How to Move to Portugal: Complete Expat Guide
Do you need a visa to move to Portugal? It depends entirely on your nationality. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens have freedom of movement — you can move to Portugal without a visa and simply register your residency once you arrive. Everyone else — including UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens — can only stay 90 days in […]
Renting in Portugal: Complete Expat Guide
The NIF: your first, non-negotiable step Every rental contract in Portugal must legally name both the landlord’s and tenant’s NIF (Número de Identificação Fiscal). This isn’t a formality — it’s a hard requirement, and a landlord who’s genuinely willing to skip it, or offers only a verbal arrangement, is a red flag rather than a […]
Portugal Digital Nomad Visa (D8): Requirements & Application
What is the D8 visa, and who is it for? The D8 — Portugal’s Digital Nomad Visa, sometimes called the Remote Work Visa — is for non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens who earn their living through active remote work: employees who can work from anywhere, or freelancers and self-employed professionals billing clients outside Portugal. Think a software developer […]
Portugal D7 Visa: Requirements & Application
What is the Portugal D7 visa? The D7 visa — sometimes called the Portugal Passive Income Visa or Retirement Visa — is a long-term residence visa for non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens who can support themselves through passive income rather than active employment in Portugal. It’s the go-to route for retirees living on a pension, property owners with […]
Moving to Portugal: Pros, Cons & Realities
The honest starting point: 2026 is different from 2020 A lot of the content still circulating about “moving to Portugal” was written during the 2018–2022 boom years, when NHR offered a flat 20% tax rate, the Golden Visa still ran through real estate, and Lisbon rents hadn’t yet climbed. Several of the biggest draws from […]
How to Start a Business in Portugal as a Foreigner
Can foreigners really own 100% of a Portuguese company? Yes. Portugal places no restrictions on foreign ownership — non-EU citizens can own 100% of a Portuguese company, hold director positions, and register a business with no residency requirement for founders or directors. This applies across virtually every sector. The one practical gate: if you’re a […]
How to Open a Bank Account in Portugal
Step 1: Get your NIF The NIF is Portugal’s tax identification number, and it’s the absolute prerequisite for everything that follows — you cannot open a Portuguese bank account, sign a lease, or set up utilities without one. If you’re an EU/EEA citizen: you can generally apply for a NIF yourself, in person, at a […]
How to Find an Immigration Lawyer in Portugal
Nothing stops you from filing a D7, D8, or Golden Visa application yourself, and plenty of people do — usually those with simple cases
How to Buy Property in Portugal as a Foreigner
Yes, without qualification. Portugal places no nationality or residency restrictions on buying property — an American
Health Insurance for Expats in Portugal
This is the detail that trips up more D7 and D8 applicants than almost anything else on the checklist: