Portugal long-stay visas
Portugal D7 Visa: the 2026 Guide
The D7 lets non-EU nationals live in Portugal on stable passive income: pensions, rent, dividends, or royalties. Its famously low income bar tracks the Portuguese minimum wage. This guide covers the 2026 figures, what income qualifies, the process and fees, and the residence and citizenship rules that changed in 2025 and 2026.
Updated July 18, 2026. Figures verified against official Portuguese sources, listed at the end.
Income required (2026)
€920 / month
100% of the minimum wage, passive income, single applicant
Income type
Passive only
Pensions, rent, dividends, royalties; salary is D8 territory
Residence permit
2 years then 3-year renewals
Permanent residence at 5 years
Citizenship timeline
7-10 yrs since May 2026
Counted from your first residence permit
The income requirement in 2026
The D7 uses Portugal's statutory means-of-subsistence scale, pegged to the minimum wage (€920 per month in 2026): 100% for the first adult, 50% for a second adult, 30% per child.
| Household | Requirement | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main applicant | 100% of minimum wage | €920 | €11,040 |
| + second adult | + 50% | + €460 | + €5,520 |
| + each child | + 30% | + €276 | + €3,312 |
| Couple + 1 child | 180% combined | €1,656 | €19,872 |
These are legal minimums, and consulates weigh the whole picture: stable, documented income comfortably above the bar, plus savings of roughly a year's requirement (about €11,040 for a single applicant in 2026, as consular practice rather than statute), makes a far stronger file than scraping the threshold. Evidence means pension award letters, lease agreements, dividend and brokerage statements, and bank records showing the money actually arriving.
How the process works
You apply at the Portuguese consulate (often via an outsourced visa center) covering your country of legal residence. The national visa fee is €110. The consulate issues a residency visa valid four months with two entries; within that window you attend your AIMA appointment in Portugal, commonly pre-booked when the visa is granted, and receive a residence permit valid two years, renewable in three-year blocks. AIMA's fees rose in March 2026 (roughly €133 at filing and €307 on granting), and appointment availability remains the slowest part of the pipeline.
The document file is the standard national-visa set: apostilled criminal record certificate and consent for a Portuguese check, health or travel insurance, proof of accommodation, and in practice a Portuguese NIF and bank account for showing funds.
House-hunting trips before the visa run under the Schengen 90/180 rule; track those days with the Portugal calculator so the application never collides with an overstay.
Living requirements, family, and taxes
The D7 is a real-residence visa. Absences of more than six consecutive months, or eight months total within a permit period, can cancel the permit unless justified and notified to AIMA. Living in Portugal most of the year also makes you Portuguese tax resident, so the treaty treatment of your pensions and investment income deserves professional advice before you commit, not after.
Family reunification tightened in October 2025: the general rule is a two-year wait after your permit before sponsoring family, with exemptions for minor children and for a spouse or partner who is co-parent of your minor children, and a 15-month wait for partners with 18+ months of documented cohabitation. Practice was still settling in mid-2026, so couples planning to arrive together should confirm the current position with their consulate.
Permanent residence remains available at five years. Citizenship, under the law in force since May 19, 2026, requires seven years (EU and CPLP nationals) or ten years (everyone else), counted from the issuance of your first residence permit; anyone who filed before that date stays under the old five-year rule.
FAQ
Portugal D7 visa FAQ
How much income do I need for the D7 visa in 2026?
Passive income of at least 100% of Portugal's minimum wage for the main applicant: 920 euros per month in 2026. Add 50% (460 euros) for a second adult and 30% (276 euros) per dependent child. A couple therefore needs 1,380 euros per month, roughly 16,560 euros per year on the usual 12-month basis.
What kinds of income qualify?
Stable passive income: pensions, rental income from property, dividends and other returns from financial assets, and royalties. Salary from a job, including a remote job, is what the D8 digital nomad visa is for; the D7 case is built on income that arrives whether or not you work.
Do I need savings on top of the income?
Consulates commonly expect around a year of the income requirement in savings, which for a single applicant is roughly 11,040 euros in 2026, often shown in a Portuguese bank account. Like the D8's savings figure, this is consular practice rather than statute and varies by consulate.
How long is the residence permit and how do renewals work?
The consulate issues a four-month, two-entry residency visa; inside that window you attend an AIMA appointment and receive a residence permit valid for two years, renewable in three-year blocks. Permanent residence is available after five years of legal residence.
How much of the year must I spend in Portugal?
Enough that Portugal is genuinely home. The permit can be cancelled after absences of more than six consecutive months, or eight non-consecutive months, within a permit period, unless justified and notified to AIMA. Note that spending most of the year in Portugal generally makes you Portuguese tax resident, so get cross-border tax advice on your pensions and investment income before you move.
Can I bring my family?
The October 2025 family reunification reform applies: in general a sponsor must have held a residence permit for two years first, but minor children are exempt, as is a spouse or partner who is co-parent of your minor children, and partners with 18+ months of documented cohabitation wait 15 months. Practice was still settling in mid-2026; confirm with your consulate if arriving together matters to you.
How long until citizenship?
Under the nationality law in force since May 19, 2026: seven years of residence for EU and CPLP nationals, ten years for everyone else, counted from the issuance of your first residence permit. Permanent residence still arrives at five years. Applications filed before May 19, 2026 fall under the old five-year rule.
D7 or D8: which should I pick?
By income type. The D7 is for passive income (pensions, rent, dividends) at a 920 euro monthly bar; the D8 is for active remote income (employment or freelancing for entities outside Portugal) at a 3,680 euro bar in 2026. If your money comes from ongoing work, apply for the D8; if it arrives without working, the D7 fits.
Sources
- DGERT: minimum wage 2026 (Decreto-Lei 139/2025)
- Portaria 1563/2007: the 100% / 50% / 30% means-of-subsistence rule
- Portugal MFA visa portal: residency visa documentation
- Portugal MFA visa portal: fees (110 euro national visa)
- Diário da República: Lei Orgânica 1/2026 (nationality law)
- Justiça.gov.pt: new nationality rules in force May 19, 2026
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Thresholds move with the minimum wage, consulate checklists vary, and the family and nationality rules are recent. Confirm the current position with your consulate or a licensed Portuguese immigration professional before applying.