Do you have stable sources of passive income and want to move to a prosperous country with a mild climate, low prices and good healthcare? Then you should consider the Portuguese D7 visa, also known as the Passive Income visa or visa for financially independent individuals. With this visa, citizens of non-EU countries can legally reside in Portugal without the need for a job offer. The main thing is that the applicant for a D7 visa meets the main criterion of this immigration programme.
Currently, the Portuguese D7 visa is one of the easiest ways to obtain a full residence permit in a European Union country. If you have a stable source of passive income and want to move to Portugal, with the help of Imperial & Legal specialists, you can achieve your goal within a reasonable time frame and without unnecessary expenses.
Who can immigrate to Portugal on a Passive Income visa?
The following categories of foreign citizens are eligible to apply for a D7 visa:
Pensioners.
Rentiers – applicants whose passive income comes from rent from foreign and Portuguese real estate.
Investors – individuals who receive income from bonds, shares and dividends.
Crypto investors. Our company’s specialists specifically place such applicants in a separate category, as under certain circumstances in the Portuguese Republic, cryptocurrency is not subject to capital gains tax. Want to know how? Read our article to the section on taxes.
Recipients of interest on bank deposits and savings accounts.
Whichever of the above groups a D7 visa applicant belongs to, their income must be stable, sufficient to cover their living expenses in the Portuguese Republic, and not require active work.
This is the main difference between the Passive Income visa and the similar D8 – Digital nomad immigration category. The income of a financially independent person (D7) must come from passive sources; it cannot be the salary of an employee of a foreign company working remotely, nor can it be payment for freelance work from foreign clients, as is the case with digital nomads (D8).
What are the advantages of a D7 visa?
Listing all the opportunities that open up after moving to Portugal on a D7 visa deserves a separate publication. Therefore, we will limit ourselves to listing only the most interesting advantages:
The opportunity to obtain a residence permit in a prosperous EU country. Immigrants with passive income can bring their immediate family members to Portugal – their spouse, minor children, and even their parents and children under the age of 21, if they can prove that they are financially dependent on them.
Holders of a D7 visa can be employed by Portuguese companies without any restrictions, or register their own business and conduct entrepreneurial activities in Portugal.
A Portuguese residence card obtained with a D7 visa allows you to travel freely throughout the 29 European jurisdictions that are part of the Schengen Agreement.
After moving to Portugal on a D7 visa, you will have access to a high-quality and inexpensive national healthcare system, and your children will be able to study at numerous schools and universities on the same terms as other citizens of this country.
After spending several years in Portugal, financially independent immigrants have the opportunity to apply for permanent residence or EU citizenship.
Some D7 visa holders can optimise their taxes in Portugal by taking advantage of the features of local tax legislation, as well as Portuguese double taxation agreements with other jurisdictions.
Financial requirements for D7 visa applicants
The amount of regular income that a Passive Income visa applicant must show to the immigration authorities is not specified in any law. However, the Portuguese authorities reasonably believe that a foreigner with passive income who wishes to move to their country should have enough money to live on. Therefore, in Portugal, the income requirement for a future D7 visa holder is linked to the minimum wage.
If a financially independent expat plans to move to the Portuguese Republic with their family, the minimum income amount will increase depending on the number of dependents in the application. Let’s move from words to numbers!
Financial income requirements for D7 visa applicants in 2026
| Category | Passive income, € | |
| Main applicant | 870 per month | 10,440 per year |
| Applicant’s husband or wife | +435 per month (+50%) | +5,220 per year (+50%) |
| Applicant’s child | +261 per month (+30%) | +3,132 per year (+30%) |
Example of calculating the minimum income required to obtain a D7 visa
If a family consisting of the main applicant, his spouse and two minor children moves to Portugal on a D7 visa, the minimum passive income per year will be:
€10,440 for the main applicant;
50% of the main applicant’s minimum – for his wife;
30% of the main applicant’s minimum – for each of his two children.
