Moving to Portugal from outside the EU starts with the right visa. This guide walks through the seven steps of a 2026 residency visa application, from choosing your visa and gathering documents to your consulate appointment and your AIMA residence permit, with current fees and timelines.
Short answer · checked 29 September 2026
- Who this guide is for: non-EU nationals moving to Portugal on a residency visa (a "D visa"). EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need a visa and register their residence instead. The Golden Visa follows a separate residence permit process.
- The visa: the national visa fee is €110, consulates have 60 days by law to decide, and a residency visa is valid for 4 months with two entries.
- Where to apply: at the Portuguese consulate, or its visa centre (VFS Global, BLS or TLScontact), that covers your nationality or country of legal residence.
- After you arrive: you apply to AIMA for a residence permit. The first permit is usually valid for 2 years.
- Visiting for up to 90 days? You need a Schengen short-stay visa (€90) unless your passport is visa-exempt.
In this guide
1Choose the right Portugal visa
Everything else depends on this choice, because each visa has its own income test and document list. Portugal's Foreign Ministry groups residency visas by purpose. The "D1 to D8" codes below are the shorthand most people use.
| Visa | Who it is for | Key 2026 requirement |
|---|---|---|
| D1 Work visa | Employees with a Portuguese job offer | Employment contract, promise of contract or the employer's expression of interest |
| D2 Entrepreneur visa | Freelancers, business owners, independent professionals | Business plan or service contracts, plus means of subsistence |
| Startup visa | Founders of innovative companies | Acceptance by an IAPMEI-certified incubator |
| D3 Highly qualified visa | Skilled professionals, researchers, teachers | Qualifying job offer and degree-level qualifications |
| D4 Study visa | Students | Enrolment at a Portuguese institution and proof of funds |
| D7 Passive income visa | Retirees and people living on pensions, rent or investments | At least €920 a month for the main applicant (the 2026 minimum wage), available in Portugal |
| D8 Digital nomad visa | Remote workers employed or contracted outside Portugal | Average income of at least €3,680 a month over the last 3 months |
Income for families: the means-of-subsistence test rises by 50% for each additional adult and 30% for each child. A D7 couple therefore needs at least €1,380 a month.
Golden Visa: the Golden Visa (ARI) is a residence permit for investors, from €500,000 in qualifying funds or €250,000 in arts and culture (real estate no longer qualifies). It has its own application process with AIMA rather than the consular steps below. See our Golden Visa service.
Bringing your family
There are two routes:
- Apply together: close family members can apply at the consulate at the same time as you, for a residency visa to accompany the main applicant. You need proof of your family relationship and enough stable income for everyone.
- Join you later (family reunification, "D6"): if your family follows once you already live in Portugal, you apply to AIMA for family reunification first, and they then apply for their visa within 90 days of approval.
New waiting period for family reunification: since Law 61/2025 came into force on 23 October 2025, the resident generally needs to have held a residence permit for 2 years before applying. Spouses or partners who lived together for at least 18 months before the move can apply after 15 months. Exceptions include minor or dependent children, and the families of Golden Visa, EU Blue Card and highly qualified permit holders. If you want to move together, applying together from the start avoids this wait. Read our family reunification rules for 2026.
Job seeker visa: the old job seeker visa was abolished by Law 61/2025, and consulates stopped accepting applications on 23 October 2025. A new skilled job seeker visa exists in law, but as of September 2026 it cannot yet be applied for.
Not sure which visa fits? Compare them on our visa comparison page, or book an immigration consultation with a lawyer.
2Get a NIF and Portuguese bank account, if your route needs them
A Portuguese tax number (NIF) and bank account are not on the Foreign Ministry's general document list, but many applicants need them in practice. For example, the D7 visa asks for proof that your income is available in Portugal, which usually means a Portuguese bank account, and you need a NIF to sign a lease or open that account. Your route and consulate decide what is required.
- NIF: you can get a NIF as a non-resident without appointing a tax representative. If you later have tax dealings in Portugal (for example owning property or a car), you may need to appoint a representative or sign up for the Tax Authority's electronic notifications. Our remote NIF service takes about 7 business days (€95).
- Bank account: remote opening typically takes 4 to 6 weeks. See our bank account service.
With our clients, we sort out the NIF and bank account before booking the appointment, because missing them is a common reason for delays.
3Gather your documents
The Foreign Ministry's general list for residency visas is:
- The national visa application form, completed and signed
- Two recent, identical passport photos
- A passport valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned stay, plus a copy of the photo page (we recommend more validity to avoid problems at AIMA)
- Proof of legal status if you are applying outside your country of nationality
- Travel insurance covering medical treatment, urgent care and repatriation
- A criminal record certificate from your country of origin, or from the country where you have lived for more than a year, with an apostille or legalisation (under-16s are exempt)
- Proof of means of subsistence
Most routes also ask for route-specific documents, such as pension statements (D7), employment or client contracts (D8), a business plan (D2) or an employment contract (D1, D3), and usually proof of accommodation in Portugal. See proof of accommodation: what you need to know. Consulates can ask for additional documents.
Timing tip: apostilles can take weeks, and some consulates and visa centres only accept recently issued criminal record certificates. Check your consulate's rules and order yours so it is still valid on the day of your appointment. Our guide to timing your Portugal visa application sets out the order we use with clients.
