D7 Visa Portugal 2026: Income Rules, Documents, Costs

The D7 is Portugal's residence visa for people who do not need a job here: retirees with a pension, and anyone living on passive income such as rent, dividends, interest or royalties. It is the most searched Portuguese visa and one of the most misunderstood: it is not a cheaper digital nomad visa, and what decides your file is not only your monthly income but also where the money sits. This guide sticks to what the law, the consulates and AIMA publish, as of September 2026, and says so where your consulate may differ.

Who the D7 is for

Officially it is the residence visa "for retirees, religious workers and people who live on their own income" (Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007, art. 24). Three groups:

• Retirees with a state, occupational or private pension whose amount and continued payment they can prove.
• People living on their own income from property (rent, dividends, interest), intellectual property (royalties) or financial investments.
• Religious workers certified by a church or religious community recognised in Portugal. They have their own paperwork, so we leave them aside here.

It is for citizens of countries outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland; EU citizens simply register (see EU citizens). Nationals of Portuguese-speaking (CPLP) countries may be exempt from some documents, such as insurance.

What the D7 is not for: a salary or freelance income. Remote work for foreign employers or clients is active income, which is the D8; freelancing or running a business in Portugal is the D2. Not sure? See D7 vs D8 or the visa finder.

How much income you need in 2026

There is no special "D7 amount". All residence visas use the yardstick of Portaria 1563/2007: the guaranteed minimum monthly wage (RMMG), €920 in 2026 (Decreto-Lei 139/2025), counted per person: 100% for the first adult, 50% (€460) for each further adult, and 30% (€276) for each child under 18 or dependent adult child. For the D7 these means must be secured for at least 12 months (Portaria 1563/2007, art. 5 n.º 6):

These are legal floors, not targets. The Portaria wants stable and regular resources covering food, housing and health care, so exactly €920 from an irregular source is weaker than a steady pension well above it. The Government and social partners have also agreed a path to €970 in 2027; it is not law yet, but if you apply in 2027, budget on it. More in income required for a residence visa.

What counts as passive income, with the proof that goes with it:

• Pensions: proof of the amount, and that it will be received or that other income is available in Portugal. AIMA accepts a social security declaration or a certificate from the official body that pays the pension.
• Rent: lease contracts and proof of payment; some consulates (Shanghai, for one) want property documents apostilled.
• Dividends and interest: statements, or a declaration from the entity paying the investment income.
• Royalties: contracts and payment records.

What does not work: salary, freelance invoices or remote-work income (that is the D8), and money borrowed or gifted just before applying. Savings alone are a grey area: the law speaks of income, and a large balance mainly shows that means are available in Portugal. If savings are your main resource, ask your consulate first; this point is indicative, not an official rule.

The 12-month rule: money available in Portugal

This is the part people miss. For people living on their own income, the official list asks for proof of the income and of its availability in Portugal. For retirees, proof of the pension and a guarantee that it will be received, or of other income available in Portugal.

Consulates usually translate this into a Portuguese bank account holding at least 12 months of the threshold. Some say so outright: the vice-consulate in Porto Alegre (Brazil) asks for 12 Portuguese minimum wages in an account at a bank in Portugal, shown with a recent statement, which is €11,040 for one person in 2026. That is why an account at a bank in Portugal matters more than an app with a foreign IBAN: see why Wise and Revolut get rejected.

NIF and a Portuguese bank account

To open a Portuguese bank account you need a NIF, the tax number. Neither is on the MNE base list, but the "available in Portugal" rule makes them a practical necessity.

• From abroad: the tax authority (AT) takes the request online via the Portal das Finanças e-balcão, filed by a representative with a power of attorney, or in person by appointment at a tax office or Loja do Cidadão.
• Tax representative: contrary to many guides, AT says appointing one is not mandatory when a non-resident gets a NIF. Only once you have a tax relationship in Portugal (say, you own property or a car) must you, within 15 days, appoint a representative or sign up for electronic notifications (Portal das Finanças or ViaCTT).
• After you move: update your address with AT so your NIF switches from non-resident to resident.

