Portuguese Republic · residence general · Leads to settlement
D7 visa (passive income / retirement)
By Sam Parks · Last reviewed:
Residence visa for non-EU retirees and other applicants who can live from stable income of their own.
- Processing time
- The official decision deadline for this residence visa is 60 days after an admissible application; consular access and the later AIMA stage can make the end-to-end timeline longer.
- Government fees
- EUR 90 national residence-visa fee. AIMA residence-permit fees are separate and follow its current fee table.
- Typical duration
- Residence visa valid for the entry/residence process; temporary residence generally 2 years then a 3-year renewal. Permanent residence may be available after 5 years; naturalisation generally requires 7 years of legal residence for eligible EU/CPLP nationals and 10 years for other foreign nationals.
- Sponsorship required
- No
- Leads to permanent residency
- Yes
In short
As of 23 July 2026, the D7 visa (passive income / retirement) for Portuguese Republic has a typical government cost of about €490 and typical processing of 2 months – 6 months. Sources: official Portuguese Republic government pages, reviewed 23 July 2026.
Cite this: https://visaatlas.org/visas/portugal/d7-passive-income#answer
What is the D7 visa (passive income / retirement) in Portuguese Republic?
D7 visa (passive income / retirement) is an unsponsored Portugal route. Indicative government fees are EUR 90 national residence-visa fee. AIMA residence-permit fees are separate and follow its current fee table; indicative processing time is The official decision deadline for this residence visa is 60 days after an admissible application; consular access and the later AIMA stage can make the end-to-end timeline longer; typical duration is Residence visa valid for the entry/residence process; temporary residence generally 2 years then a 3-year renewal. Permanent residence may be available after 5 years; naturalisation generally requires 7 years of legal residence for eligible EU/CPLP nationals and 10 years for other foreign nationals. This route can lead to permanent residence.
Verified against Portuguese Government on 21 July 2026.
Overview
Portugal's D7 is the commonly used name for the residence-visa route for retirees and people living from income of their own. Applicants must prove the source, amount and availability in Portugal of qualifying income, together with accommodation, insurance and criminal-record evidence. The entry visa leads to an AIMA residence-permit application; temporary residence is generally issued for two years and renewed for three. Permanent residence may be available after five years. Citizenship now has a separate, longer residence clock: under the law effective from 19 May 2026, eligible EU and CPLP nationals generally need seven years of legal residence, while other foreign nationals generally need ten years and must meet the other naturalisation conditions.
Guidance by nationality
Specific information for applicants from these countries. Don’t see yours? The general eligibility criteria above apply to everyone.
Brazilian applicants
Brazilian nationals follow a streamlined process under the Lusophone framework — A2 Portuguese is effectively presumed. …
Russian applicants
Russian applicants have made up a significant share of D7 grants since 2022. Portuguese consular processing scrutinises …
Ukrainian applicants
Ukrainian nationals already in the EU under the Temporary Protection Directive can transition to D7 from within the EU i…
Iranian applicants
Portugal's government announced the temporary closure of its embassy in Tehran from 14 January 2026. As of this 21 July …
Chinese applicants
Chinese D7 applicants — typically retirees and HNW passive-income holders — concentrate in the Algarve and Lisbon. Mainl…
American applicants
American D7 applicants make up one of the largest retiree-D7 cohorts by USD value. Income evidence is straightforward — …
British applicants
British D7 applicants are the largest retiree-D7 cohort by volume. Three items materially differ from the post-Brexit Br…
South African applicants
South African D7 applicants are a smaller but established retiree cohort — predominantly Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Pr…
Additional sources
Primary source
Diário da República — means-of-subsistence rules ↗ · Portuguese Republic official gazette
Link last verified:
Eligibility
Typical criteria
- ✓Evidence of pension or other income of your own, including its amount and availability in Portugal for at least 12 months.Portuguese Republic official gazette ↗
- ✓2026 baseline means: EUR 920/month for the first adult, EUR 460/month for each additional adult and EUR 276/month for each child or dependent — respectively EUR 11,040, EUR 5,520 and EUR 3,312 for 12 months.Portuguese Republic official gazette ↗
- ✓Accommodation in Portugal and travel medical insurance for the visa stage.Portuguese Government ↗
- ✓Required criminal-record documents and permission for the Portuguese authorities to check the Portuguese criminal record.Portuguese Government ↗
Common blockers
- !The evidence does not show the required 12-month amount or that the income is genuinely available in Portugal.Portuguese Republic official gazette ↗
- !The household calculation omits the 50% uplift for an additional adult or 30% uplift for a child/dependent.Portuguese Republic official gazette ↗
- !Applying through the wrong post or relying on an unavailable consular channel; the official service directs applicants to the competent Portuguese consular post.Portuguese Government ↗
Typical evidence
- ·Completed application, valid passport and two recent photographs.Portuguese Government ↗
- ·Pension, rental, investment or other qualifying income records, plus bank evidence showing the applicable 12-month amount and availability in Portugal.Portuguese Republic official gazette ↗
- ·Accommodation evidence and travel medical insurance.Portuguese Government ↗
- ·Criminal-record certificate from the country of origin or country of residence for more than one year, plus Portuguese-record-check consent.Portuguese Government ↗
Application pathway
Confirm the competent filing post
Use the official service page and current consular notices to establish where your application can actually be accepted before paying for time-sensitive documents.
