and freelancers with Portuguese clients. It isn’t for passive income (that’s the D7) or for remote work for foreign clients (usually the D8).
✓ Qualifies for the D2
- A new Portuguese business you’re starting (a company, a business plan, the works)
- An existing business you already own, relocated or branched to Portugal
- An investment in a Portuguese business you’ll actively run
- Freelance work with Portuguese clients or a clear Portugal connection
- Almost any legal sector: consulting, hospitality, retail, tech, creative services, tourism
Two Routes, One Permit
Both routes come from Article 60 of Portugal’s foreigners law (Lei 23/2007) and end in the same residence permit. The paperwork, and what the consulate is looking for, is quite different. Work out which one you’re on before you start gathering documents.
Route 1: Entrepreneurs
- Starting, relocating or buying into a business in Portugal
- Usually means a Portuguese company, most often a Sociedade Unipessoal Lda
- A detailed business plan, plus proof of the investment or of funds in Portugal
- The strongest D2 case: it’s who the visa was designed for
Route 2: Independent professionals
- Freelancers in a “liberal profession”: consultants, designers, translators, developers, coaches
- A signed contract or written proposal for your services, ideally from a Portuguese client
- Proof of qualifications, and membership of the professional body if the profession is regulated in Portugal
- A higher bar than it used to be if all your clients are abroad
⚠️
The D2 isn’t a backup visa
It’s tempting to see the D2 as the visa you apply for when you don’t qualify for the D7 or D8. It’s scrutinized far more heavily than either. With no business experience or a thin plan, expect a refusal.
Someone will read your plan and ask two questions. Will this business make money and support you? And is it a business Portugal needs: does it add something? A business invented to qualify for a visa usually fails the second test.
The stakes are higher after approval, too. If the business fails, there’s no pension or remote salary behind it, and your residence permit depends on it. If you need a fallback, the student visa is much closer to being one.
The pros
What the D2 Gets Right
Six things make the D2 worth considering. None of them is the weather.
Short answer
The D2’s main advantages are that it has no minimum investment, no job-creation requirement and no turnover target, accepts almost any legal business (including one you already run elsewhere), and leads to permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after ten.
💶
No minimum investment
The law sets no investment floor. A consultant might launch on a few thousand euros; a restaurant needs tens of thousands. You invest what the business actually needs and justify it in the plan.
🙋
No hiring or turnover targets
Solo businesses are fine, and there’s no revenue figure to hit at renewal. You have to show the business is real, active and paying your way.
That cuts both ways. Build a small lifestyle business or try to build something worth millions: nobody sets you a growth target.
🏪
Almost any business qualifies
A guesthouse in the Algarve, a design studio in Porto, a wine-tour company in the Douro. There’s no innovation test and no approved list of sectors. It has to be legal, viable and make sense in Portugal.
🔁
Bring a business you already run
Moving an existing business, or opening a Portuguese branch of one, is one of the strongest D2 cases. You arrive with a track record, real accounts and clients, instead of a forecast.
🇪🇺
A way into the EU
Permanent residency after five years and citizenship after ten, which means an EU passport. Your spouse and children can apply with you and move at the same time.
🧑💻
A good, affordable workforce
Portugal ranks among the best non-native English speakers in the world, its universities produce strong engineers, and salaries sit well below Northern Europe’s. Hiring costs more than the payslip suggests, though.
Put together, that’s unusually generous. Most of Europe’s entrepreneur visas are designed to pick winners. The D2 is designed to let in people who can pay their own way.
How it compares
How Does the D2 Compare With Other Entrepreneur Visas?
Short answer
Portugal’s D2 is cheaper to get into than the entrepreneur visas of Spain, Germany, France, Ireland or Italy. Only the Dutch DAFT, which is open to US citizens alone, comes close on cost, and none combines no investment floor, no innovation test and a permit that covers your family from day one.
| Route | Minimum investment | Innovation test | Growth target | Citizenship (general rule) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal D2 | None (personal means of €920/month) | No | No | 10 years from your first card (7 for EU and CPLP) |
| Portugal Startup Visa | in own funds per founder | Yes | €325k turnover or assets potential in 5 years | Same as the D2 |
| Spain entrepreneur visa | None fixed; means of about €2,400/month | Yes (ENISA report) | Assessed | 10 years (2 for Ibero-American nationals) |
| Netherlands startup visa | None fixed; needs an approved facilitator | Yes | Progress checked after year 1 | 5 years |
| Netherlands DAFT (US citizens only) | €4,500 into the business | No | No | 5 years |
| Germany self-employment | None fixed; “secured financing” | Economic-interest test | Assessed | 5 years |
| France Talent Passport (innovative project) | Resources of at least the annual minimum wage (€22,404) | Yes | Assessed | 5 years |
| Ireland STEP | €50,000 (+€30,000 per extra founder) | Yes | High-potential startup | 5 years |
| Italy startup visa | €50,000 | Yes | — | 10 years |
Figures checked November 2026. Other countries change their rules too, so check the official source before relying on any of them.
