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 rental income, and investors earning dividends or interest.
It is not the right visa for remote workers or freelancers earning active income from ongoing client work — that’s what the D8 digital nomad visa is for, which requires roughly four times the minimum wage (about €3,680/month) in qualifying remote-work income instead.
CALLOUT: Salary, freelance fees, and active remote-work income don’t count toward the D7 threshold on their own. Some consulates will accept a mix of passive and active income, but the passive portion alone must still clear the minimum.
The €920/month income rule, explained
Portugal ties the D7’s income threshold directly to the national minimum wage, which is €920/month for 2026. This is the figure a single applicant must show in stable, recurring passive income:
TABLE
| Applicant | % of minimum wage | 2026 monthly requirement | 2026 annual requirement |
| Main applicant | 100% | €920 | €11,040 |
| Spouse / adult dependant | +50% | +€460 | +€5,520 |
| Each dependent child | +30% | +€276 | +€3,312 |
So a couple applying together needs to show €1,380/month (€16,560/year) combined, and a couple with one child needs €1,656/month (€19,872/year). Qualifying income sources include state and private pensions, US Social Security, rental income, dividends, interest, royalties and annuities.
CALLOUT: Consulates are stricter with applications that sit exactly at the minimum with nothing extra to show. In practice, successful applicants usually present income comfortably above the threshold, plus savings beyond the required deposit.
The €11,040 savings buffer
On top of monthly income, most Portuguese consulates expect proof of a savings buffer — cash held in a bank account to demonstrate financial resilience, separate from your ongoing income. The standard reference is 12 months’ worth of the minimum required income:
TABLE
| Household | 2026 savings buffer |
| Single applicant | €11,040 |
| + spouse | +€5,520 (€16,560 total) |
| + each dependent child | +€3,312 per child |
Many consulates specifically want to see this held in a Portuguese bank account, not just a home-country account, so budget time to get a NIF, open a Portuguese account, and transfer the funds before your appointment. Some consulates — reportedly including several serving US applicants — prefer to see 24 months of savings rather than 12, so it’s worth checking your specific consulate’s practice directly rather than assuming the baseline figure applies everywhere.
Required documents checklist
- Valid passport, with at least 6 months’ validity remaining
- Proof of passive income — pension statements, rental agreements, dividend or interest statements covering recent months (ideally 12)
- Portuguese bank statement showing your savings buffer on deposit
- Proof of accommodation — a registered 12-month lease agreement, or proof of a property purchase in Portugal
- Private health insurance — valid in Portugal, covering at least your first year, with comprehensive cover including hospitalisation (commonly a minimum of around €30,000)
- Criminal record certificate — apostilled and translated, generally accepted only if issued within about 3 months of submission
- NIF (Portuguese tax number) — required to open your bank account and complete most of the above
- Completed application form and visa fee payment
How to apply for the D7 visa: step by step
- Get your NIF and open a Portuguese bank account — this unlocks almost everything else on the checklist.
- Deposit your savings buffer — transfer the required amount (€11,040+ depending on family size) into your Portuguese account.
- Secure 12-month accommodation — sign a registered lease or provide proof of a property purchase.
- Buy private health insurance — covering at least your first year in Portugal.
- Get your criminal record certificate — apostilled, translated, and dated close to your submission date.
- Book your consulate appointment and submit your file — pay the visa fee (roughly €90–110) at your local Portuguese consulate or VFS Global centre.
- Receive your D7 visa — once approved, you’ll get a visa valid for 4 months (120 days) allowing up to two entries. Travel to Portugal within that window.
- Attend your AIMA appointment — usually pre-booked by the consulate at visa issuance, generally required within 4 months of arrival.
- Receive your residence card — AIMA issues your 2-year residence permit after your appointment.
The real 6–9 month timeline
Marketing copy sometimes makes the D7 sound faster than it typically runs in 2026. Here’s a realistic, stage-by-stage breakdown:
TABLE
| Stage | Typical duration |
| Document preparation | Varies — often the slowest stage if paperwork isn’t ready |
| Consulate decision | 60–90 days once your file is complete |
| D7 visa validity window | 4 months (120 days) to enter Portugal |
| Wait for AIMA appointment | As little as 15 days in smaller regions; up to 120 days in Lisbon or Porto |
| AIMA card issuance | Several weeks after the appointment, longer if a backlog is in effect |
Add it up, and 6–9 months from application to residence card is a realistic planning window in 2026, with some cases running past a year where AIMA’s national backlog causes delays. Some files move faster; treat any shorter estimate as optimistic rather than typical.
CALLOUT: AIMA — which replaced the former SEF in October 2023 — is still working through a significant backlog across immigration categories. Book your AIMA appointment immediately on arrival in Portugal rather than waiting, since the clock on your 120-day window doesn’t pause.
D7 visa costs
TABLE
| Fee | Approximate cost |
| Consulate visa application fee | ~€90–110 per person |
| AIMA processing fee | ~€156 |
| Residence permit issuance fee | ~€160–170 |
These government fees are modest relative to the overall cost of relocating — budget separately for health insurance, accommodation, moving costs, and any immigration lawyer or advisor fees if you choose to use one.
After approval: renewal and the path to citizenship
Your initial D7 residence permit is valid for 2 years, renewable for further 3-year periods after that. Renewal happens directly with AIMA — not back at a consulate — and is generally simpler than the initial application: submit at least 30 days before expiry, provide updated bank statements (typically 3–6 months), and pay a renewal fee (roughly €72).
Under the nationality law in force since 19 May 2026, most D7 holders can apply for citizenship after 10 years of legal residence (7 years for EU/CPLP nationals), counted from your first residence permit — up from the 5-year rule many older guides still describe. You’ll also need A2-level Portuguese and to meet a civic-knowledge requirement. Plan to spend a meaningful amount of time in Portugal (commonly cited as at least 16 months across your first 2-year permit) and avoid single absences over 6 consecutive months, since longer gaps can jeopardise renewals and reset your residency clock.
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