Short answer (checked 2 October 2026)
Portugal's national visa rules require valid travel insurance covering necessary medical expenses, including urgent medical assistance and possible repatriation. The law and the central Portuguese visa portal do not set a minimum euro amount or a fixed duration for national residence visas such as the D7, remote work visa commonly called D8, or D2. Some individual consulates and VFS centres add their own requirements, so your local checklist matters. VFS UK currently asks for 120 days of cover for residence visas, while VFS USA checklists state no duration. EUR 30,000 is the legal minimum for Schengen short-stay visas, not a general minimum written into the national visa rules.
What insurance a Portugal visa application needs
For a Portuguese national visa, the general rule is that applicants must have travel insurance, as required by Article 52 of Law Nº 23/2007. Regulatory Decree Nº 84/2007 specifies that the insurance must cover necessary medical expenses, including urgent medical assistance and possible repatriation.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs national visa portal uses the same wording for residence visas. It does not add a minimum euro amount or a fixed number of months. That means there is a difference between what the national rules say and what a particular consulate or VFS centre may ask you to submit.
Before buying a policy, check the current checklist for the post handling your application. Our guide to applying for a Portugal visa explains the wider application process, and our Portugal visa jurisdiction finder can help you identify the correct post.
Is there a minimum amount, the EUR 30,000 question
There is no EUR 30,000 minimum in Portuguese national visa law or on the central national visa portal. EUR 30,000 comes from the Schengen Visa Code and is the minimum for a Schengen short-stay visa.
Some national visa posts still add EUR 30,000 to their own checklists. The Toronto D7 checklist and VFS India D7 checklist do so, while the VFS UK and VFS USA national visa checklists reviewed for this article do not state a euro minimum. Follow your own post's current checklist rather than applying another country's rules to your case.
How long the cover must last
Portuguese law does not state a duration for national visa travel insurance, and published checklists differ. VFS UK checklists dated 6 March 2026 for D7, remote work and D2 residence visas require 120 days from the intended date of entry. VFS USA, South Africa and Brazil checklists reviewed here state no duration, while VFS India says the insurance must cover the entire stay in Portugal.
No published checklist in the verified material asks for 12 months of cover for a residence visa. In Visas.pt's experience, four months matching the visa validity has been what our clients are asked for, and some of our applicants report being told at the counter that 12 months is needed. If your post gives a different requirement, ask for it in writing and follow that post's current checklist.
What the certificate should show
For a standard national visa, the certificate should show cover for necessary medical expenses, urgent medical assistance and possible repatriation. It should also show any duration or minimum amount required by your own post. VFS India has an extra rule requiring an original document with a QR code from an approved Indian insurer list.
Check the maximum length of each covered trip. Some annual or Schengen products cap each stay at 90 days, which does not fit a 120-day requirement. AXA's own product page showed a 90-day maximum per stay for its annual multi-trip Schengen product when read on 2 October 2026. Product terms can change, so check the current policy wording before buying.
Insurte is one provider that sells travel insurance aimed at visa applications. Whichever provider you use, the certificate needs to match your consulate or VFS checklist.
D7, D8 and D2: is anything different
The core insurance rule is the same. Portugal's law does not create a separate insurance amount for a D7 passive income visa, the remote work residence visa commonly called D8, or a D2 entrepreneur or independent professional visa.
If you are applying for a D7 visa, a D8 digital nomad visa or a D2 visa, check the checklist by purpose as well as by visa nickname. Some VFS file naming does not match the informal D-number terminology commonly used online.
Insurance is also only one part of the file. Applicants should separately check the rules on proof of accommodation and the financial requirements for moving to Portugal.
Schengen short-stay visas and tourists
Schengen short-stay visas are different. They require travel medical insurance valid throughout the Member States for the intended stay, with at least EUR 30,000 of cover for risks including medical repatriation, urgent medical attention and emergency hospital treatment.
Visa-exempt visitors do not have a general legal travel insurance entry requirement under the Schengen Borders Code. ETIAS does not change that: as of 2 October 2026 it is not operating, and current EU information does not list insurance as an ETIAS requirement. See our ETIAS Portugal guide for more detail.
The visa for seeking qualified work
The old general job seeker visa is no longer the current route. Law 61/2025 changed Article 57-A to create the visa for seeking qualified work, aimed at holders of specialised technical skills.
As of 2 October 2026, the official Portuguese visa portal says this visa is not yet available at Portuguese consular offices because the necessary regulation of Article 57-A is still pending. When it becomes available, Article 57-A subjects it to the Article 52 conditions, which include travel insurance. The law itself does not state an insurance amount or duration for this visa.
Waivers and special cases
The national visa portal says travel insurance may be waived under a qualifying bilateral or international medical assistance agreement, giving the UK's S1 and Brazil's PB4, now CDAM, as examples. Applicants covered by Article 52-A of Law 23/2007 are exempt from presenting travel insurance. This covers nationals of states in which the CPLP Mobility Agreement is in force, as well as persons covered through an extension by international agreement.