⏳
Where Portugal now loses: time
Until 2026 Portugal had one of the shortest routes to citizenship in the EU. It now has one of the longest: ten years, starting from the date AIMA issues your card, not the date you applied.
If a passport is the main goal and you’d qualify in the Netherlands, Germany or France, that’s worth weighing.
The cons
What Makes the D2 Hard Work
The hardest part isn’t getting the visa. It’s running a business in Portugal for years afterward. None of these is a reason not to apply; all of them are reasons to go in with your eyes open.
Short answer
The D2’s main downsides are that approval is subjective, most holders pay full Portuguese tax because IFICI (NHR 2.0) covers so few people, running a business here means a lot of bureaucracy, the local market is small and Portuguese-speaking, employing people costs more than salaries suggest, and you’ll be dealing with AIMA for at least five years.
💶
The savings figure is a minimum, not a budget
€11,040 is what the law asks for. It isn’t what it costs to start a business and live while it finds its feet.
Have a backup plan and more money than you think you need. Portugal usually turns out to be more expensive than people expect, and so does any move abroad. How much to save before you move →
The verdict
Is the D2 Visa Worth It?
Short answer
The D2 is worth it if you genuinely want to live in Portugal and have a real business that makes sense here. If you qualify for the D7 or D8, use that instead: it’s simpler, especially for freelancers. And if you have co-founders, the Startup Visa may suit you better.
The real question isn’t whether the D2 is a good visa. It’s whether residency here, and eventually citizenship, is worth taking on the challenge of running a business in Portugal: the tax, the bureaucracy, AIMA and a ten-year road to a passport.
For a lot of people it is. For some it clearly isn’t. Either way, speak to a lawyer before you commit. Do you need one? ↓
By Size of Business
🧑💼
Solo or small (under 10 people)
A good fit if you want to live here. Consultancies, agencies, guesthouses, tour companies and online shops all work. Budget for a good accountant and some patience.
🏢
Medium (10 to 250 people)
Often good as an operations hub. Engineers and support staff are strong, speak English and cost less than in Amsterdam or Dublin. Rigid labor law and slow courts are the drag.
🦄
Venture-scale
The D2 works here too, with no targets and no incubator. But once you raise serious money, expect investors to want a US or UK parent company. That’s what Portugal’s own unicorns did.
Who Should Pick Something Else
The D2 makes sense if…
- You want to live in Portugal most of the year, not just hold a permit
- Your business is small, real and makes sense here
- You don’t have passive income or a remote salary that qualifies you another way
- You’re happy to pay Portuguese tax in exchange for EU residency
Pick something else if…
- You have passive income of €920+ a month → D7
- You earn €3,680+ a month from foreign clients or an employer → D8
- You have co-founders and a scalable tech product → Startup Visa
- You want EU residency without moving yet → Golden Visa
- Your priority is the lowest possible tax bill → probably not Portugal at all
Portugal as a business base
Is Portugal Really a Startup Capital?
Short answer
Portugal is a solid, mid-ranking European startup ecosystem with excellent marketing. Dealroom ranks it 35th in the world by ecosystem value, with seven unicorns, but most of those unicorns are Portuguese-founded rather than Portuguese-headquartered.
The ecosystem is real, and it’s growing. Official figures count 5,091 startups in 2025, up from 4,719 a year earlier, with €2.9 billion in turnover and around 28,000 jobs. Web Summit brought 71,000 people to Lisbon in 2025.
“Startup capital” still oversells it. Estimates of 2025 venture funding range from under €800 million to almost €3 billion, depending on who’s counting and what they count. That spread tells you this is a young market.
How Lisbon Compares With London, Paris and Berlin
Not closely. Lisbon is a good place to build a team. It’s a long way behind Europe’s big three when it comes to money.
London for example is 1st in Europe and 4th in the world. Paris is 2nd in Europe and Berlin is 4th. Lisbon comes nowhere close and neither does Porto.
Rankings for London, Paris and Berlin are from Dealroom’s 2026 Global Tech Ecosystem Index, as reported by Tech.eu. Lisbon’s ranking is from StartupBlink, as reported by Forbes Portugal.
Why Portugal’s Biggest Startups Are Based Somewhere Else
OutSystems moved its headquarters to Boston. Farfetch was a UK company listed in New York. Talkdesk, Remote and Sword Health all have US parent companies. Their engineers are often in Lisbon or Porto, but the company sits elsewhere, for four reasons.