Step by step: get your NIF before you move and opening a bank account.

Proof of accommodation

Housing comes up twice. At the consulate it is not on the MNE base list, but many consulates ask for it: Porto Alegre accepts a lease in your name with certified signatures, a property purchase, or a hotel booking of at least one week. At AIMA it is a legal condition (Lei 23/2007, art. 77): a sworn statement of your address, backed by a land-registry certificate if you own the home or a declaration from the landlord or host.

So a short booking may do for the visa, but you need a real address by your AIMA appointment. If a landlord will not sign, read proof of address (morada); compare rents by region in the cost-of-living calculator.

Documents checklist

The MNE base list for every residence visa:

• National visa application form, completed and signed.
• Two identical, recent passport-type photos.
• Passport valid 3 months beyond the planned stay, plus a copy of the bio page.
• Proof of legal status in the country where you apply, if you are not a national of it.
• Travel insurance covering medical care and repatriation (Brazilians with PB4 and UK residents with S1 may be exempt).
• Criminal record certificate from your country of nationality or any country where you lived over a year, apostilled or legalised (not required under 16).
• Proof of means of subsistence.

Plus, for the D7: retirees prove the pension amount and that it will be received or that other income is available in Portugal; people on their own income prove the existence and amount of that income and its availability in Portugal.

Consulates add their own items. Porto Alegre, for instance, also wants a signed statement of your planned stay, means and address, your latest tax return, three pension slips and three bank statements. Foreign-language documents may need certified translations: see apostilles and translations.

Where and how to apply

You apply at the Portuguese consulate for the country where you live legally, not in Portugal. In 25 countries (89 cities), including the US, the UK, Brazil, India, South Africa and China, an external provider takes in applications for the consulate: VFS Global in most, TLS or BLS in a few. It collects your file and biometrics; the consulate decides. Providers may charge a service fee on top of the €110, so check their website.

Step by step and timeline

• 1. Confirm the D7 fits: pension or passive income, not work.
• 2. NIF and bank account: move at least 12 months of means into it.
• 3. Documents: criminal record with apostille, income proofs, insurance, accommodation.
• 4. Apply at the consulate or visa centre and pay €110.
• 5. Decision within 60 days (Lei 23/2007, art. 58). The visa comes with a pre-authorisation of residence carrying provisional NIF, NISS (social security) and SNS (health) numbers, and, according to AIMA, the foreign ministry books your AIMA appointment when it issues the visa.
• 6. Travel within 4 months: two entries, 4 months' stay, in which you attend AIMA.
• 7. AIMA decision within 90 days (+30 in exceptional cases), then the card.

The legal clocks add up to about five months (60 + 90 days). Apostilles, a bank account from abroad and consulate queues come on top and vary by country, so plan a buffer, especially around school terms or a lease start. Use the AIMA deadline counter and the relocation checklist.

After you arrive: the AIMA residence permit

The permit follows the general conditions of art. 77 of Lei 23/2007: valid visa, presence in Portugal, means, accommodation, Social Security registration where applicable, no conviction for a crime punishable by over one year in prison, no entry ban or SIS alert. AIMA's page for it lists: passport and visa; proof of means; the sworn address statement with land-registry certificate or landlord's declaration; proof of family ties where relevant; tax and Social Security registration where applicable; and health insurance or proof of SNS coverage (see health insurance for your visa file). AIMA warns that everything must be handed in with the application, or it can be refused (Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007, art. 51 n.º 14).

What changed on 11 September 2026: Lei 62/2026 came into force. AIMA must decide a new permit within 90 days, extendable by 30 days only in exceptional, justified cases, and must tell you. Renewals: 60 days. Tacit approval of undecided renewals (former art. 82 n.º 7) was revoked, so silence no longer means yes.

Renewal. The first permit lasts 2 years, then 3 years at a time (art. 75). Apply at least 30 days before expiry (art. 78), still with means and housing, tax and Social Security obligations met, and no prison sentences totalling over a year. Renewals go through AIMA's online renewals portal; the receipt works as your permit (60 days, renewable, under the law; AIMA has issued portal receipts valid 180 days). More in permit renewal.

