Portugal's digital nomad visa (D8): the 2026 rules

For employees and freelancers who work remotely for clients or employers outside Portugal. The two versions of the visa, the income test of four times the minimum wage, how to apply, and how the D8 compares with the D7.

Portugal’s digital nomad visa lets you live in Portugal while you keep working for an employer or clients based outside it. It comes in two versions. The residence visa, usually called the D8, leads to a residence permit and, in time, permanent residence. The temporary stay visa covers a stay of less than a year and leads nowhere further. Both use the same income test: four times the Portuguese minimum wage. This guide covers the two versions, the documents, the process, and when the D7 fits better.

The two versions

Pick the version before you apply. Our table lists the residence version and the temporary stay version as separate routes.

Who it fits

The visa is for remote work done for a person or company with its home or seat outside Portugal. That covers:

• employees of a company based abroad
• freelancers and business owners whose clients are outside Portugal

It does not fit people whose income comes mainly from Portuguese clients or a Portuguese employer. It also does not fit people living on pensions, rent or investments. They use the D7.

The income test

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs asks for proof of your average monthly income over the last three months, at a minimum of four times the guaranteed minimum monthly wage. DGERT sets that wage at EUR 920 from 1 January 2026, under Decree-Law 139/2025. So:

• Minimum average income: EUR 3,680 a month in 2026.
• That is about USD 4,160, CAD 5,810 or GBP 3,160 a month, converted at the 2025 average exchange rates in our cost of living data.

The minimum wage usually rises each January, and the test rises with it. Check the current figure before you apply.

Many consulates also ask for savings in a Portuguese bank, typically 12 months of the minimum wage (EUR 11,040 in 2026). Our routes table records this as consulate practice from secondary sources. It is not on the ministry’s page, so ask your consulate.

The income rule is set for the main applicant. If family members apply with you, ask the consulate what extra means it wants for each person.

The documents

The ministry lists these for the residence visa. The temporary stay visa asks for much the same, and also accepts a promised contract.

For employees, one of:

• your work contract
• a declaration from your employer confirming your employment

For freelancers and business owners, one of:

• a company contract
• a contract for services
• a document showing services provided to one or more clients

For everyone:

• proof of your average monthly income over the last three months
• a document showing your tax residence
• the national visa application form, signed, and two passport photos
• a passport valid for three months after your planned return
• travel insurance covering medical costs, including urgent care
• a criminal record certificate from your country of nationality; the temporary stay page also asks for one from any country you lived in for over a year, apostilled where needed
• proof of legal status, if you apply outside your country of nationality

The consulate can ask for more. Proof of accommodation in Portugal is a common request.

How to apply

1. Collect your documents. Criminal record certificates and apostilles take the longest, so order them first.
2. Apply at the consulate. Apply at the Portuguese consulate that covers where you live. The national visa fee is EUR 110 for either version.
3. Wait for a decision. The law sets 60 days for a residence visa and 30 days for a temporary stay visa.
4. Enter Portugal. A residence visa gives you two entries and four months to stay. In that time you apply to AIMA, the immigration agency, for your residence permit. AIMA charges its own fees.

The visa cost calculator adds up the government fees we have confirmed for your passport. Check AIMA’s own fee table for the residence permit fees.

After you arrive

On the residence version, the path matches the D7’s:

• First residence permit: two years.
• Renewals: three years at a time. You must still have means, accommodation, and your tax and social security affairs in order.
• Permanent residence after five years on a temporary permit, with 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.

Family who join you later face a wait. Under 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. Spouses can often apply at the consulate with you, so ask before you apply.

The D8 or the D7?

The D7’s bar is much lower, but only passive income counts. If most of your money comes from working, the D8 is the right visa even though its bar is higher. Our D7 guide covers the passive-income route in full.

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. That can happen on the temporary stay visa too. Once resident, you are taxed on your worldwide income, including the salary you earn from abroad. The D7 guide explains the IFICI regime and the closed NHR scheme.

US citizens stay liable for US tax on worldwide income wherever they live. Speak to an adviser who knows both countries before you move.

What catches people out

• Portuguese clients break the rule. The visa is for work done for people or companies outside Portugal.
• Three months, not one. The ministry wants your average over the last three months. A single good month will not do.
• The temporary stay is a dead end. It does not count toward residence. Choose the D8 residence visa if you want to stay.
• The bar moves each year. The test follows the minimum wage, so older figures online are out of date.

Compare Portugal with other remote-work visas in our digital nomad visa guide, or read our guide to moving to Portugal for every route.

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