💰
The money is elsewhere
Late-stage funding is far deeper in the US and UK, and big rounds come with investors who want a structure they know.
📜
Investors want Delaware
US funds prefer a Delaware corporation: standard documents, familiar law, and US tax breaks for investors that only apply to US company shares.
🎟️
Stock options used to hurt
Employee options were long taxed like salary. The 2023 startup law (Law 21/2023) cut that sharply, but lawyers still point to gaps, including an exit tax if you leave Portugal.
🌎
The customers are bigger elsewhere
With just over 10 million people at home, any company that scales does most of its selling abroad, and it often makes sense to be based near the biggest market.
If Your Idea Is Big Enough, Should You Go Somewhere Else?
Possibly. It depends on what you need more: residency for yourself, or capital for the company.
| Option | Why founders choose it | The catch for a non-EU founder |
|---|---|---|
| United States | The deepest pool of capital and the biggest market | Visas (O-1, E-2, L-1) are harder and costlier than the D2 |
| United Kingdom | Deep capital, English law, London’s investors | The Innovator Founder route needs an endorsement and is selective |
| UAE | No personal income tax; 9% corporate tax above a threshold | A smaller talent pool, and no route to EU rights |
| Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, France | Bigger funding markets inside the EU | Higher entry bars: a facilitator, €50,000, or an innovation test |
| Portugal, with a parent company abroad | Live and hire here, raise money through a US or UK company | Needs proper cross-border tax advice (see below) |
⚠️
Can you live here and keep your company abroad?
On a D2, mostly no. The visa is built on business activity in Portugal. A foreign company with only foreign clients is a D8 profile, not a D2 one.
Tax is the bigger problem. If you run a US or UAE company from your Lisbon apartment, Portugal can argue it’s managed from here and tax it here. Portugal’s rules on controlled foreign companies can also tax you on profits kept in low-tax countries.
The structure funded startups use is a foreign parent company with a Portuguese subsidiary that employs the team. Get cross-border tax advice before you set anything up.
The alternative for founders
The Startup Visa: When It Beats the D2
Short answer
Portugal’s Startup Visa is a residence route for founders of innovative, technology-based businesses, approved by the government agency IAPMEI through a certified incubator. Up to five founders can apply on one project, each needs in their own funds, and the business needs the potential to reach €325,000 in turnover or assets within five years.
The program is run by IAPMEI, the government agency for small businesses and innovation, alongside Startup Portugal. The foreign ministry has its own overview.
The D2 asks a consulate whether your business is viable. The Startup Visa asks an incubator and IAPMEI whether it’s innovative and could grow. That’s a harder test, but the incubator, the network and the tax advantages are genuinely useful. If you go this way, you want the incubator to be one you’d have chosen anyway.
Its biggest advantage is co-founders. Normally the only way to bring other people with you to Portugal is as family members. On a D2, one founder can move and then hire the others on a D1 or D3 work visa. The Startup Visa lets up to five founders be approved together.
Here’s how it works, according to IAPMEI’s application guide:
Register with IAPMEI
Submit your project and team on IAPMEI’s platform. Up to five founders, in English or Portuguese, at any time of year.
Find an incubator
Approach IAPMEI-certified incubators. Incubation has to be physical, not virtual, and fees are agreed directly with the incubator.
IAPMEI decides
Once an incubator accepts you, IAPMEI has 30 working days to decide.
Sign and apply
Sign the incubation contract within 40 working days, then apply for the visa at your consulate.
Move and report
Get your residence card from AIMA, set up the company, and send IAPMEI a progress report every quarter.
It’s selective. By October 2024, 1,502 projects had been submitted. Among the three biggest groups (Russian, Brazilian and Iranian founders), roughly four in ten were approved, according to IAPMEI figures reported by CNN Portugal.
| D2 | Startup Visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Who decides | The consulate, based on your business plan | A certified incubator, then IAPMEI |
| Personal funds | €11,040 savings (main applicant) | per founder |
| Innovation test | None | Technology- or knowledge-based, scalable, exportable |
| Growth target | None | Potential for €325k turnover or assets in 5 years |
| Co-founders | Each needs their own D2 application | Up to 5 on one project |
| Ongoing obligations | Keep the business active and registered | Physical incubation, quarterly reports, incubator fees |
| Apply from inside Portugal | No | Yes, if you’re already here legally |
| Tax perks | Rarely | Certified startups: 12.5% corporate tax on the first €50,000, the stock-option regime, a better shot at IFICI |
Choose the Startup Visa if…
- You have co-founders who also need visas
- You’re building a tech product designed to scale and sell abroad
- You want an incubator, and the perks that come with certified-startup status
- You’re already legally in Portugal and want to apply from here
Stick with the D2 if…
- You’re working alone, or can hire co-founders on a D1 or D3
- You don’t want to be tied to an incubator or report to IAPMEI every quarter
- You’d rather not have a growth target hanging over your renewal
- Your business isn’t tech: the D2 works for guesthouses and agencies, and for ambitious startups too
The alternatives
D2, D7, D8 or Golden Visa?
