Portugal D7 visa: income requirements and application process

The D7 visa is also known as the Retirement or the Passive Income Visa. Its holders can come to Portugal and get a residence permit.

This path is suitable for financially independent cosmopolitans who confirm a stable income, calculated based on the minimum salary in Portugal. In 2024, the minimum salary is €820, so the D7 visa applicant must demonstrate a yearly income of at least €9,840.

How to get the Portugal D7 Visa

Typically, D7 visa applicants come to Portugal not to find a job or start a business but to live in a European country for as long as necessary for obtaining citizenship.

The Portugal Passive Income Visa and the residence permit for financially independent persons are regulated by paragraph 1 of Article 58 of Law No. 23/2007 dated 04.07.2007 and paragraph d of Article 24 of Resolution No. 84/2007 dated 11.05.2007. The law applies to citizens of countries that are not members of the EU who get a stable high income from any kind of property abroad.

The Portugal D7 visa does not give the right to work in Portugal officially, but if the applicant later obtains a residence permit, this restriction will be lifted.

The key facts about the Portugal D7 visa:

1. It allows the holder to enter the territory of Portugal to apply for a residence permit.

2. It is valid for two entries into the country.

3. The visa validity period is 4 months.

4. It is issued within 60 days from the date of documents submission.

Confirm income. The applicant’s passive income should exceed the cost of living in Portugal. Starting January 1st, 2024, it is €820 per month, or €9,840 per year.

If a person plans to move with a family, a minimum of half the living wage is added for a spouse or a parent and 30% of the living wage is added for each child.

The easiest way to prove income is to provide a bank statement. Income can be earned by leasing property, as profits from business, intellectual property, securities, and pensions.

Purchase or rent a residential property in Portugal. The applicant needs to have their own or long-term rented apartment or villa. There are no requirements for the minimum cost. The main thing is that there is a signed lease or sale agreement and documents confirming payments under the agreement, e.g. bank statements. The applicant can book rooms at a hotel or use services like Airbnb.

Move to the country. To maintain a residence permit, the applicant must live in Portugal 1.5 consecutive years in the first two years of residency or 16 months in total over two years. In this way, the D7 visa differs from the Golden Visa program, under which you have to contribute money to the country’s economy and live there a week every year.

1. Visa-free travel to European countries. Holders of a Portugal residence permit do not need to obtain visas to travel within the European Union or the Schengen area.

2. Extension of the residence permit. The residence permit is issued for two years and can be extended for three years if the applicant confirms compliance with the requirements.

3. Residence permits for the whole family. A spouse and dependent close relatives such as minor children, siblings, and parents can obtain residence permits for family reunification.

4. Opportunity to obtain permanent residence or citizenship. A foreigner can apply for a permanent residence permit in Portugal or for its citizenship after five years of living in the country.

Portugal offers one of the fastest routes to naturalization in the European Union. For example, In Spain or Italy you can apply for a passport only after ten years of residing in the country.

5. Dual citizenship. Portugal allows dual citizenship. A foreigner is not obliged to renounce up his home country’s passport.

How to move to Portugal and how fast you can do it via the D7 visa

Buying or renting a home in Portugal. Real estate in Portugal is cheaper than in neighbouring EU countries. The average house price in Portugal is €2,500 per 1 m², while in Spain, house prices are at the level of €3,000 per 1 m².

The average cost of renting a one-room apartment in Portugal ranges from €600 to €800 per month.

Registration of real estate. Taxes, including the stamp duty, agent’s commission, legal and notary fees, amount to 9—10% of the property value.

State fees for getting a residence permit. The consular fee, visa application fee, and residence permit fees are about €300 per applicant. The applicant’s family members pay the same fees.

The D7 visa allows the holder to get a Portuguese residence permit for a period of two years, which can be extended for another to three years.

To extend the residence permit, a foreigner submits documents confirming sufficient income to the Agency for Integration, Migrations and Asylum of Portugal.

A resident can apply for permanent residence or citizenship after five years of living in the country.

Permanent residence is granted for life; the card itself must be renewed every five years. The applicant needs to confirm knowledge of the Portuguese language at level A2 — it is the elementary level which requires basic knowledge. Typically, it takes around 200 hours of studying to reach.

To apply for citizenship on a general basis, a resident needs to prove Portuguese language proficiency at the A2 international level and prove that they have no criminal record in Portugal.

A foreigner who lives in Portugal for 183 days a year becomes a tax resident — it means all their income is taxed in Portugal with its tax rates. But new residents are entitled to some benefits that help to optimise taxation.

Those who become Portuguese tax residents can apply for a special tax status — RNH (Residente Não Habitual, English version is NHR, Non-habitual Resident). This entitles its holder to tax benefits for ten years, including a reduced income tax rate of 20% on income earned in Portugal and 10% on a pension gotten abroad.

Financially independent persons are also exempt from taxes on income received outside of Portugal. They do not pay inheritance, gift or property taxes. They can transfer money to Portugal and abroad without commissions.

The Golden Residence Permit Program is an alternative way to obtain a residence permit in Portugal. Such a residence permit is called a golden visa. The program offers investment options starting with €250,000.

Applicants can open a business and create jobs in companies in Portugal, or invest in research activities or the preservation of cultural heritage.

Investors are attracted by the transparency of the procedure and the opportunity to obtain citizenship for the whole family in five years.

Individual cost calculation of the residence permit in Portugal

Get the cost calculation

Immigrant Invest provides support services for participation in the Golden Visa Program and getting a Portugal D7 visa. Lawyers help to prepare documents, conduct a preliminary Due Diligence check and accompany the applicant to the official bodies of Portugal.

Immigrant Invest works with a proven database of residential properties. Our real estate experts help to choose a property based on goals and budget.