4Complete the application form
Use the form and submission process your consulate or visa centre specifies. Depending on where you apply, that may be the Foreign Ministry's online e-Visa portal (vistos.mne.gov.pt) or the downloadable national visa form. Use your name exactly as it appears in your passport, and make sure your address in Portugal matches your accommodation proof.
5Book and attend your consulate or VFS appointment
You must apply at the Portuguese consulate or visa centre responsible for your nationality or the country where you legally live. Applying at the wrong one can lead to rejection and a lost fee. Use our Portugal visa jurisdiction finder to check where you apply.
At the appointment you will:
- Hand over your originals and copies for checking
- Give your fingerprints and photo (biometrics)
- Pay the €110 national visa fee. Children under 6 and some family reunification applicants are exempt. Visa centres such as VFS also charge their own service fee.
6Wait for the decision
By law, consulates should decide residency visas within 60 days (30 days for temporary stay visas). In practice some consulates are faster and some take longer. In our experience with clients, most people should allow 3 to 8 months from starting their paperwork to having a visa in their passport.
| Stage | Typical time (our experience) |
|---|---|
| NIF, if needed | About 1 week |
| Bank account (remote), if needed | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Documents, apostilles and accommodation | 1 to 3 months |
| Consulate decision | Up to 60 days by law, longer at some posts |
| AIMA appointment to residence card | Varies by region (see our AIMA processing time report) |
7Travel to Portugal and get your residence permit from AIMA
Your residency visa is valid for 4 months and two entries. Within that window you apply to AIMA (the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum) for your residence permit. Your AIMA appointment may already have been booked when the visa was issued, so check your visa paperwork and email before requesting one.
AIMA's 2026 fees for a first temporary permit are €133.00 for receiving and analysing the application plus €114.30 for granting it (€247.30 at the standard rate), or €99.80 plus €85.80 (€185.60) at the reduced rate. Under AIMA's fee table, the reduced rate applies to digital applications and, until a service is available digitally, to in-person applications too. Other permit types and exemptions have different amounts. The first temporary permit is usually valid for 2 years and renewals for 3 years.
For booking, fees and what to do if you cannot get an appointment, read our full guide to AIMA appointments in 2026.
What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship
After 5 years of temporary residence you can usually apply for permanent residence. Since 19 May 2026, ordinary Portuguese citizenship based on residence requires 10 years of legal residence (7 for nationals of EU and Portuguese-speaking countries). Legal residence means time in Portugal under a valid visa, permit or other title; the old rule that counted time spent waiting for a permit decision has been repealed. See residency vs citizenship in Portugal.
Short visits: Schengen visas, EES and ETIAS
- A Schengen short-stay visa allows up to 90 days in any 180-day period and costs €90 (€45 for children aged 6 to 12).
- Many nationalities, including US, UK, Canadian and Australian citizens, can visit visa-free for the same 90 days.
- The EU Entry/Exit System (EES), which registers your fingerprints and photo at the border, has been fully operational since 10 April 2026.
- ETIAS, a travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors, is expected to launch in late 2026. It does not apply to people holding a Portuguese residency visa or residence permit.
Common mistakes that delay or sink applications
- Applying at a consulate or visa centre outside your jurisdiction
- A criminal record certificate that is too old for your consulate, or not apostilled
- Income that falls short of the 2026 thresholds once family members are added
- Accommodation that is not registered, or a lease that does not match the address on your form
- Planning for family to follow later without allowing for the family reunification waiting period
- Letting the 4-month visa expire before entering Portugal and applying to AIMA
Frequently asked questions
How do I apply for a visa to Portugal?
Choose the residency visa that matches your purpose, gather your documents (including a criminal record certificate from your country of origin or of residence), complete the application form your consulate specifies, and attend your appointment at the Portuguese consulate or visa centre for your country, where you give biometrics and pay the €110 fee. Many routes also need a NIF and a Portuguese bank account.
How much does a Portugal visa cost in 2026?
The national (D) visa fee is €110 and a Schengen short-stay visa costs €90. Visa centres add their own service fee, and residence permit fees at AIMA are paid separately after arrival.
How long does it take to get a D visa for Portugal?
Consulates have 60 days by law to decide a residency visa. Including preparing documents, most of our clients should allow 3 to 8 months in total.
How long is a Portuguese D visa valid?
A residency visa is valid for 4 months and allows two entries. During that time you must apply to AIMA for your residence permit.
Can my family apply with me?
Yes. Close family members can apply for a residency visa to accompany you at the same time as your application. If they join you later instead, family reunification generally requires you to have held a residence permit for 2 years, with some exceptions.
Can I still get a job seeker visa for Portugal?
Not at the moment. The old job seeker visa closed on 23 October 2025, and the new skilled job seeker visa is not yet open for applications as of September 2026.
Get help with your application
Our Complete Visa Assistance covers route assessment, NIF and bank account, document review, lawyer video calls and appointment support. If you prefer to do it yourself, pick only the steps you need from our pay-as-you-go services.
Sources: Portuguese Foreign Ministry visa pages (fees, deadlines, visa types, residency visa documents and forms), Law 61/2025, AIMA's 2026 fee table, the Tax Authority's guidance on tax representatives, Organic Law 1/2026, and the European Commission on EES and ETIAS. Timelines marked as our experience come from Visas.pt client cases. General information, not legal advice. Checked on 29 September 2026.