Short answer
Use the D2 if your business or freelance work is connected to Portugal. Use the D8 if you work remotely for clients or an employer outside Portugal and earn at least €3,680 a month. Use the D7 if you have passive income of at least €920 a month, even if you also plan to run a business. Consider the Golden Visa if you can invest and hire, and don’t want to live here most of the year.
Freelancers: D2 or D8?
If you meet the D8’s requirements, go for it. If all your clients are abroad, it’s the route consulates expect you to use, and its test is objective: you either earn the threshold or you don’t, and there’s no business plan to defend.
The D2 can work for a freelancer who falls short of the D8’s income requirement, but only with a real Portuguese angle: a contract or written proposal from a Portuguese client, local work, or a plan that sells into Portugal. A low-income remote-work application relabeled as a D2 is the classic weak case. Don’t qualify for the D8? →
Have Passive Income? Look at the D7 First
The D7 doesn’t stop you working or running a business once you’re here. What it does is take the business plan out of the application: the test is your pension, rent or dividends, which either meet the threshold or don’t. Renewals are simpler for the same reason. Working on a D7 →
Want More Flexibility? The Golden Visa’s Business Routes
Someone starting a business can also qualify for the Golden Visa, without buying into a fund. There are two business routes: invest €500,000 in a Portuguese company and create five jobs, or create ten jobs with no minimum investment.
The upside is flexibility. The Golden Visa asks for an average of seven days a year in Portugal, and that’s written into the law. The downside is cost: salaries, 23.75% employer social security, Golden Visa government fees and legal fees that often run past €10,000 per person. Golden Visa costs calculator →
If your business is built on academic research, the highly qualified activity (HQA) route is another option. Like the D2, it doesn’t come with the Golden Visa’s fixed seven-day rule. HQA visa vs Golden Visa →
| D2 (this visa) | D7 | D8 | Golden Visa | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income type | Active: business profits, or freelancing with a Portugal connection | Passive: pension, rent, dividends | Active: remote salary or foreign clients | Not income-based |
| Monthly income | €920 (in practice, more) | €920 | €3,680 | — |
| Investment | No fixed amount: whatever the business needs | No | No | Business routes: €500,000 in a company plus 5 jobs, or 10 new jobs |
| Business plan | Yes, and it decides the application | No | No | No |
| Time in Portugal | Most of the year; longer business trips need AIMA’s approval | Most of the year | Most of the year | About 7 days a year on average, set in law |
| Tax resident? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Avoidable |
| Typical legal fees | €1,500–€4,000 per person | €1,000–€4,000 per person | €1,000–€4,000 per person | Often €10,000+ per person |
Full comparisons: D2 vs D8 → · D2 vs Golden Visa → · D7 vs D8 →
The checklist
D2 Visa Requirements: The Full Checklist
Short answer
The D2 visa requires a valid passport, a clean criminal record, proof of means of at least €920 a month, proof of accommodation in Portugal and travel insurance, plus either a business plan with proof of investment (entrepreneurs) or a services contract (freelancers). You’ll also need a NIF and, usually, a Portuguese bank account.
Here are all 23, grouped by type. Each consulate and VFS center publishes its own checklist, and they don’t always agree, so compare yours against the foreign ministry’s official document list before you book.
Personal and legal
1. Age and nationality
The main applicant must be 18 or over. The D2 is for non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens. If you already hold an EU passport, you can start a business in Portugal without a visa.
2. Apply from where you live
You apply at the Portuguese consulate or VFS Global center covering the country where you legally live, which isn’t necessarily your country of citizenship. If you live somewhere you’re not a citizen, you’ll also need proof of legal residence there, such as a US green card or a residence permit.
⚠️
You can’t apply from Portugal
Until June 4, 2024, you could come to Portugal and apply for D2 residency from here. That route has closed. You now need the visa in your passport before you move.
The one exception is the Startup Visa: founders approved by IAPMEI who are already legally in Portugal can apply to AIMA directly.