EHIC and GHIC are for medically necessary state healthcare during temporary stays and are not alternatives to travel insurance. They do not cover medical repatriation. The regulation also allows a diplomatic mission or consular post to make a case-by-case exception for holders of diplomatic, service or other official passports, or for specified public-interest reasons, but adequate health insurance must then be taken out within 90 days after entry into Portugal. Applicants who prove that obtaining travel insurance is impossible may also be exempted.
After you arrive: what AIMA asks for
AIMA's general Article 77 residence permit page currently lists "health insurance or proof of being covered by the National Health Service (SNS)" for the general route used by D7 holders. Private insurance is therefore not the only option stated on that page.
AIMA's specific D2 independent professional and remote work pages do not list health insurance among their published documents, and the immigration law does not make private insurance a general condition for the first temporary residence permit. Check the AIMA page for your route. For the detail after arrival, see our guide to travel and health insurance requirements for living in Portugal.
| Stage | What is asked | Who asks | Amount | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National visa application | Travel insurance covering necessary medical expenses, urgent medical assistance and possible repatriation | Portuguese visa law, the national visa portal, plus the applicant's consulate or VFS checklist | No amount in the national visa law or central portal. Some posts add their own minimum. | No duration in the law. Current VFS UK residence visa checklists say 120 days. Other posts may be silent or use different wording. |
| AIMA residence permit | AIMA's general Article 77 page lists health insurance or proof of SNS cover. Route-specific pages can differ. | AIMA | No minimum amount stated on the AIMA pages cited here | No fixed insurance duration stated on the AIMA pages cited here |
Common mistakes
- Using EUR 30,000 as if it were a universal legal minimum for D7, D8 or D2 residence visas.
- Buying a policy with a 90-day maximum stay when the local checklist requires 120 days.
- Assuming a checklist from another country applies to your consulate.
- Buying 12 months of cover because someone online said it is always required.
- Assuming a credit card policy is enough without checking whether its certificate shows the medical assistance and repatriation cover your post asks for.
- Treating visa-stage travel insurance and AIMA-stage health coverage as the same requirement.
Common questions
Is EUR 30,000 of insurance required for a Portugal D7 visa?
Not as a general rule in Portuguese national visa law. The law and central national visa portal do not state a minimum amount, although some individual consulates and VFS centres, including Toronto and India in the checklists reviewed, do ask for EUR 30,000 or an equivalent amount.
How long should D7 visa travel insurance last?
The law does not specify a duration. VFS UK currently asks for 120 days from the intended date of entry, while VFS USA D7 checklists state no duration, so you should follow the current checklist for your own post.
Does a Portugal D8 digital nomad visa require travel insurance?
Yes. The remote work residence visa falls under the national visa rules requiring travel insurance that covers necessary medical expenses, urgent medical assistance and possible repatriation. The national law does not set a euro minimum or fixed duration.
Do I need 12 months of insurance for a Portugal residence visa?
No published VFS or consular checklist in the verified material for this article requires 12 months for a residence visa. In Visas.pt's experience, four months matching the visa validity has been what clients are asked for, and some of our applicants report being told at the counter that 12 months is needed.
Can credit card travel insurance be used for a Portugal visa?
It can only work if the certificate shows the cover your consulate requires, including the required medical assistance and repatriation wording and any local amount or duration rule. Do not assume a premium credit card policy automatically meets the visa checklist.
Does AIMA require private health insurance after I arrive?
AIMA's general Article 77 page asks for health insurance or proof of SNS cover, so private insurance is not the only option stated there. AIMA's specific D2 and remote work residence permit pages checked for this article do not list health insurance among their published documents.
Do visa-exempt tourists need EUR 30,000 of travel insurance to enter Portugal?
No general travel insurance requirement appears in the Schengen Borders Code for visa-exempt visitors. The EUR 30,000 minimum applies to applicants who need a Schengen short-stay visa, although travel insurance can still be sensible for other visitors.
Can an S1 or Brazil's CDAM replace travel insurance for a national visa?
Potentially, yes. Portugal's national visa portal says the insurance requirement may be waived under qualifying bilateral or international medical assistance arrangements and gives the UK S1 and Brazil's PB4, now CDAM, as examples.
Can I apply now for Portugal's former job seeker visa?
Not under the old general job seeker route. The law now provides for a visa for seeking qualified work, but as of 2 October 2026 the official visa portal says it is not yet available at Portuguese consular offices pending the necessary regulation.
How Visas.pt can help
Insurance is one document in a much larger visa file, and the detail can change depending on your route and the post handling the application. Visas.pt can help you identify the correct checklist, prepare the application and make sure the insurance document fits the requirements being applied to your case.
If you want help with the full process, see our full visa assistance service.
Sources
- Law 23/2007, consolidated text
- Regulatory Decree 84/2007, consolidated text
- Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, residence visa documentation
- Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Schengen travel medical insurance
- Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, skilled job seeker visa status
- VFS UK D7 checklist, 6 March 2026
- VFS USA Portugal visa information
- AIMA, general residence permit requirements, Article 77(1)
- AIMA, independent professional residence permit
- AIMA, remote work residence permit