Moving to Portugal from the US, Canada or the UK

For retirees, remote workers and people with Portuguese roots. The main visas, the 2026 income figures, and the rule changes that make older advice out of date.

Portugal has a visa for people who live on a pension or other passive income, and a visa for people who work remotely for clients abroad. Both start with an income test tied to the Portuguese minimum wage. Since 2024, the rules have tightened in several ways. This guide covers the routes most people use and what changed.

The main ways in

US, Canadian and UK citizens all apply the same way: a residence visa from the Portuguese consulate for where you live, then a residence permit from AIMA, the immigration agency, once you arrive.

D7 visa for pensions and passive income. This fits retirees and people who live on pensions, rent, dividends or royalties. You need regular passive income of at least the Portuguese minimum wage, which is EUR 920 a month in 2026. Consulates commonly add 50% for a second adult and 30% for each child. Many also want to see 12 months of the required income in a Portuguese bank account. Those add-ons and the savings rule are common practice, not figures on the official visa page, so check with your consulate.

D8 Digital Nomad Visa. This fits employees and freelancers who work for employers or clients outside Portugal. Your average monthly income over the last three months must be at least four times the minimum wage: EUR 3,680 a month in 2026. Many consulates also ask for savings in a Portuguese bank, typically 12 months of the minimum wage (EUR 11,040). If you want a year in Portugal without moving for good, there is also a temporary-stay version with the same income test. It does not lead to residence.

Golden Visa (residence by investment). Buying property no longer qualifies; that option closed in October 2023. The remaining options include EUR 500,000 in qualifying Portuguese investment funds, EUR 500,000 for scientific research, or EUR 250,000 for arts and cultural heritage. You must stay in Portugal at least 7 days in the first year and 14 days in each later year. AIMA’s fees for this route run to thousands of euros per person.

Citizenship through a Portuguese grandparent. If a grandparent was Portuguese by origin, you may be able to claim Portuguese nationality without living there. Since 19 May 2026, new applicants must also show knowledge of Portuguese language and culture. The detailed regulation was still pending in September 2026, so check the current rules with a consulate.

People with a Portuguese job offer can use the highly qualified work visa (D3). Founders and independent professionals with Portuguese clients can look at the D2 visa. See every route below for the full list.

What changed recently

If you read about Portugal before 2026, some of it no longer holds.

• Citizenship takes longer. Organic Law 1/2026 raised the residence needed for naturalisation from 5 to 10 years for US, Canadian and UK citizens. The clock now starts when your first residence permit is issued, not when you applied. You also need A2 Portuguese and a civic knowledge test. Applications filed before 19 May 2026 keep the old rules.
• You need a visa before you arrive. Entering visa-free and then applying from inside Portugal (the “manifestation of interest”) was abolished in June 2024. The Golden Visa is the exception: you apply to AIMA after entering.
• Family joins later. Under Law 61/2025, D7 and D8 holders must normally hold two years of legal residence before bringing family who are still abroad. Minor children are an exception. Spouses can often apply at the consulate together with the main applicant, so ask about this before you apply.
• The NHR tax regime is closed. The old Non-Habitual Resident regime closed to new entrants on 1 January 2024. Its successor, IFICI, offers a flat 20% rate to people in research, innovation and listed highly qualified jobs. Most retirees and remote workers do not qualify.

Money, tax and health care

Fees are modest next to the income tests. The consulate charges EUR 110 for a national visa. AIMA charges EUR 133 to receive a temporary residence application and EUR 114.30 to grant or renew the permit.

Tax is the bigger cost. Once you spend 183 days or more in Portugal, or keep a habitual home there, you become a Portuguese tax resident. Without IFICI, you pay progressive rates of up to 48% plus surcharges on worldwide income. Foreign pensions are generally taxed at those rates. Under the US-Portugal tax treaty, US Social Security is taxable only in the US. Americans still file US returns wherever they live. Speak to a tax adviser who knows both systems before you move.

Once you hold a residence permit, you can get a national health service user number at your local health centre. You need your permit, your tax number (NIF) and your address.

Timeline and your first 90 days

1. Prepare documents at home. You need an apostilled criminal record certificate from your country of nationality and any country you lived in for more than a year. US applicants use an FBI check.
2. Apply at the consulate. In the US, UK and Canada, applications usually go through VFS Global centres. The residence visa is valid for four months and allows two entries.
3. Arrive and attend your AIMA appointment. AIMA turns your visa into a residence permit. The permit normally lasts two years, then renews for three.
4. Set up the basics. Get your NIF, open a Portuguese bank account, register at your health centre and keep proof of your address.

No official processing times are published for the consulate or AIMA stages. Secondary sources report AIMA backlogs of several months, so build in slack.

What catches people out

• Income must match the visa. D7 income must be passive. D8 income must come from outside Portugal. Mixing the two causes refusals.
• Most amounts are not on the visa page. The official visa page links D7 income to a government decree rather than printing a figure. Savings and dependant add-ons vary by consulate.
• Ten years is now the citizenship baseline. If a Portuguese passport is your main goal, the grandparent route may be faster than residence.

This is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Confirm each requirement with the consulate or AIMA before you apply.