Moving to Portugal

Portugal is one of the most accessible places in Western Europe to settle as a non-EU citizen, because its two main residence visas are pegged to a modest national minimum wage of €920 a month in 2026. The route you take depends on where your money comes from: passive income points to the D7, remote work points to the D8. Both lead to a residence permit issued by AIMA, Portugal's immigration agency, and to permanent residence after five years of legal residence.

Who this route suits

Portugal suits retirees with pensions, people living on rental income, dividends or interest, and remote employees or freelancers paid from outside the country. It is less suited to anyone who needs a fast, predictable process: consular decisions are relatively quick, but the AIMA residence step after arrival is where most delays now happen, so build slack into your timeline.

The main options at a glance

Visa	Best for	Income test in 2026 (single applicant)	Key point
D7 (passive income)	Retirees, landlords, investors	€920 a month (1x minimum wage)	€110 consular fee; 60-day legal decision period
D8 (digital nomad)	Remote employees and freelancers with foreign clients	€3,680 a month (4x minimum wage), averaged over three months	Most applicants should also show about €11,040 in savings

For both visas a spouse or partner adds 50% of the base amount and each child adds 30%. The thresholds move every January when Portugal raises the minimum wage, so a file prepared in December can fall short a few weeks later.

The order to tackle things

1. Pick your visa. Read the Portugal D7 visa guide if you live on pensions or investments, or the D8 income requirement guide if you work remotely. Check which one your income actually fits before you collect documents.
2. Get a NIF. Portugal's tax number is needed to open a bank account, sign a lease and apply for a residence visa. The number itself is free; you can book an appointment at Finanças or have a representative apply online. The NIF guide for non-residents explains both routes and when you need a fiscal representative.
3. Set a realistic budget. Rent decides whether Portugal is affordable for you, and Lisbon has the highest rents in the country. The Lisbon cost of living breakdown puts a single person at roughly €1,900 to €2,700 a month with a one-bedroom flat.
4. Apply at the consulate, then complete the AIMA step. The visa lets you enter Portugal; the residence permit you receive afterwards is initially valid for two years.
5. Plan your renewal early. Most temporary permits are now renewed on AIMA's online portal, which opens in stages by expiry month. The AIMA renewal guide covers the 90-day and 30-day legal window and what to do if your expiry month is not yet open.

What to watch out for

• Outdated income figures. Pages quoting €3,040, €3,280 or €3,480 for the D8 are using an older year's minimum wage.
• Treating legal minimums as targets. Consulates have discretion, and many D7 applicants show income well above €920 plus savings in a Portuguese bank account.
• Letting a permit lapse. If your permit expired more than six months ago, you need a new residence application at an AIMA counter rather than a renewal.
• Assuming a NIF makes you tax resident. It doesn't; you update your address and status when you move, and the number stays the same.

Start with the visa guide that matches your income, then work through the rest in order.