Thus, in 2026, the amount of passive income required for this family to move on a D7 visa is:
€10,440 + €10,440 × 50% + 2 × €10,440 × 30% = €10,440 + €5,220 + 2 × €3,132 = €21,924
Imperial & Legal’s experience shows that the higher the amount of passive income shown, the higher the chances of getting your application approved. Use the minimum amount only as a guide!
Another requirement for the applicant is to have at least €10,440 at their disposal, which corresponds to the minimum income for 12 months ahead. As a rule, wealthy foreigners open a deposit account in Portugal for this purpose, transfer the specified minimum amount there and request a supporting document from the bank.
Imperial & Legal staff will calculate exactly how much money you need to have at your disposal in order to be able to move to Portugal on a D7 visa during your first consultation.
Requirements for staying in the Portuguese Republic on a D7 visa
This visa is a resident visa, which means that the immigrant must reside in Portugal for a specific period of time. In simpler terms:
A D7 visa is valid for 4 months from the date of issue. During this time, you must arrive in Portugal and apply for a residence permit.
The residence card (residence permit) is issued for 2 years. You cannot be absent from Portugal for more than 6 months at a time, and your total absence from the country during the entire period of validity of your first residence permit cannot exceed 8 months.
You can extend your resident status for 3 years before your current residence permit expires, provided you still meet the requirements for the D7 visa category.
By the time your second residence card expires, you will have lived in the country for 5 years. At this stage, most expats apply for permanent residence in Portugal or apply for European citizenship. To move to the next level of integration, you will need to:
Have 5 years of permanent residence in the country. During this time, you must have a stable passive income.
Have an impeccable reputation, meaning no serious violations of the law.
Confirm your knowledge of Portuguese at level A2 according to the European classification system by taking a test.
Reliable legal support from Imperial & Legal will greatly simplify your path to Portuguese citizenship, as our company’s employees will take care of the most complex tasks.
This immigration route involves a long-term stay in Portugal, which leads to obtaining tax resident status in that country.
Taxes in Portugal for those who have immigrated on a D7 visa
Unfortunately, Portugal no longer has the NHR programme, which established a ten-year tax exemption period for financially independent immigrants.
Taxes are levied on all income of tax residents of the Portuguese Republic, including income earned abroad. Tax rates may vary depending on the source and amount of income.
Source of income Tax rate Rent, interest on bank deposits, bond income 12.5–48 Pension 12.5–48%, tax deductions possible Dividends 28 Capital gains (sale of real estate or shares) 28 Capital gains (sale of cryptocurrency) 0% or 28%, depending on the length of ownership of the asset Ways to optimise taxes for D7 visa holders
To optimise their tax burden in 2026,expats can take advantage of one of the international double taxation agreements that Portugal has signed with other jurisdictions.
If the income of a financially independent person is generated from the sale of cryptocurrency, it is important to note that in Portugal, the zero capital gains tax rate only applies if you have owned your asset for more than 365 days. In all other cases, the standard rate of 28% for this type of income will apply.
To make an informed decision, sign up for a consultation with Imperial & Legal. You will receive detailed information on potential tax risks and existing ways to optimise your taxes in Portugal.
Where do I apply for a D7 visa?
The standard procedure for a financially independent applicant is to submit a visa application at your nearest Portuguese consulate. The Portuguese government has opened embassies and consulates in dozens of jurisdictions around the world. Often, you don’t even need to leave your country to obtain a D7 visa.
An alternative way to apply for a Passive Income visa is to contact the commercial company VFS Global, which also has offices around the world. This company has established a close partnership with the diplomatic service of the Portuguese Republic and is authorised to accept applications for residence visas.
Whichever option an applicant chooses to submit their D7 visa application, it will take at least 60 days to process. Many factors influence the speed of the decision, from the workload of consulate staff to inaccuracies in the documents provided. By consulting Imperial & Legal, you can avoid mistakes during the application preparation stage and obtain a Portuguese visa within a reasonable time frame.
What documents are required to obtain a D7 visa?
