Digital nomad visa to Portugal – D8

Relocate to Portugal legally under the D8 digital nomad visa and enjoy European residency, remote work freedom, and a comfortable lifestyle with full legal support from Imperial & Legal.

In today’s world, digital nomads are professionals whose work is not tied to a specific workplace. This 21st-century phenomenon has become so widespread that separate visa categories have been created for such people in countries where the authorities are keeping up with the times.

The D8 Digital Nomad visa is available for those who wish to move to Portugal to work remotely. This category is ideal for freelancers, entrepreneurs and specialists working remotely for foreign companies.

For simplicity, this visa is often referred to simply as “D8”, but in official publications on the subject on the websites of Portuguese consulates in different jurisdictions, this document may be referred to as:

• Residence visa for remote work;

• Digital Nomads visa;

• Visa D9/DR.

Despite the variety of names for the same immigration category, its essence remains unchanged — with this visa, you can move to Portugal and perform remote work from the territory of this European country. The main thing is that your income comes from sources located abroad.

“The digital nomad visa to Portugal opens up unique opportunities for remote professionals and freelancers: to live in one of the safest and sunniest countries in Europe, enjoy European services and legally work for international companies. For many, this visa will be the first step towards European residency and citizenship. To ensure that the immigration process is quick and risk-free, we accompany our clients at every stage — from confirming their income to opening an account with a Portuguese bank.”

7 advantages of the Portuguese D8 visa

1. The possibility of long-term residence in Portugal
   Depending on the immigration route, the period of legal residence in Portugal for a D8 visa holder can be either 12 months or 2 years. By fulfilling a number of requirements, a digital nomad will be able to extend their immigration status when the first visa expires.
2. The opportunity to work remotely while maintaining income abroad
   Digital nomads have the opportunity to work remotely from anywhere in Portugal — whether it’s a cosy Lisbon café, a beach town in the Algarve, or a quiet countryside village. At the same time, they usually spend only part of their earnings in their country of residence: the rest of their income is accumulated in foreign bank accounts.

3. Freedom to visit Schengen countries

   Along with a Portuguese residence permit, digital nomads get the chance to travel freely across 29 European countries. You can stay in the Schengen countries for up to 90 days in a six-month period!

4. The opportunity to apply for a permanent resident card or Portuguese passport

   After spending more than 5 years in the Portuguese Republic, holders of a Digital Nomad residence visa take the next step – they apply for a permanent residence permit or second citizenship. Future permanent residents and citizens must have at least a basic command of the Portuguese language in order to pass the proficiency test.
   In the annual passport ranking, the main document of a citizen of the Portuguese Republic occupies an honourable 6th place. Portuguese citizens can freely (without a visa or with a visa issued upon arrival) cross the borders of 190 jurisdictions.

5. The opportunity to bring your family to Portugal

   Family digital nomads are allowed to move to Portugal with their spouse, dependent children, and in some cases, elderly parents.
   If a child is born to the family of a Digital Nomad visa holder during their stay in the Portuguese Republic (provided that the residence permit was obtained no later than 1 year before the happy event), the newborn becomes a Portuguese citizen.

6. Opportunity for tax optimisation

   Another undeniable advantage of Portugal for some freelancers and employees of foreign companies is the opportunity to optimise their taxes.
   Now, in 2026, the Portuguese Republic has a preferential tax regime designed to attract high-calibre professionals in the fields of science and innovation – IFICI (Incentivo Fiscal à Investigação Científica e Inovação), also known as NHR 2.0 (a continuation of the Non-Habitual Residency tax regime, which ended in 2024).

7. Access to public services on an equal footing with Portuguese citizens

   Along with a Portuguese resident card, digital nomads gain access to a modern and relatively inexpensive healthcare system. The children of such immigrants can receive free, high-quality education at numerous educational institutions in the Portuguese Republic.

Visa comparison

Conditions for obtaining a Portuguese D8 visa

Applicants for a Digital Nomad visa must meet the main requirement: they must be what is known as a digital nomad — a foreign professional whose work is not tied to a specific location and whose income is sufficiently large, stable and derived from foreign sources. Converted into euros, they must earn at least €3,480 per month for remote work.

• This amount is equal to four times the minimum wage in Portugal as of 2026.

• Digital nomads are required to provide documentary evidence of their monthly income. Usually, an employment contract, tax return, contracts with clients or bank statements are submitted with the application.

• The employers and clients of a D8 visa applicant must be located abroad.

Digital nomads also need to prove that they have a certain amount of personal savings in a bank account.

The other conditions are standard for European immigration routes: the applicant must have a police certificate confirming that they have no criminal record, as well as sufficient funds to purchase medical insurance and pay the registration fee.

The minimum monthly income requirement applies to both digital nomads who will be working in Portugal for a limited time and those who plan to settle in this hospitable country. The latter category of digital nomads should bear in mind that adding family members to the application increases both the minimum income from remote work and the amount of the bank deposit.

Imperial & Legal specialists will quickly calculate the amount of remote income and personal savings you will need to show, based on your circumstances. If you would like to know more details, please contact our consultants!

Two types of Digital Nomad visas

To travel to Portugal, a digital nomad can choose one of two types of visas:

• Temporary stay – a more flexible option, intended for temporary stays in the country. This route does not provide for the possibility of obtaining citizenship or a permanent residence permit.

• Residence – suitable for moving to Portugal with the possibility of becoming a permanent resident or citizen in the future.

What documents are required to obtain a Portuguese D8 visa?

