2025

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Portugal D7 Visa for a British family with rental income

After Brexit, I was devastated. In my twenties, I studied for a year in the Netherlands; in my thirties, I worked in Spain. Back then, it was so easy to move — just choose a country and go!

Brexit took that freedom away. I felt especially sad for my son and wanted to give him the same opportunities I had and a path to EU citizenship.

When the chance to earn rental income came up, I saw a way forward.

My son, mother, and I moved to Portugal on the D7 Visa thanks to Immigrant Invest. I hope this becomes our permanent home and the start of our journey to EU citizenship.

Emily, 43

Real estate owner from the United Kingdom

Clients’ names and photos have been changed

This case was provided by our expert

Célia Castilho

Head of the Portuguese office

Portugal D7 Visa for a British family with rental income

Applicants’ background

The applicants are a family from the United Kingdom: Emily, the main applicant, her underage son, and her mother.

After Brexit, Emily began exploring the possibility of obtaining a residence permit and eventually citizenship in the European Union. She wanted her son to have access to the same opportunities within the EU that she had enjoyed in her youth. To make this a reality, she needed to find a suitable pathway.

Why did Emily not move to Portugal earlier? Emily’s only realistic option initially seemed to be securing a job and applying for a work visa in an EU country. This would have allowed her to relocate.

However, this route presented challenges. The work visa does not immediately grant residence permits for family members. This meant Emily’s son and mother would have had to wait several months before applying through family reunification.

Unwilling to leave her family behind in the UK while settling in a new country, Emily found the work visa option impractical.

Some EU countries offer Digital Nomad Visas and visas for financially independent persons, FIPs, which typically allow applicants to include family members immediately. However, visas for FIPs require proof of passive income, which Emily did not have. The income thresholds for Digital Nomad Visas were too high. As a result, Emily had to rule out these options and postpone her plans to move.

Changes in Emily’s situation. In 2024, Emily’s mother moved in with her due to health issues. The family began renting out the mother’s apartment in Manchester for €1,400 per month. This additional income allowed Emily to seriously reconsider relocating. Consequently, she resumed exploring residency options.

Emily,

Holder of the Portugal D7 Visa

I own a flat in the UK which, if rented out, could provide enough passive income to qualify for the D7 Visa in Portugal. However, I was not ready to lease it, as I wanted to keep a place to return to in case my family or I did not settle well and decided to move back to the UK.

The opportunity to rent out my mother’s apartment presented a great solution to the relocation challenge.

Why applicants choose the Portugal D7 Visa

While choosing a country, Emily had several key priorities in mind:

relatively low income requirement;
good climate;
high level of safety;
a clear path to citizenship without the need to renounce her UK citizenship;
a straightforward process for obtaining residence permits for the entire family.

Emily considered many countries, including Spain and the Netherlands, but none met her needs except Portugal. It fulfilled all of Emily’s requirements for her future place of residence:

The D7 Passive Income Visa in Portugal requires a monthly income of €870.
Portugal enjoys a Mediterranean climate with over 300 days of sunshine per year.
In terms of safety, Portugal consistently ranks among the safest countries in the world. As of 2024, it held 7th place, well above the UK.
Portuguese citizenship is available after five years of residency, one of the fastest routes in Europe. Moreover, Portugal recognises dual citizenship.
The D7 Visa, allows applicants to include their parents. This meant Emily’s son and mother could move at the same time as Emily.

As a remote worker for a UK company, Emily could theoretically apply for the Digital Nomad Visa, but her monthly income was insufficient. The minimum income required for this visa in Portugal is €3,480. Therefore, she focused on Portugal’s visa for financially independent persons.

While researching the D7 Visa, Emily came across detailed responses from Immigrant Invest on Quora. She then visited their website, saw that they assisted with the D7 Visa process, and after some consideration, decided to book a consultation.

Individual cost calculation for the Portugal Passive Income D7 Visa

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Consultation with an Immigrant Invest expert

During the consultation, the Immigrant Invest expert explained to Emily all the requirements and procedures for obtaining the Portugal D7 Visa.

The key requirements for applicants include the following:

not being an EU and EEA citizens;
be 18 or older;
have passive income of at least €870 per month from outside Portugal — an amount equivalent to one year’s passive income must be deposited into a bank account;
have no criminal convictions;
purchase or rent accommodation in Portugal.

Emily met all these requirements and was ready to rent a property.

Family members can be included in the application. These include:

spouses;
children under 21 who are unmarried and not employed;
parents who are financially dependent on the main applicant.

Adding family members increases the required income by 50% per adult and 30% per child.

To apply with her mother and son, Emily needed a passive income of at least €1,566 per month.

After the consultation, Emily took several days to carefully consider the information provided. She ultimately decided to proceed with Immigrant Invest to ensure a smooth and stress-free process for obtaining residency in Portugal.