How much time you must spend in Portugal

There is no minimum number of days, but there is a maximum absence. A temporary permit can be cancelled if, without a valid reason, you are away 6 consecutive months, or 8 months in total, during its validity (art. 85 n.º 2). Longer absences must be justified to AIMA, before leaving or, exceptionally, afterwards, and do not lead to cancellation if you prove professional, business, cultural or social activity abroad. For a permanent permit the limit is 24 consecutive months, or 30 within three years. See leaving Portugal while waiting for your card.

Bringing your family

• Together with you: spouse or partner and children can apply for residence visas at the same time (art. 58 n.º 5), with stable resources for everyone for 12 months (use the table above).
• Later, by family reunification: normally after holding your permit 2 years (15 months for a spouse you lived with for 18 months before arriving). Minor or incapable children in your care, and a spouse who is their parent, skip the wait. You need normal housing and means for everyone without social benefits, and reunified family members must take Portuguese and civic courses.

Family, per the MNE list: spouse, proven de facto partner, minor children, dependent single adult children who study, and dependent parents of you or your spouse. See our family reunification guide.

Taxes: what a D7 resident actually pays

Most D7 holders become tax residents, and many budgets still assume a tax break that no longer exists. From the Portal das Finanças:

• Tax residence starts with more than 183 days in Portugal in any 12 months, or a home here you seem to intend to keep as your habitual residence (CIRS art. 16).
• Residents pay IRS on worldwide income (CIRS art. 15): pensions, dividends, interest and rents, subject to the tax treaty with the paying country.
• NHR is closed: its rules were revoked by the 2024 Budget Law (Lei 82/2023).
• IFICI does not fit a typical D7: its 20% rate (EBF art. 58-A) is only for people who come to do qualifying work, such as research, higher education, qualified posts or certified startups. Living on a pension or investments does not qualify, and pensions are not among the foreign income IFICI exempts even for those who qualify.

Progressive rates apply: see IRS rates 2026 and NHR is closed: what is IFICI. Treaty rules differ by country and by pension type (state or private), so have a certified accountant (contabilista certificado) check your case before moving money. This is orientation, not tax advice.

D7 vs D8 vs Golden Visa

In short: the D7 is cheapest in fees but asks you to move your life here; the D8 is for people who keep working; the Golden Visa asks for a lot of capital and little presence.

Common reasons for refusal

• Active income filed as passive because the D7 threshold looks lower. Consulates look at the source, not just the amount.
• Money not available in Portugal when your consulate expects it there.
• Insufficient or irregular means for every family member for 12 months.
• Missing or outdated documents, especially a criminal record without apostille.
• A conviction for a crime punishable by over one year in prison, an entry ban or an SIS alert.
• At AIMA: no housing proof, no health cover, or an incomplete file.

A visa refusal can be challenged administratively for €75; AIMA must give reasons for any refusal and tell you about your right to go to court. If your case stalls, read AIMA case stuck or refused.

Permanent residence and citizenship

Permanent residence comes after 5 years of temporary residence (art. 80), with means, housing, tax and Social Security in order, no prison sentence over a year in those 5 years, and basic Portuguese; AIMA accepts, for example, a CAPLE certificate or an A2 "Português Língua de Acolhimento" certificate.

Citizenship, since 19 May 2026 (Lei Orgânica 1/2026), needs 10 years of legal residence (7 for CPLP nationals and EU citizens), a test or certificate of Portuguese language, culture, history and symbols, and knowledge of civic rights and duties. Separate residence periods add up if they fall within a 12-year window; applications pending on 19 May 2026 follow the old rules. See how long for citizenship and Portuguese A2.

What it costs

Country-dependent extras: apostilles, translations, insurance, the visa centre's fee and, if you use one, a tax representative or lawyer. AIMA fees come from its table last updated 26 February 2026; confirm at your appointment.

Retiring? Read retiring in Portugal. Choosing a place? Start with Porto, Coimbra or the Algarve. All figures come from official sources as of September 2026; anything described as consulate practice varies, so treat it as indicative and confirm with yours.