3. Criminal record certificate
From your country of nationality and anywhere you’ve lived for more than a year. Certificates must be apostilled (Hague Convention countries) or legalized by a Portuguese consulate, and recently issued, typically within 90 days. Americans are usually asked for an FBI report. Applying with a criminal record →
4. Permission for a Portuguese record check
A signed form letting the Portuguese authorities check for any Portuguese criminal record. A formality for most first-time applicants.
Your business: the core of a D2
5. A business plan (entrepreneurs)
The single most important document in a D2 application. It should cover what the business does, why Portugal specifically, realistic three-to-five-year financials, your relevant experience, and what Portugal gets out of it. Generic templates from the internet are easy to spot and raise the risk of refusal.
💡
“Benefit to Portugal” is the unwritten test
Consulates and AIMA aren’t only checking that your business is viable. They’re weighing whether it adds something: local jobs, exports, services in an underserved area, skills Portugal lacks.
A useful test: would Portugal want this business if you didn’t need a visa? Yet another Lisbon café has a harder time than a business that brings money in from abroad. Frame your plan around what Portugal gets.
6. Proof of investment or funds in Portugal
Entrepreneurs sign a declaration describing the investment they’ve made or plan to make (its nature, value and duration) and show the money, usually in a Portuguese bank account. There’s no official minimum. Officers want numbers that fit the type of business you’re proposing.
7. A Portuguese company (usually)
Most entrepreneurs set up a Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, a single-shareholder limited company. You don’t need to be in Portugal to do it; a lawyer or accountant can incorporate it with a power of attorney. Setup typically costs €500–€2,500, depending on who handles it. Freelancers don’t need a company.
8. A certified accountant
Every Portuguese company must have a certified accountant (contabilista certificado), and you’ll want one in place before you apply. Fees typically run €100–€300 a month for a small company.
9. Freelancers: a contract and qualifications
If you’re applying as an independent professional, you need a signed contract or a written proposal for your services, proof of your qualifications, and registration with the relevant professional body if your profession is regulated in Portugal. At least one Portuguese client makes a much stronger application.
Money
10. Means of subsistence
You need to show you can support yourself: at least €920 a month for the main applicant, plus €460 for a spouse or partner and €276 for each child. That’s tied to Portugal’s minimum wage, which rises most Januarys. In practice, officers want to see comfortably more, especially for families. Family figures ↓
11. Savings
Around €11,040 for the main applicant, roughly 12 months of the minimum wage, plus €5,520 for a spouse and €3,312 for each child. More is safer, because your business income won’t start straight away. Bank statements are the evidence.
Portuguese setup
12. NIF (Portuguese tax number)
You need a NIF to incorporate the company, open a bank account, sign a lease and apply for the visa. Most applicants get one remotely before they apply. Once you’ve moved, update your NIF address so you’re registered as a tax resident.
13. Portuguese bank account
The company needs a Portuguese business bank account, and you’ll usually want a personal one too. Whether a consulate will accept Wise or Revolut statements varies, so a Portuguese bank is the safe choice for the funds you show.
14. Proof of accommodation
A rental contract, property deeds, or a signed term of responsibility from someone hosting you. The law doesn’t set a length, but a 12-month lease is what most consulates expect. Short-term Airbnb bookings almost never qualify.
15. Travel insurance
Coverage for medical costs and repatriation for the visa stage, usually with a minimum of €30,000. Some consulates now ask for 12 months of coverage.
Paperwork
16. Passport
Valid for at least three months beyond your planned stay, with two blank pages. Some consulates ask for more validity, so check yours.
17. Application form and photos
The completed national visa application form (the current version from your consulate or VFS center), plus two passport photos per applicant in the EU size (35 × 45 mm).
18. Personal statement
Why Portugal, why this business, why you. It’s read alongside the business plan, and together they make or break a borderline application. How to write one →
19. Family documents
Apostilled marriage and birth certificates, and proof of partnership (usually two or more years living together) for unmarried partners. If only one parent is moving with a child, the other parent’s consent is required.
20. Translations
Documents in Portuguese never need translating, and English documents usually don’t. Documents in other languages generally need a certified translation into Portuguese. A few consulates have their own rules, so check before you pay a translator.
After you arrive
21. Register your activity (and get a NISS)
AIMA wants proof that you’ve registered your business or freelance activity with Finanças and with Social Security, which gives you a NISS. New self-employed workers don’t pay social security contributions for the first 12 months.
22. Health insurance for your AIMA appointment
You don’t need it to apply, but AIMA usually asks for proof of health coverage. Most people can’t register with the public health service (SNS) until they have their residence card, so a private policy is the usual answer.
23. AIMA appointment
Once you’ve arrived, AIMA takes your biometrics and issues your two-year residence card. Bring originals of everything. If you flew into another Schengen country first, file an entry declaration (declaração de entrada) within three working days of reaching Portugal. What to bring to AIMA →
Family and money
How Much Money Do You Need, and Who Can You Bring?