Choosing real estate in Portugal

Emily initially did not want to rent in Lisbon or Porto, as rental prices were well beyond her budget. Therefore, she decided to consider smaller cities. She had heard that many UK expats choose Coimbra, the fourth-largest city in Portugal, located in the central part of the country.

The Immigrant Invest expert provided Emily with several suitable apartments and helped her select the best one by sharing videos and photos.

Emily chose an apartment in the Santa Clara e Castelo Viegas civil parish in Coimbra. It costs €1,200 per month and includes three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a balcony, and a fully equipped kitchen. The floor area is 106 m², which pleases Emily, as her family’s previous apartment in the UK was only 73 m².

Passive Income Visa in Portugal — Coimbra, the fourth-largest city in Portugal with a population of 106,000, is known for its medieval old town and the University of Coimbra

How applicants obtained their Portugal D7 Visas

The process of obtaining the Portugal D7 Visa for Emily and her family took around six months. Immigrant Invest accompanied the application throughout the entire period.

Emily’s total expenses amounted to €3,225, excluding the funds deposited in the bank account to cover one year of living expenses in Portugal.

October 3rd, 2024

Preliminary Due Diligence

Immigrant Invest signs a contract with the applicant only after completing preliminary Due Diligence, which helps identify potential risks of refusal. Emily provided her passport, and the lawyers completed the check within one day. Following a successful outcome, Immigrant Invest signed an agreement with Emily and commenced work.

+ 4 days

Getting a Portuguese tax number

A Portuguese tax number, or Número de Identificação Fiscal, NIF, is required to open bank accounts and rent property. Immigrant Invest signed a power of attorney allowing a tax representative in Portugal to obtain the NIF on Emily’s behalf.

+ 3 weeks, €18,792

Opening a bank account in Portugal

Emily provided documents proving the legality of her income.

Immigrant Invest assisted her in opening a bank account, into which Emily transferred the required funds to cover one year of living expenses in Portugal.

Emily provided documents proving the legality of her income.

Immigrant Invest assisted her in opening a bank account, into which Emily transferred the required funds to cover one year of living expenses in Portugal.

+ 2 week, €2,400

Renting real estate

Immigrant Invest offered Emily several property options, from which she selected the most suitable one remotely. Lawyers conducted Due Diligence on the property and its owner and signed a one-year lease agreement on Emily’s behalf. She transferred the rent for the first and last months.

+ 3 months, €360

Applying for the D7 Visas

Immigrant Invest provided Emily with a checklist of required documents, including:

valid passports;
birth certificates;
police clearance certificates;
lease agreement in Portugal;
bank statements from Emily’s Portuguese bank account;
NIF registration certificate;
proof of income from immovable property in the UK;
health insurance certificates.

Lawyers completed the application forms and handled notarisation and legalisation of documents.

Emily submitted the application and biometric data to the Portuguese consulate in the UK. She paid an application fee of €90 per person and purchased health insurance policies costing €30 per person.

Immigrant Invest provided Emily with a checklist of required documents, including:

valid passports;
birth certificates;
police clearance certificates;
lease agreement in Portugal;
bank statements from Emily’s Portuguese bank account;
NIF registration certificate;
proof of income from immovable property in the UK;
health insurance certificates.

Lawyers completed the application forms and handled notarisation and legalisation of documents.

+ 1 month

Entering Portugal

After obtaining the D7 Visas, Emily and her family prepared to move to Portugal, with a 4-month period to complete their relocation.

+ 1 day, €465

Applying for residence permits

Immigrant Invest booked an appointment at the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum, AIMA, in Portugal.

Emily submitted the documents for residence permits in person, accompanied by an Immigrant Invest representative. She paid a processing fee of €83 per family member and a residence permit issuance fee of €72 per family member.

Immigrant Invest booked an appointment at the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum, AIMA, in Portugal.

April 9th, 2025

Getting residence permit cards

The residence permit cards were sent to the family’s address in Portugal.

Applicants’ life with the D7 Visa

With the D7 Visas, Emily and her family moved to Portugal in April and are now in the process of settling into their new life.

So far, the family loves the city they have chosen and the country itself. They are especially fond of the weather and the opportunity to enjoy sunbathing and swimming in the Atlantic Ocean. Since Coimbra is located about an hour from the beach, the family can travel there every weekend.

For now, Emily’s apartment in the UK remains unoccupied, but she is considering renting it out if, after spending several months in Portugal, she decides to stay long-term. Renting out the second apartment could provide enough income for the family to eventually move to Lisbon or Porto.

If everything goes according to plan, Emily intends to renew her residence permits after 2 years, securing an additional 3 years of residency. After that, the entire family will be eligible to apply for Portuguese citizenship. Immigrant Invest is prepared to assist them with renewing residence permits and the citizenship application process.

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