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 any rolling 180-day period as a tourist. To live in Portugal long-term, you need to apply for the right residence visa before you travel, at the Portuguese consulate that covers where you currently live.
Portugal visa and residency options for expats
Most expats moving to Portugal fall into one of four visa categories. Which one fits depends on whether you have passive income, remote work, a job offer, or capital to invest.
| Visa | Who it’s for | 2026 income requirement |
|---|---|---|
| D7 visa | Retirees and financially independent movers living on passive income (pensions, dividends, rental income) | ~€920/month (~€11,040/year), plus 50% for a spouse and 30% per dependant |
| D8 digital nomad visa | Remote employees and freelancers working for non-Portuguese clients | ~€3,680/month (roughly 4x Portugal’s minimum wage) |
| Golden Visa (ARI) | Investors seeking residency without living in Portugal full-time | From ~€200,000 (arts/culture in low-density areas) to €500,000 (investment funds); real estate no longer qualifies |
| Work permit / job offer visa | Movers with a job offer from a Portuguese employer | Set by the employment contract |
The D7 is generally read as “no work,” though some consulates tolerate limited remote income alongside genuinely passive sources — if most of your income is active remote work, the D8 is the correct route. Both typically require private health insurance, a clean criminal record, and proof of Portuguese accommodation, and both count toward the residence period needed for permanent residency (5 years) and citizenship (7–10 years, per the 2026 rules above).
What happened to the Golden Visa?
Portugal’s Golden Visa is still active in 2026, but it no longer works the way most people remember. Real estate and capital-transfer routes closed in October 2023 as part of the “Mais Habitação” housing reforms. The main surviving path is a minimum €500,000 investment into a qualifying Portuguese fund (private equity or venture capital, with no real estate exposure), alongside smaller routes like job creation and donations to Portuguese arts, heritage or scientific research. Golden Visa holders only need to spend roughly 7 days a year in Portugal to maintain the visa, which makes it a different proposition from the D7 or D8 — a residency-by-investment plan rather than a full relocation.
How to move to Portugal: step by step
- Choose your visa route — match your situation (passive income, remote work, investment or job offer) to the options above.
- Get an NIF number — Portugal’s tax ID is needed to open a bank account, sign a lease, or apply for most visas, so this is usually the first practical step.
- Gather your documents — passport, criminal record check (apostilled and translated), proof of income or savings, and private health insurance.
- Apply at your local Portuguese consulate — book your appointment as early as possible, since processing times vary by consulate and season.
- Collect your visa and travel to Portugal — most residence visas must be activated within a set window after issue.
- Register with AIMA — Portugal’s immigration agency finalises your residence permit once you’re in the country.
- Open a Portuguese bank account and register for tax — needed to pay rent, receive income and meet ongoing visa conditions.
Each visa route has its own document checklist and processing quirks, and AIMA has been working through a long-standing application backlog, so build extra buffer time into your plans rather than assuming a fixed timeline.
Getting your NIF number
The NIF (Número de Identificação Fiscal) is Portugal’s tax identification number, and — much like Spain’s NIE — you’ll be asked for it constantly: to sign a lease, open a bank account, get a phone contract or start a job. EU citizens can generally apply in person at a Finanças (tax office) using just their passport. Non-EU citizens are usually required to appoint a fiscal representative to apply on their behalf, either from abroad before moving or through a Portuguese tax office once resident.
What does it cost to move to Portugal?
Your total moving budget depends heavily on your visa route, how much you ship, and which region you settle in. As a starting point, budget for these categories:
| Cost category | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Visa & legal fees | Consulate fees, document translation, apostilles, and any immigration lawyer or fiscal representative support |
| Shipping & removals | International movers or a smaller shipment, depending on how much you bring |
| Housing deposit | Portuguese landlords commonly ask for one to two months’ rent as deposit, plus the first month upfront |
| Health insurance | Private cover required for most non-EU visas until you’re enrolled in the public system |
| Ongoing living costs | Rent, utilities, groceries and transport — costs vary significantly between Lisbon or Porto and smaller towns and the interior |
Prices shift with the season, the region and the exchange rate, so treat this as a planning checklist rather than a fixed budget, and get itemised quotes from Portugal’s moving companies before you commit to a date.
Tax residency and the NHR 2.0 (IFICI) regime
Spend more than 183 days in Portugal in a 12-month period and you generally become a Portuguese tax resident, which means declaring your worldwide income. Portugal’s famous NHR regime closed to new applicants at the end of 2024 and has been replaced by IFICI (“NHR 2.0”) — a narrower flat 20% tax rate on qualifying income for up to 10 years, aimed specifically at roles in scientific research, innovation and other high-value sectors, not the broad expat population the old NHR covered. If tax planning is a big part of your move, speak to a Portugal-based tax advisor before you relocate, since eligibility depends heavily on your profession and income structure.
Healthcare in Portugal for expats
Portugal has a well-regarded public healthcare system (Serviço Nacional de Saúde, or SNS), and residence permit holders — including D7 and D8 visa holders — generally gain access once their residency is confirmed. Most consulates still require proof of private health insurance at the visa application stage, before that access kicks in, so budget for it as an initial cost even if you plan to rely on the SNS long-term.
Many expats keep a private policy even after qualifying for the SNS, for shorter wait times and English-speaking providers, particularly for specialist care. When shopping for a policy, check for annual cover limits and co-payment clauses before you buy.
Finding somewhere to live
Most expats rent for their first year in Portugal while they get to know a city or region, then decide whether to buy. Foreigners can buy property in Portugal with no residency requirement, though — as noted above — property purchases no longer qualify for the Golden Visa. Whichever you choose, work with a licensed estate agent and consider an independent property lawyer to review any contract before you sign, since housing supply in Lisbon and Porto in particular remains tight.
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