D7 (Retiree)
The residence visa for retirees and people living on pensions, rents, dividends or other passive income. Lawyerbacked support from application to residency.
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FAQ
Questions about our D7 (Retiree)
The D7 is a Portuguese residence-visa route for eligible non-EU/EEA citizens who can demonstrate qualifying passive or own income, such as pensions, rental income, dividends, royalties or investment income.
The D7 is primarily suitable for retirees, pensioners and people who can support themselves through qualifying passive income rather than active employment or self-employment.
Yes. Retirees receiving a qualifying state or private pension are one of the main groups for whom the D7 is designed.
The 2026 reference is €920 per month (€11,040 per year) for the main applicant, plus 50% (€460 per month) for a spouse and 30% (€276 per month) for each dependent child.
Consulates commonly expect savings equal to one year of the required income in a Portuguese bank account: €11,040 for the main applicant, plus €5,520 for a spouse and €3,312 per dependent child. The law requires proof of sufficient means rather than a specific bank, but a Portuguese account is the standard way to show it.
Common examples are pensions, rental income, dividends, royalties, interest and regular investment drawdowns. The income should be stable, regular and well documented.
Yes. State and private pensions are among the most common D7 income sources, because they are regular and easy to document with official pension statements.
Yes. Income from one or more rental properties can be used as passive-income evidence when properly documented.
Yes. Dividends and regular investment drawdowns can count as passive income when they are documented and reasonably regular.
Yes. Interest income can support a D7 application when it is documented and, on its own or with other income, reaches the required amount.
The D7 is not designed for active freelance or self-employed income. Freelancers and self-employed people usually fit the D8 (remote work) or D2 (independent professionals and entrepreneurs) routes better.
If your income comes primarily from remote employment or professional activity, the D8 Digital Nomad Visa may be more appropriate than the D7.
Employment income from a Portuguese employer does not count as passive income for the D7. If you have a job contract in Portugal, a work visa such as the D1 is the usual route.
Yes. You need a Portuguese tax number (NIF) before you can open a Portuguese bank account, and it is part of the visa application.
In practice, yes. Most consulates expect to see your funds in a Portuguese bank account, although the law itself requires sufficient means rather than a specific bank.
The usual list is: passport, proof of passive income, proof of funds (normally in a Portuguese bank account), NIF, proof of accommodation in Portugal, criminal record certificate, travel or health insurance and the application form. Each consulate publishes its own checklist, so always check yours.
You need proof of accommodation in Portugal. A 12-month rental contract or a property deed is the most common evidence. Check your consulate's checklist for what it accepts.
Yes. Consulates ask for travel or health insurance valid in Portugal. Cover of at least €30,000, including medical repatriation, is the Schengen benchmark most consulates use. It is not a separate D7 legal minimum.
Yes. You need a criminal record certificate from your country of nationality and from any country where you have lived for 12 months or more, usually with an apostille or legalisation.
Yes. A spouse or partner can be included. The income requirement increases by 50% of the main applicant's amount (€460 per month in 2026). The timing rules for bringing family members are explained in our family reunification guide.
Yes. Dependent children can be included. The income requirement increases by 30% of the main applicant's amount per child (€276 per month in 2026).
In Visas.pt's experience the whole process takes about 4 to 6 months, covering the NIF, bank account, consular decision and the AIMA residence stage. The legal deadline for a consulate to decide a residence visa is 60 days, but real timings vary by consulate.
The NIF usually takes about 7 business days and opening the Portuguese bank account about 4 to 6 weeks, although timings vary by bank and case.
The D7 is meant for genuine residence in Portugal, but immigration law does not set a minimum number of days per year. Instead it limits absences: no more than 6 consecutive months, or 8 non-consecutive months, during each permit period without good reason. The 183-day figure is a tax residence test, not an immigration rule.
Without a good reason, you should not be away for more than 6 consecutive months, or 8 non-consecutive months in total, during the validity of each residence permit. Longer absences can lead to the permit being cancelled. Once you hold permanent residence the limits are much longer: 24 consecutive months, or 30 months within any 3 years.
The D7 is primarily based on qualifying passive or own income, while the D8 is intended for eligible remote workers whose income comes from qualifying remote employment or professional activity.
The D7 is designed around passive or own income, while the D2 is intended for entrepreneurs, business owners and independent professionals carrying out qualifying activity in Portugal.
Yes. After 5 years of legal residence you can apply for permanent residence, provided you meet the conditions then in force, including basic Portuguese at A2 level.
Yes, over time. Since 19 May 2026, naturalisation requires 10 years of legal residence (7 for EU and CPLP nationals), plus language, culture and civic knowledge requirements. Applications already pending on 19 May 2026 keep the old 5-year rule.
No. Visa and residence decisions are made by the competent authorities. Visas.pt can provide lawyer-backed preparation and support, but cannot guarantee a government decision.
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