Short answer
A single D2 applicant needs personal means of at least €920 a month and savings of about €11,040. A spouse or partner adds 50% and each child 30%. Family members who apply with you can move at the same time; bringing them over later usually means a wait.
Spouse or partner
Married, civil-partnered or long-term unmarried partners can apply with you. Unmarried partners usually need two or more years at the same address, with paper evidence such as shared bills or a joint lease.
Dependent children
Under-18s are straightforward. Children from 18 to around 24 can usually be included if they’re in full-time education; older children normally apply separately. Adult children →
Dependent parents
Can be included if they depend on you physically or financially. If they have their own pension, they may be better off on their own D7. Bringing parents →
⏳
Bring your family with you if you can
Family who apply at the consulate alongside you aren’t affected by the waiting periods in Lei 61/2025. Family who stay behind and follow later are: two years for parents and adult children, 15 months for a partner you’d lived with for 18 months or more. Minor children can join at any time. Family reunification →
It’s the most expensive timing mistake on this page, and one of the easiest to avoid.
Income and Savings, by Household
| Household | EUR official | USD approx. | GBP approx. | CAD approx. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly means (minimum) | ||||
| 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 (about 12 months of the minimum wage) | ||||
| 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 |
⚠️
The minimum is rarely enough
€920 a month is the legal floor. Officers look at whether your numbers let you actually live here once you’ve paid tax, social security, rent, business costs and the quiet months.
Self-employed social security alone is 21.4% on 70% of what you earn from services, roughly 15% of everything you invoice. Most successful D2 applications show comfortably more than the minimum.
The process
How Long Does the D2 Take, and What Does It Cost?
Short answer
The D2 usually takes six to twelve months from consulate application to residence card. Consulates have 60 days to decide, and most of the delay comes afterward, at AIMA. The visa fee is €110; most applicants also pay for company setup, an accountant and often a lawyer.
Gather documents
Business plan, savings, criminal record, insurance, lease. Most people bring in a lawyer at this stage, because the D2 is refused more often than the D7 or D8.
Submit and interview
File at your consulate or VFS center. Many applicants have a short interview, so be ready to explain your business in two minutes.
Wait about 60 days
The consulate has 60 days to decide. Extra checks can push it longer.
Move on your visa
Approved: a four-month D2 visa goes in your passport. Move to Portugal and attend your AIMA appointment.
Get your residence card
AIMA issues a two-year card, then renews it for three years at a time. Register with your local health center once you have it.
What It Costs
| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Visa fee | €110 | Paid at the consulate or VFS center |
| AIMA residence permit | About €250 | Paid at your AIMA appointment |
| Company setup | €500–€2,500 | Lower if you do it yourself, higher with a lawyer and power of attorney |
| Accountant | €100–€300 a month | Required for every company |
| Lawyer | €1,500–€4,000 per person | Optional, but most D2 applicants use one |
| Social security | 21.4% on 70% of service income | Self-employed; nothing for the first 12 months |
Professional fees are typical ranges, not quotes. Get two or three before you commit.
Living here
How Much Time Do You Need to Spend in Portugal?
Short answer
D2 holders can’t be away from Portugal for more than six months in a row, or eight months in total, during each residence permit, unless AIMA approves a longer absence for business reasons. In practice, that means living here most of the year. Permanent residents can be away far longer.
The D2 is a residence visa, so you’re expected to live here. The absence limits are the same as for the D7 and D8, and far stricter than the Golden Visa’s average of about seven days a year.
Some companies market the D2 as a visa that lets you spend less time in Portugal. That’s a stretch. You can spend longer abroad for business reasons, but AIMA has to approve it, before or after the trip.
That makes the D2 a little more flexible than visas with no business reason to travel. It’s still nowhere near the Golden Visa, where the seven days a year is set in stone.
After five years you can apply for permanent residency: up to 30 months outside Portugal in any three years, with no more than 24 in a row. Once you’re a citizen, there are no limits at all.
| Residency stage | Max consecutive abroad | Max total abroad | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| First permit (2 years) | 6 months | 8 months | About 8 months a year in Portugal |
| Renewed permit (3 years) | 6 months | 8 months | About 9 months a year in Portugal |
| Permanent residency (after 5 years) | 24 months | 30 months in any 3 years | Up to about 2.5 years away in any 3-year window |
Renewing Your Residence Permit
Your first card lasts two years. After that you renew for three years at a time, or apply for permanent residency once you reach five. Renewal isn’t automatic: you have to show the business is real and active. What happens at an AIMA renewal →
An active, compliant business
The company or freelance activity needs to be registered, operating and filing, with your accountant keeping it up to date. Expect to show invoices, accounts and bank statements that match the activity in your plan. Letting the company go dormant is the fastest way to lose your residency.
Enough income to live on
You need to show the business still supports you and your family at or above the minimum-wage threshold for the year you renew. That figure rises whenever the minimum wage does.
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) for you and, where relevant, the company.
Address, time in Portugal and health coverage
Proof of where you live, evidence you’ve stayed within the absence limits (or had business absences approved), proof of health coverage (by now usually your SNS registration) and authorization for a Portuguese criminal record check.
⏳
Start early, and don’t count on silence
Begin the renewal well before your card expires. AIMA’s backlogs make renewals slow.
Since September 2026, AIMA not replying no longer counts as approval of a renewal. The same change lets D2 holders switch the type of self-employed activity by notifying AIMA, without a new card.
The end goal
Does the D2 Lead to Citizenship?
Short answer
Yes. The D2 leads to permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after ten, counted from the date AIMA issues your first residence card. EU and CPLP nationals qualify after seven. Portugal allows dual citizenship.
The ten-year rule comes from the 2026 nationality law (Lei Orgânica 1/2026), in force since May 19, 2026. Two details matter more than the headline. Time spent waiting for AIMA no longer counts, and your ten years must fall within a twelve-year window.
You’ll also need A2 Portuguese, the second-most basic level, and to pass a test on Portuguese culture, history and civic life. The format of that test was still being finalized in late 2026.
In practice: arrive in 2027, get your card a few months later, and you’re looking at citizenship around 2037. Applications then take another one to three years to process. How to get Portuguese nationality →
Getting help
Do You Need a Lawyer for the D2?
Short answer
No, using a lawyer for the D2 is not a legal requirement. But the D2 is refused more often than the D7 or D8, usually for avoidable reasons: a vague business plan, numbers that don’t add up, weak evidence of benefit to Portugal, or missing apostilles. Most applicants get professional help.
📝
Do it yourself
Cost: just the official fees. Realistic only if you’re confident writing a strong business plan and comfortable chasing paperwork and consulate rules on your own.
🔍
Document check
Cost: around €1,000. You prepare the application, and a professional reviews the whole file, including the business plan, before you submit.
⚖️
Work with a lawyer
Cost: typically €1,500–€4,000 per person. A lawyer takes you through the whole process, often including company setup, your NIF, the bank account and the AIMA appointment.
Not sure which route fits?
Book a consultation and we’ll help you work out whether the D2, the Startup Visa or another visa makes sense for your situation.
Next steps
What I’d Do Next
If you’ve decided the D2 is probably your route, this is the order I’d do things in.
Pressure-test the idea
Confirm you’re on the right route: D2, D7, D8 or Startup Visa. An hour with a professional costs far less than a refusal.
Get your NIF and bank account
Both can be done remotely, and you need them for the company, the lease and the application.
Write the business plan
Real numbers, a reason it’s in Portugal, and what Portugal gets out of it. This is the document that decides your application.
Set up the company and lease
Incorporate (usually with a power of attorney), sign a 12-month lease, and book your consulate or VFS appointment.
Apply, move, get your card
Submit, do the interview, then book AIMA as soon as you have a travel date.
Decided the D2 Isn’t for You?
🏖️
The D7
For pensions, rent and dividends. Lets you run a business once you’re here, without a business plan in the application.
💻
The D8
For remote workers and freelancers with clients outside Portugal who meet the income threshold.
🌍
The Golden Visa
EU residency through investment, with about seven days a year in Portugal and no requirement to move.
⭐
Not ready to decide yet?
Sign up for our emails or get in touch for a free consultation.
Common questions
D2 Visa FAQ
Do I have to hire employees?
No. The D2 doesn’t require you to create jobs, and solo businesses are fine. You still need to show how the business benefits Portugal: through taxes, local spending, exports, specialized skills or partnerships.
Is there a minimum investment?
No official minimum. You’re expected to invest what your business realistically needs. A consultant might need a few thousand euros; a restaurant needs much more. The officer reviewing your file decides whether the numbers make sense.
Is there a minimum turnover?
Not on the D2. At renewal you need to show the business is active and supporting you, but there’s no revenue target. The Startup Visa is different: the business needs the potential to reach €325,000 in turnover or assets within five years.
Can I apply for the D2 from inside Portugal?
No. That route closed on June 4, 2024. You apply from the country where you legally live, and you need the visa in your passport before you move. The only exception is for Startup Visa founders approved by IAPMEI who are already legally in Portugal.
Can my co-founder come too?
