Portugal has an enduring appeal as a beautiful European country with vibrant cities and islands that make life and work a pleasure. Portugal has a climate that is never truly cold and has extremely good internet infrastructure, which makes it ideal as a base for remote workers.
The Portuguese digital nomad visa has been in existence since 2022 and is Portugal’s answer to attracting new talent and workers to the country. Remote workers make up an attractive demographic due to their larger-than-average disposable incomes that they can spend in the country. Many countries including Malta, Spain and Indonesia are all looking at how best to win over this group and encourage them to stay..
Two visas may be of interest to digital nomads: the D7 passive income visa, which is for those with a retirement income or people renting out properties in their home country, and the D8 Digital Nomad visa.
The D8 digital nomad visa has more stringent income requirements than the D7 passive income visa, and this is because people who are digital nomads are generally expected to be making a higher monthly income than an older demographic. There are no restrictions on working in Portugal on either visa type.
Portugal is a beautiful and diverse country with a stunning array of landscapes to captivate even the most seasoned of travellers and opportunities to enjoy music, culture and local cuisine abound.
There is the opportunity to experience island life in picturesque Madeira, a vibrant city in stunning Lisbon, or top-notch beach life in Albufeira or the Algarve.
There are also quieter villages and towns inland that can give a high standard of living for less money.
The digital nomad visa route also provides a path to permanent residency in Portugal after 5 years.
On the digital nomad visa, once you have been there for more than 183 consecutive days, you qualify for Non-Habitual Resident status and a tax rate of 20% on any income earned within Portugal.
There is 0% tax on any income earned outside Portugal, which can make this a very attractive option.
The Portuguese digital nomad visa is only available to people who are not already citizens of the EU, EEA or Switzerland, as the right to freedom of movement exists between the EU member states already.
To qualify for the digital nomad visa, you must either prove employment with a company that permits remote working or prove that you are working on a self-employed basis for a company or companies based outside Portugal.
To qualify for this visa type, you must be able to demonstrate a monthly average income of €3,280 that covers the three months prior to applying for the visa. In addition to this, you must be able to deposit €9,840 in a Portugese bank account prior to submitting the application.
To be eligible for the D7 passive income visa, applicants need to be able to prove that they receive more than €820 per month in passive income. This can be in the form of dividends, rent, pension or copyright payments but cannot include a salary. It is specified that the requirement is for passive income only.
The minimum monthly income is €820 for a single person and €410 for an additional adult in the household, with €246 each month for minors. As with the digital nomad visa, €9,840 must be deposited in a Portuguese bank account before the application is made.
A valid passport with at least as much time left as the visa duration.
A criminal record certificate to prove you hold no convictions.
Proof of address in your home country. Utility bills and bank statements tend to be ideal.
Proof of address in Portugal. A lease agreement.
Travel insurance documents.
A statement from a Portuguese Bank showing adequate funds.
Proof of salary or passive income, depending on which visa you’ve applied for. These can be rental agreements, pension statements, pay slips, etc.
Documents for any family, members, so marriage certificates, birth certificates, etc.
The application process is relatively simple for both visas. The process starts outside Portugal, and you should contact the local Portuguese Embassy or Consulate in your home country to begin the process.
There are a number of steps you should follow to successfully obtain a D7 visa or a digital nomad visa. These steps are the same for the Portugal D7 visa checklist and the digital nomad visa checklist.
Step 1: Ask Your Local Portuguese Embassy or Consulate for an Application Form. It may be on their website for downloading. If it is, print it out to fill in a physical copy.
Step 2: Ensure that you have all of the required documentation. This includes proof of money in a bank in Portugal, so you will need to open a bank account there and deposit the necessary amount of money.
Step 3: Submit the application at the Embassy or Consulate. You will need to make an appointment and you will need to bring all of the necessary documents with you.
Step 4: Visa Issued. Await the visa being issued to you and then you can make plans to make the move to Portugal.
Due to the sheer volume of applications, it can take up to 9 months for applications to be approved, though it is usually significantly quicker than this.
For both of the visa options, including the Portugal D7 visa minimum stay is six consecutive months within a calendar year, and eight months in total during the visa period.
This may have implications for your taxation status as Portugal may consider you a tax resident after six months of time uninterrupted in their country.
The Non-Habitual Resident status is available after six months and can be a real benefit to digital nomads.
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