The applicant will need to prepare the following documents:

1. Foreign passport. Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months longer than the visa you are applying for.

2. Photographs of the applicant.

3. Medical insurance.

4. Certificate of no criminal record. The document must be accompanied by an apostilled translation, as certificates of no criminal record are not usually issued in Portuguese.

5. Documentary evidence of regular income from remote work.

6. Document of registration with the Portuguese tax authorities confirming that you have obtained a NIF – taxpayer identification number.

7. Document confirming your address of residence in Portugal. The following documents are suitable for this purpose: a residential lease agreement, a letter from a Portuguese landlord, or a certificate of ownership of a purchased flat or house. This requirement is only relevant if you are applying for a Portuguese Republic residence card.

8. If the entire family is moving to Portugal, the following may be required: marriage certificate, child’s birth certificate, parents’ documents, as well as documentary evidence of financial support for dependents.

This is only an approximate list of documents. The Portuguese consulate in your country may have additional requirements for the package of supporting documents. For example, some diplomatic missions only accept certified translations of documents into Portuguese, while others accept documents written in English without any problems.

If you are having difficulty collecting and preparing supporting documents and want to completely eliminate the possibility of errors, contact our company’s specialists!

Step-by-step plan for obtaining a Portuguese digital nomad visa

How long does it take to decide on an application for a Portuguese D8 visa?

A digital nomad application is reviewed by the consulate within 2-4 months. The speed of the decision is influenced by the completeness and objectivity of the information provided in the application and accompanying documents, as well as the workload of the consulate staff.

How much does it cost to pay government fees in the process of obtaining a digital nomad visa?

The consular fee for processing the application is:

• €75 if the application is for a Temporary Stay visa;

• €90 if you need to obtain a Residence visa.

The issuance of a Portuguese residence card will cost the digital nomad an additional €80-90.

In addition to official payments, expats need to take into account the costs associated with paying for the services of an immigration lawyer, renting accommodation in the country and the cost of medical insurance. One of the advantages of working with Imperial & Legal is that our consultants inform clients of the costs associated with their immigration route to Portugal at the preparatory stage.

Tax optimisation for digital nomads in Portugal

For a long time, the Portuguese Republic had the NHR (Non-Habitual Residency tax regime) in place, a preferential tax regime for expats that allowed them to save significantly on income tax and reduce taxes on foreign income to zero. Unfortunately, Portugal abolished the NHR in 2024.

Currently, certain categories of foreign specialists working remotely from Portugal can take advantage of the NHR 2.0 regime, also known as IFICI, to optimise their taxes. If a digital nomad’s field of activity is in any way related to scientific research or innovation, they can apply for tax benefits under the IFICI programme with the help of Imperial & Legal specialists. Under this initiative, a flat tax rate of 20% is set on all income received in Portugal.

By taking advantage of this preferential tax regime, digital nomads are exempt from paying taxes on non-Portuguese sources for 10 years, including:

• the salary of a remote employee of a foreign company;

• income from self-employment received from foreign sources;

• income from foreign investments;

• capital gains abroad from the sale of real estate, securities or cryptocurrency;

• income from intellectual property owned by the immigrant.

Imperial & Legal provides personalised advice on effective tax planning in the Portuguese Republic. Contact us to find out if you are eligible for IFICI tax benefits!

How does Imperial & Legal help digital nomads in Portugal?

Our company’s employees successfully solve a wide range of tasks related to the life and work of digital nomads in the Portuguese Republic.

1. Visa support

   During the initial consultation, we objectively assess the client’s chances of obtaining a Digital Nomad visa and select the type of visa that is most suitable for them — temporary or with the prospect of obtaining a residence permit.
   With Imperial & Legal, you can quickly gather all the necessary documents. If necessary, our employees can provide translation and apostille services.
   Our specialists carefully fill out the official application form and make an appointment for the client at the Portuguese visa centre. If, for reasons beyond Imperial & Legal’s control, the digital nomad encounters difficulties in obtaining a visa, our company’s employees will take care of all communication with the Portuguese immigration authorities on all issues that arise.
   In this way, our company provides digital nomads with qualified legal support at every stage of obtaining a visa to Portugal, while also solving a host of additional tasks, such as finding suitable rental accommodation or tax planning.

2. Financial and tax advice

   With the help of Imperial & Legal, you will successfully confirm your income from remote work or freelancing, obtain a tax number and open a bank account in Portugal.
   What’s more, our consultants will advise you on whether you are eligible for preferential tax treatment and help you switch to IFICI if your activities are related to science, education or innovation.

3. Arranging accommodation in Portugal

   We assist future Portuguese residents in the process of finding accommodation in the Portuguese Republic. Regardless of whether you are buying or renting Portuguese property, our specialists will ensure the security of the transaction and provide confirmation of your Portuguese address for the consulate.

4. Support after moving to Portugal

   Imperial & Legal lawyers prepare an application to AIMA so that digital nomads receive their residence permit on time. Our clients seek advice when they need to renew their residence permit and when they want to arrange a comfortable move to Portugal for their relatives.
   

5. Additional tasks

   We advise digital nomads on the process of obtaining permanent residence in the Portuguese Republic and when they apply for European citizenship.
   Imperial & Legal is also consulted on how to successfully register a new company in Portugal or start working as a self-employed person.
   Listing all the tasks that our specialists have solved with minimal costs and in a short time would go far beyond the scope of this publication. You can safely entrust us with the processing of your D8 visa — this way, you will be in control of the result, not the details!