On the D2, each founder needs their own application, and each has to qualify. The alternative is for one founder to move on a D2 and hire the others on a D1 or D3 work visa. The Startup Visa lets up to five founders be approved on a single project, which is one of its biggest advantages.
Is the D2 a good backup if I don’t qualify for the D7 or D8?
No. The D2 is scrutinized more heavily than either. Without business experience and a strong plan for a business Portugal actually wants, expect a refusal. And if the business fails, your residence permit goes with it. The student visa is much closer to a backup route.
Can I spend less time in Portugal on a D2?
Only with AIMA’s approval. You can be away longer for business reasons, but AIMA has to approve the absence, before or after. If you want to spend most of the year elsewhere, the Golden Visa’s seven-days-a-year rule is the one written into law.
Can I run a business on a D7 instead?
Yes. The D7 lets you work and run a business in Portugal, as long as your passive income meets the D7 threshold on its own. If you have that income, the D7 is often simpler, and renewals don’t depend on how the business is doing.
Should I use the D2 or the D8 as a freelancer?
If your clients are all outside Portugal and you work remotely, the D8 is usually the better fit, and it’s the route consulates expect. The D2 makes sense if you have a real Portugal connection, such as Portuguese clients or local work. It isn’t a guaranteed backup if you don’t meet the D8’s income requirement.
What’s the D2 refusal rate?
Neither the foreign ministry nor AIMA publishes one, so treat any figure you see quoted as an estimate. It’s widely accepted to be higher than for the D7 or D8, mostly because of weak business plans, unrealistic projections, a lack of business experience and thin evidence of benefit to Portugal.
Will I need to pay taxes in Portugal?
Almost certainly. Spending more than 183 days a year in Portugal makes you a tax resident, taxed on your worldwide income. Tax treaties with the US, UK, Canada and many other countries prevent double taxation. Some founders qualify for IFICI (NHR 2.0), mainly in tech, R&D and certified startups. Freelancers often use the simplified regime, where only 75% of service income is taxed. Get advice for your own situation.
Can I keep my company in the US or the UAE?
Not as the basis for a D2, which needs business activity in Portugal. And once you’re tax resident here, a foreign company you run from Portugal can be treated as Portuguese for tax purposes. Funded startups usually use a foreign parent company with a Portuguese subsidiary. Take cross-border tax advice first.
Do I need to speak Portuguese?
Not for the visa. You’ll need A2 Portuguese for permanent residency and citizenship. For a business that sells locally, you’ll need it much sooner, although you can get by in English in Lisbon, Porto, the Algarve and most coastal towns while you learn.
Are there restrictions on where I can live?
No. You can live anywhere in Portugal, including Madeira and the Azores. Most D2 applicants base themselves in Lisbon, Porto or the Algarve, but it’s not a requirement.
Sources
Sources
The official sources and data behind this page. Rules change, so check the current version before you rely on any of them.
Laws
- Lei 23/2007 (Portugal’s foreigners law): the legal basis for the D2 visa (Article 60) and residence permits. Diário da República.
- Lei 61/2025: the 2025 changes to the foreigners law, including family reunification waiting periods. Diário da República.
- Lei Orgânica 1/2026: the 2026 nationality law: ten years’ residence, counted from the date your first card is issued.
- Portaria 352/2024: the list of highly qualified professions that can qualify for IFICI. Portal das Finanças.
Official guidance
- Residence visa document list: the documents required for each residence visa, including the D2. Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- D2 checklist from the Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi: an example of a consulate’s own D2 checklist, published through VFS Global. Check your own consulate’s version.
- Startup Visa overview: Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Startup Visa program page: eligibility, the €325,000 growth target and the funds requirement. Startup Portugal.
- Startup Visa application guide: how to apply, incubators and IAPMEI’s decision deadlines. IAPMEI.
- 2026 minimum wage: the figure the D2’s income and savings requirements are based on. DGERT, Portuguese Ministry of Labor.
Data and reporting
- Portugal’s startup ecosystem: startup numbers, turnover and jobs. AICEP Portugal Global.
- Dealroom: Portugal: ecosystem value, unicorns and global ranking.
- London regains Europe’s top tech spot: Dealroom’s 2026 Global Tech Ecosystem Index, as reported by Tech.eu.
- The best cities in the world for startups: StartupBlink’s ranking of Lisbon and Porto, as reported by Forbes Portugal (in Portuguese).
- Startup Visa applications by nationality: IAPMEI figures on submitted and approved projects, as reported by CNN Portugal (in Portuguese).
- Which visas can still be requested in Brazil: consular visa numbers by type, as reported by DN Brasil (in Portuguese).
Thinking about Moving to Portugal?