Calculate and document the household means
Build evidence for 12 months using the 2026 first-adult, additional-adult and dependent amounts, and show the money or income is available in Portugal.
Secure accommodation and supporting documents
Prepare accommodation, insurance and criminal-record documents in the form required by the competent post.
File the residence-visa application
Submit through the competent Portuguese post or its instructed channel. The official decision deadline is 60 days once the application is admissible.
Enter Portugal and complete the AIMA stage
Follow the visa instructions, attend the AIMA process and provide the residence-stage evidence, including tax and social-security registration where applicable.
Renew and plan the long-term route
Temporary residence is generally 2 years plus a 3-year renewal. Permanent residence may be available after 5 years; naturalisation generally requires 7 years of legal residence for eligible EU/CPLP nationals and 10 years for other foreign nationals.
Official application links
Where to actually go next
These are the official pages to use for this route. Open them before preparing documents: the forms, fees, appointment systems, and sponsor steps can change without warning.
- Official guidanceApplicantCheck the official D7 service ↗
Confirm eligibility, required documents, competent post and the official 60-day decision period.
Portuguese Government · verified
- Official guidanceApplicantCheck AIMA residence requirements ↗
Prepare for the residence-permit stage and check current AIMA requirements and fees.
AIMA · verified
Fees and processing time
A typical D7 visa (passive income / retirement) application runs about €490 in government fees (single applicant, first year (visa + AIMA permit + NIF)). A decision then typically takes 2 months – 6 months. Both change over time, so the dedicated pages below carry the itemised breakdown and the current official figures.
Matches these professions
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Compare Portuguese Republic with
Related routes
D8 visa (digital nomad / remote work)
Residence visa for remote workers employed by or freelancing for companies outside Portugal.
Portugal Golden Visa (residence by investment)
Residence-by-investment route; real-estate and capital-transfer pathways were closed in October 2023, but fund-investment and other options remain.
Frequently asked questions
Does the D7 route lead to permanent residence or citizenship?+
It can. Temporary residence is generally issued for 2 years and renewed for 3, and permanent residence may be available after 5 years if the conditions are met. Citizenship has a different clock under the law effective 19 May 2026: 7 years for eligible EU or CPLP nationals and 10 years for other foreign nationals, plus the other naturalisation requirements.
How much income is required in 2026?+
The statutory calculation uses the EUR 920 monthly minimum wage: 100% for the first adult, 50% for each additional adult and 30% for each child or dependent. For 12 months, that is EUR 11,040, EUR 5,520 and EUR 3,312 respectively. The competent post assesses the evidence and availability in Portugal.
Is a NIF or Portuguese bank account always a consular prerequisite?+
The national rules require proof that qualifying income is available in Portugal, but the official gov.pt D7 document list does not state a NIF or Portuguese bank account as a universal visa-stage prerequisite. AIMA does require tax registration at the residence stage where applicable. Follow any additional checklist issued by the competent post.
My remote income is below the D8 threshold — is the D7 a lower-income alternative?+
The D7 has a lower income bar — regular monthly passive income of at least the Portuguese minimum wage (approximately €920/month in 2026) — but it is built around passive income such as pensions, rental, or dividends, and active remote-work income can be classified as active rather than passive by the consulate, which is a common D7 blocker. Verify the current figure on the VistosMNE portal.
Need tailored advice?
We do not provide legal advice. For an application that depends on your exact circumstances, consult a regulator-listed immigration advisor.
Find a regulated advisor in PortugalHow we verified this
We check every figure on this page against the primary government source, record the date it was last checked, and re-check it on a regular schedule. Rules change, so always confirm time-sensitive details with the official source before you rely on them. Visa Atlas is an information-only publication and does not give legal advice.
Primary source: Portuguese Government
Last checked: 21 July 2026