A completed application form.
Passport. Please note the expiry date of your passport – it must be at least 2 months longer than the validity period of your visa.
Photographs of the applicant in the required format.
Financial documents:
proof of the applicant’s stable passive income;
a statement from a Portuguese financial institution confirming that the applicant has deposited ≥ €10,440.
Documents for accommodation in Portugal confirming the applicant’s future address. As a rule, a contract confirming the fact of renting or purchasing Portuguese residential property is used for this purpose. If the applicant already lives in the Portuguese Republic, utility bills in their name indicating a Portuguese address will suffice as confirmation.
Medical insurance.
A police certificate confirming that the visa applicant has no criminal record. Provide an apostilled translation of the police document into Portuguese.
A letter from the applicant, in which they should freely explain their reasons for moving to Portugal, their future plans, etc.
If visas are required for the main applicant’s family, a whole package of documents for relatives must be prepared, from a marriage certificate to papers confirming the financial dependence of the applicant’s parents.
Features of the D7 visa application process
Unfortunately, applicants cannot submit documents in a foreign language to the consulate without providing a certified translation into Portuguese. Some consulates may accept an apostilled translation into English.
It is only possible to completely eliminate errors in the process of collecting and preparing documents with the help of competent legal support. The specialists at Imperial & Legal are ready to take on the lion’s share of the work at the stage of preparing an application for a Portuguese D7 visa.
When compiling the package of documents, our company’s employees take into account the specific requirements published on the official website of the Portuguese consulate closest to you. As a rule, these requirements are insignificant, but they still differ from the average list provided in this article. The advantage of working with Imperial & Legal is that our consultants always take these nuances into account in order to save the client time and stress.
Disadvantages of the Portuguese D7 visa
The purpose of the D7 visa is both its advantage and disadvantage. This visa is intended for financially independent immigrants who actually reside in the country, so you cannot simply apply for a D7 visa “for status” and live somewhere outside Portugal.
The passive income requirements for applicants for this visa in Portugal are relatively low. However, if a large family moves to the Portuguese Republic, the amount of passive income required increases significantly, becoming a real financial barrier.
As is well known, D7 visa holders have four months to apply for a Portuguese residence permit. Currently, applications for Portuguese residency status are submitted to AIMA, the government agency for integration, migration and asylum. The difficulty lies in the fact that:
- due to the agency’s workload, it is quite difficult to make an appointment there;
- the application review process can take up to 3 months;
- under the new regulations, a single minor error in the application or one missing document may be sufficient grounds for rejection.
Therefore, we recommend that our clients do not delay their visit to Portugal after receiving a D7 visa. The Portuguese staff at Imperial & Legal will help you fill out your resident card application and book you an appointment at AIMA as soon as possible.
- Unfortunately, after the closure of the preferential tax regime for financially independent immigrants, expats with passive income have few effective tax planning tools at their disposal. And if they are not suitable for you, a significant portion of your income will be taxed at a progressive rate of up to 48%.
How to obtain a Portuguese D7 visa quickly and without additional costs with the help of Imperial & Legal
Our staff have the necessary knowledge to successfully resolve virtually any issue related to immigration to the Portuguese Republic. At Imperial & Legal, we take a comprehensive approach that allows our clients to obtain a Portuguese residence permit on a turnkey basis. What is included in our package?
Consultations, where the client is checked for compliance with the requirements of the immigration authorities and a strategy for obtaining a D7 visa is agreed upon.
Thorough verification and collection of all necessary documents.
Assistance with processes related to opening a bank account, registering for tax purposes, renting or purchasing residential property in the Portuguese Republic.
Legal support throughout the entire immigration process to Portugal – from submitting an application to the consulate to applying to AIMA for a residence permit.
Support during the residence permit renewal stage, consultations during the transition to permanent resident status, as well as assistance in obtaining citizenship.
Imperial & Legal provides reliable legal support for all the most popular immigration routes to the Portuguese Republic. To find out more, book a consultation with our specialists!
