Portugal's D7 visa: the retirement and passive-income visa, 2026 rules

For retirees and people with a pension or passive income who want to live in Portugal. The income test, insurance, what you can do once there, tax, renewal, and when the D8 digital nomad visa fits better.

Portugal’s D7 visa is for people who live on a pension or other regular passive income, such as rent, dividends or royalties. Its income test is tied to the Portuguese minimum wage. The D7 leads to a renewable residence permit, permanent residence after five years, and, under the 2026 nationality law, citizenship after ten. This guide covers the requirements, the recent changes, and when the D8 digital nomad visa is the better fit.

Who it fits

The D7 is the residence visa for retirement, religious purposes, or “people living from passive income”. It fits:

• retirees with a state, workplace or private pension
• people with rental income from property
• people with income from investments, intellectual property or other financial assets

If most of your income comes from working, even remotely, the D7 is the wrong visa. See the D8 section below.

The income test

Portugal measures your means against the national minimum wage, which is EUR 920 a month in 2026. AIMA, the immigration agency, publishes these shares for a household:

A couple therefore needs EUR 1,380 a month, or EUR 16,560 a year. AIMA’s own page still quotes the 2025 minimum wage of EUR 870, so use the 2026 figure from DGERT.

Many consulates also ask to see 12 months of the required income in a Portuguese bank account. That is consulate practice, not a figure on the official visa page, so check with your consulate.

For the visa itself, you prove income with a document certifying your pension amount, or documents showing income from property, intellectual property or financial assets.

Health insurance and other documents

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists these general documents for a residence visa:

• the national visa application form and two passport photos
• a passport valid for three months after your planned return
• valid travel insurance covering medical expenses, urgent care and repatriation
• a criminal record certificate from your country of nationality and any country you lived in for over a year, with an apostille
• proof of your means of subsistence

UK pensioners may not need the insurance. The ministry says the requirement can be waived for people covered under an agreement with Portugal, giving the UK’s S1 form as an example.

Plan where you will live early. Renewal and permanent residence both require accommodation, and consulates may ask about it too.

What you can do once there

Unlike Spain’s non-lucrative visa, Portugal’s D7 does not come with a blanket ban on work. Under Article 83 of the Foreigners Act, a residence permit holder has the right to employed and self-employed work. However, your D7 is granted on passive income, and you renew it by showing you still have the means. If remote work is your main income, apply for the D8 instead of relying on the D7.

The D8 alternative for remote workers

The D8 digital nomad visa is for employees and freelancers working remotely for people or companies outside Portugal. It asks for:

• a work contract or employer letter, or for freelancers a services contract or proof of services provided
• average monthly income over the last three months of four times the minimum wage: EUR 3,680 a month in 2026
• proof of your tax residence

The D8 leads to the same residence permit, renewal and permanent residence path as the D7. Compare all remote-work options in our digital nomad visa guide.

How to apply

1. Collect documents at home. Order your apostilled criminal record certificates early, because they take the longest.
2. Apply at the consulate. Apply at the Portuguese consulate that covers where you live. Many consulates use an external service provider to take applications. The national visa fee is EUR 110.
3. Wait for a decision. The law sets a 60-day deadline to decide a residence visa.
4. Enter Portugal. The residence visa allows two entries and a stay of four months. You use it to enter and apply to AIMA for your residence permit.

Family members can apply for residence visas at the same time as you. If they join you later, the 2025 rules below apply.

Renewal, permanent residence and citizenship

• First permit: two years from the date it is issued.
• Renewals: three years at a time. Apply up to 30 days before the permit expires. You must still have means of subsistence and accommodation, and have met your tax and social security obligations.
• Permanent residence after five years on a temporary permit, if you also have means, accommodation and basic Portuguese.
• Citizenship after ten years. Organic Law 1/2026 sets ten years of legal residence for nationals of countries outside the EU and the Portuguese-speaking community. That includes US, Canadian and UK citizens. You must also show knowledge of Portuguese language and culture by a test or certificate.

What changed in 2025 and 2026

• Family reunification takes longer. Since Law 61/2025, you normally need to hold your residence permit for two years before family members abroad can join you. The wait is 15 months for a spouse or partner who lived with you for 18 months before you moved. Minor children in your care are exempt.
• Citizenship moved from five to ten years for US, Canadian and UK citizens under Organic Law 1/2026.
• The minimum wage rose to EUR 920 on 1 January 2026, which raised the D7 and D8 income tests.

Tax

Portugal treats you as tax resident if you spend more than 183 days there in any 12-month period, or if you have a home there that you appear to intend as your habitual residence. Once resident, you are taxed on your worldwide income.

The IFICI regime offers a 20% rate on qualifying work income for ten years. It covers listed research, innovation and highly qualified jobs, and you must not have been tax resident in Portugal in the previous five years. It applies to income from work, so most D7 holders living on pensions or investments will not benefit. The older Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) regime is closed to new arrivals except for transitional cases. Speak to a tax adviser before you move.

US citizens stay liable for US tax on worldwide income wherever they live, and must file a US return to claim foreign tax credits.

What catches people out

• Income must match the visa. D7 income must be passive. D8 income must come from work for people or companies outside Portugal.
• Not every amount is on the visa page. The official page links D7 income to a government decree rather than printing a figure. Savings and household add-ons are applied by consulates and AIMA.
• Timing matters for families. Family members who apply with you do not wait on reunification. Family who join later usually wait two years.

For the wider picture, including the Golden Visa and citizenship through a Portuguese grandparent, read our guide to moving to Portugal.

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