Portugal's Digital Nomad Visa lets remote employees and freelancers live in Portugal while working for clients or employers abroad. The income bar is four times higher than the D7, and consulates are strict about which income counts.
The D8 requires at least four times the Portuguese minimum wage. With the minimum wage at €920 in 2026, that is €3,680 per month. (€3,480 was the 2025 figure.)
Consulates usually look at your average income over the previous three months, supported by payslips, contracts or invoices and bank statements.
The Digital Nomad Visa is for people earning from outside Portugal. Income from a local Portuguese company cannot be used to qualify.
Source: Digital Nomad Visa 2026 guide (Greenback Tax Services)
The D8 is built for active work income. Pensions, rental income, dividends and savings drawdown on their own point to the D7 passive income visa instead.
Twelve months at €3,680 gives €44,160 per year in 2026. (€41,760 was the 2025 equivalent.)
Remote workers can apply for a temporary stay visa or a residence visa. Only the residence version leads to an AIMA residence permit and long-term residency.
Source: Digital Nomad Visa 2026 guide (Greenback Tax Services)
Remote work income is active income, so it does not satisfy the D7 passive income requirement. Portuguese consulates have become stricter about remote workers applying on the D7 track.
Freelance and contractor income from non-Portuguese clients qualifies, as long as it meets the income threshold and is properly documented.
A spouse or long-term partner can be added to the residence version of the Digital Nomad Visa. Each dependent raises the income requirement.
Since Lei 61/2025, the exceptions to the 2-year reunification wait cover Golden Visa holders and highly qualified professionals, not D8 holders. Families who move together avoid the wait.
This quiz is general information based on Portuguese rules in force on the review date above, not legal advice. Immigration thresholds change every January with the minimum wage, and laws change often. Confirm your case with a lawyer before applying.