D7 Visa: The Passive Income Option

TL;DR

Portugal has a great quality of life, safe cities, and a mild Mediterranean climate. But the bureaucratic path to residency can be hard and frustrating for new people. You need to get ready for all the paperwork that comes with a successful move.

The D7 visa Portugal is only for people who have steady streams of passive income. But it takes a lot of patience to work with the Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum (AIMA). To keep your Portugal visa application from getting stuck in administrative delays, you need to have a plan.

Getting to Know the D7 Passive Income Visa

The D7 Visa lets people who are not citizens of the EU live in the EU if they can support themselves financially. It is not a regular work visa, but the law does allow people to work from home. The main requirement is to show that money is coming in from outside of Portugal on a regular basis.

This includes money from abroad that comes from pensions, rental dividends, intellectual property royalties, or financial investments.

Under current rules, you can work from home, but some consulates only want "truly passive" income sources. Right now, AIMA gives more weight to applicants with pensions than to those with only remote salaries or freelance income.

Who Can Get the D7?

To apply for this type of Portugal residency permit, you must not be a citizen of the EU, EEA, or Switzerland. The primary candidate for a Portugal retirement visa is a retired person who gets a pension from the government or a private company. But younger applicants who make a lot of money from real estate also often get approved.

You need to have a clean criminal record and valid travel insurance that meets Portuguese standards. You also need to show that you are willing to spend at least 16 months in Portugal during your first two years of residency.

Legislative Watch: The Portuguese Nationality Law was recently changed to include a five-year countdown to being able to become a citizen. The date you submit your application, not the date you get your residency card, starts the clock.

The NIF: The Most Important First Step

You need to make a financial footprint in the Portuguese administrative system before you can apply. Your Portuguese tax identification number, or NIF (Número de Identificação Fiscal), is the first step. Without this nine-digit number, you can't open a bank account or sign a lease.

Our NIF Number Package takes care of this bureaucratic problem for you in a professional way. We apply for your Portuguese tax identification and verify your documents over a secure video call. The normal process takes 7 business days, so you can still apply on time. Our Rush service, which costs an extra €50, results in just two business days for urgent cases.

What Are the D7 Visa Income Requirements?

To establish a minimum income that reflects the living costs in Portugal, the Portuguese government relies on the national minimum wage. The single main applicant is to be granted this fundamental sum of €920 per month in 2025.

A husband/wife contribution to this sum is 50% (€460), and a child 30% (€276).

Income Requirements Breakdown

• Main Applicant: €920/month (€11,040/year) in 2026 according to D7 visa income requirement standards

• Spouse/Partner: €460/month (€5,520/year) in 2025 figured out by the authorities

• Dependent Child: €276/month (€3,212/year) in 2025 for each underage child

Consulates are very strict with those cases where the minimum requirements are barely met, and there is nothing to show additionally.

List of Required D7 Visa Documents

You need to give the Portuguese consulate in your home country a full file. If you don't have a single paper, you could be turned down right away or have to wait a long time for your application to be processed. Understanding all D7 visa documents needed prevents costly delays.

Required Documents

• Valid Passport: Your passport must be valid for at least six months after you plan to leave. There should be at least two blank pages for the visa sticker.

• NIF Document: This is your tax identification number, which shows that you are registered with the Portuguese tax office. In Portugal, it is required for all legal and financial transactions. For consular submission, the NIF certificate must be up-to-date and properly signed.

• Portuguese Bank Account Requirements: You need to show that you have a bank account in Portugal with at least €10,440 in savings. For a single applicant, this is the minimum wage for 12 months. Add €5,220 for each adult and €3,132 for each child under 18 to family applications.

• Proof of Housing: You need either a property deed or a rental contract that has been registered and lasts at least 12 months. The D7 visa doesn't often accept reservations for hotels or Airbnb. The lease must be properly registered with the Portuguese tax authorities and include information about both parties.

• Proof of Income: Pensioners need to get official letters from the institution that say how much their monthly lifetime benefit is. Landlords need signed leases and bank statements that show rent payments for the last 12 months.

• Certificate of Criminal Record: You need to have gotten an FBI background check (in the US) or an ACRO certificate (in the UK) recently. It must have been issued in the last 90 days before your appointment at the consulate.

• Insurance for Travel: You need to have insurance that covers at least €30,000 in repatriation costs and cover the entire Schengen area. It has to be good for at least the first four months of the visa. The insurance must pay for emergency medical care, hospitalization, and getting you back home.

Insider Reality: The biggest problem for Americans and Brits right now is opening a bank account from a distance. Compliance departments have to be strict because of international rules and laws against money laundering.

For first-time applicants, going through these retirement documents can be hard and confusing. With our Retirement Visa Consultation package, you can be sure of exactly what financial documents your consulate needs.

How to Apply for a D7 Visa?

The process starts in your home country and ends with your appointment in Portugal. You get a temporary residence visa first, and then you change it to a Portugal residency permit. Understanding how to apply for a D7 visa step-by-step ensures your application is complete and accurate.

Application Process

• Get the Paperwork Together: Make sure to carefully gather all of your financial records, legal forms, and identification documents. Follow the Hague Convention's rules for authenticating international documents by apostilling every foreign document issued by the government.

• NIF and Bank Account: Get your tax number and put the money you need into a Portuguese bank account. This shows that you have the money and are serious about moving to Portugal.

• Interview at the Consulate: Submit your application at VFS Global or the nearest Portuguese Consulate location. Bring all of the original documents and certified copies you need to the interview.

• Visa Approval: You get a Type 1 double-entry residence visa that is good for a maximum of four months. This lets you legally go to Portugal to get your residence permit.

The "automatic" AIMA appointment written on your visa is often not honored in practice. Many arriving expats find their pre-scheduled date does not exist in the system. You must confirm this date right away when you arrive in Portugal.

NOTE: For family members to be reunited, it is necessary to have, in the Portuguese bank account, proof of the availability of stable and regular resources sufficient for the needs of the residency visa applicant and the accompanying family members during the intended period of stay or for 12 months, whichever is shorter, in accordance with Article 2(2) of Ordinance no. 1563/2007 of 11 December (for 1 adult, 12 minimum wages in savings; for additional adults, 50% of that amount per adult; for children under 18, 30% of that amount per child).

Portugal Visa Processing Time and Fees

The government says that consulates take 60 days to process the first visa. In reality, busy consulates like San Francisco or London may take 3 to 4 months. Once you get to Portugal, it can take up to three more months to get your final residency card.

The entire Portugal visa processing time from initial application to residence permit card typically requires 7 to 12 months total.

Fees from the Government

• Consulate Fee: About €90 per person to process a visa application

• Residency Permit Fee: About €170, which is paid to AIMA when the application is sent in

Delays happen a lot, but our team makes sure you get an appointment within four months. Legislation lets expired visas automatically be extended while you wait for processing. Learn more about AIMA delays and what they mean for applicants.

Why Pick Visas.pt?

Every step of moving to a new country comes with its own set of difficult legal and logistical problems. We have the local knowledge you need to successfully and quickly navigate the Portuguese system with your Portugal visa processing time minimized.

Get help from experienced immigration experts today to make sure your move to Portugal goes smoothly. Contact us today for a full consultation about your specific needs and how to apply for D7 visa requirements successfully.