Canadian citizens can visit Portugal visa-free for up to 90 days within a 180-day period. Long-term residency requires a long-stay visa application from Canada.
This guide is for Canadian citizens planning a genuine move to Portugal — retirees, remote professionals, entrepreneurs, investors and their families. The mechanics of a Portuguese visa are broadly the same wherever you're from; what really changes is your specific documents, timing, and tax situation.
So instead of drowning you in paperwork, this page gives you the strategic picture: the right route for your situation, what's genuinely different for Canadians, and where people most often go wrong. We handle the legal and bureaucratic detail for you.
Most people fit one of these routes. The right one depends on where your income comes from — not how much you have.
Ideal for retirees and those with pensions, rental income, or dividends. Minimum ~€760/month.
Learn more →For remote workers and freelancers earning from non-Portuguese clients. Minimum ~€3,040/month.
Learn more →Investment-based residency. €500k+ in qualifying funds. Only 7 days/year in Portugal required.
Learn more →Not sure which fits? Book a free consultation and we'll tell you in 15 minutes.
Most of the process is the same as for any applicant. These are the few areas where being Canadian genuinely changes your planning.
Canada and Portugal have a double taxation treaty. Canadian expats may have obligations related to Canadian departure tax and worldwide income reporting. Consult a specialist.
Apply at the Portuguese Consulate General in Toronto or Montreal. An additional consulate operates in Vancouver.
Between document prep, the consulate stage, and your AIMA appointment after arrival, a realistic plan runs several months.
Documents typically need apostilling and certified translation before submission — this has to be started early.
Almost every problem we're asked to rescue traces back to one of these.
It usually doesn't — planning the tax side late can be costly.
Appointments — not paperwork — are usually the bottleneck.
The right route depends on where your income originates. The wrong choice means a refusal or a costly restart.
A wrong apostille or uncertified translation will bounce an otherwise-perfect file.
No NIF, no Portuguese bank account, no proof of address — no application. These come first.
A D visa is the start of a residency journey — AIMA, renewals and eventually citizenship. Plan for the long game.
You make the decisions; we do the legwork — from your first consultation to your residency card.
We confirm the right visa for your income and goals on a free consultation — before you spend a cent on documents.
The two foundations every move needs, arranged for you remotely — no trip to Portugal required.
Learn more →We tell you exactly what to gather, in what order, and check every document before it's submitted.
Qualified Portuguese immigration lawyers prepare and submit your file — not agents or middlemen.
A licensed Portuguese tax expert covers residency, the NHR/IFICI regime, and how it fits your situation.
Learn more →AIMA appointments, residency cards, renewals — we stay with you well beyond day one.
No hidden fees. No surprises. Every package includes your NIF and bank account setup.
Everything in the Complete Package, with three powerful additions
Your full Portugal move, start to finish — one package.
Book a free 15-minute consultation with a Portuguese immigration lawyer and we'll map your exact pathway to Portugal.