Table of contents
Portugal’s digital nomad visa lets you live in Portugal while working remotely for an employer or clients based outside the country, and in 2026 it asks for average earnings of at least €3,680 a month over the last three months. It comes in two tracks: a residence visa for people moving to Portugal, and a temporary-stay visa for stays of less than a year. On the residence track you then get a two-year residence permit from AIMA, Portugal’s immigration agency.
The choice of track, and whether your income really counts, decides everything else. This guide covers both tracks, the income test, who your clients can be, the documents, the steps, what happens at AIMA, taxes, family and the mistakes that sink applications.
Two ways to work remotely from Portugal
The remote-work residence visa is for moving to Portugal; the remote-work temporary-stay visa is for staying less than a year (Ministry of Foreign Affairs). Both rest on the Foreigners Act: article 61-B for the residence visa and article 54 for the temporary stay, with the documents set out in Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007.
| Residence visa (often called “D8”) | Temporary-stay visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Settling in Portugal | A stay of less than one year |
| What follows | A two-year residence permit from AIMA | An extension of stay is possible, not a residence permit |
| Income test | Average of 4 minimum wages over 3 months | Same |
| Counts toward permanent residence | Yes, after five years | Not confirmed; check before relying on it |
If you want to live in Portugal long term, choose the residence visa. The temporary-stay track suits a trial year, and you can compare it with Portugal’s other options in our overview of Portugal visas.
Portugal digital nomad visa income requirement in 2026
You need to show average monthly income from your remote work of at least four Portuguese minimum wages over the last three months, which is €3,680 in 2026. The minimum wage is €920 a month this year (Ministry of Labour), so the figure moves when it does; the 2027 value hasn’t been set by decree yet.
| Income test (2026) | Monthly average | About, in USD | About, in GBP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital nomad visa | €3,680 | $4,119 | £3,081 |
| For comparison: D7 passive-income visa | €920 | $1,030 | £770 |
Dollar and sterling figures use the ECB’s October 23, 2026 reference rate; check the current ECB rate before you apply.
The regulation’s document lists for this visa name no savings figure, unlike the fixed 12-month amount US and UK posts ask of D7 applicants, although the Ministry’s general residence list still asks for proof of means. It’s the three-month average that matters, so a single large invoice followed by two quiet months can pull you below the line.
A worked example: an American contractor paid in dollars
Take a software contractor in the US who invoices $5,000 a month to American clients. At the October 23 rate that’s about €4,467, comfortably above €3,680 on average. If the dollar weakens by more than about 18%, the same invoices drop below the threshold, so apply with a margin, and use the three most recent months, since that’s the period the consulate looks at.
Your employer and clients must be outside Portugal
The work must be done remotely for a person or company with its domicile or seat outside Portugal. The regulation asks employees for an employment contract or a declaration from the employer, and independent workers for a company contract, a service contract or other proof of the services they provide.
That rules out building the application on Portuguese clients or a Portuguese employer; if local work is the plan, a different visa fits better. At the AIMA stage you also sign a sworn declaration about your employer or clients, using AIMA’s template.
Documents for the digital nomad visa
The regulation asks for proof of your remote work, your income and your tax residence, and consulates typically add the general residence-visa documents. The Ministry’s residence list shows those general items.
| Document | What it proves | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Employment contract or employer declaration | You work remotely for an employer abroad | Independent workers: company or service contracts, or proof of services |
| Proof of income, last 3 months | Average of €3,680 a month | The rules don’t fix a format; ask your consulate what it accepts |
| Proof of tax residence | Where you are tax resident now | Required at the consulate for this visa |
| Passport, photos, application form | Identity | General list: valid 3+ months beyond your intended stay |
| Criminal record certificate | Clean record | US and UK posts: no older than 90 days, with an apostille |
| Travel insurance | Medical care and repatriation | For the visa period; no official minimum amount is published |
Your consulate’s own checklist may add items. The US and UK checklists for this visa weren’t part of our check, so download yours before you start.
How to apply, step by step
- Gather three months of income evidence and your contracts, and check the average clears €3,680.
- Get your tax-residence document and order your criminal record certificate, timed to stay within its 90-day window.
- Arrange a Portuguese NIF if your consulate asks for one.
- Apply at the consular post that covers your area and pay the €110 fee (fee table).
- Wait for the decision. The law gives the consulate 60 days.
- Travel to Portugal and ask AIMA for your residence-permit appointment within the visa’s four months.
What the digital nomad visa costs
Official fees for one applicant come to €295.60: €110 for the visa and €185.60 charged by AIMA for the permit (AIMA fee table).
| Cost | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Visa application | €110 | Not refunded if refused; visa-center service fees are extra |
| AIMA: receiving and analysing the application | €99.80 | List price €133.00 |
| AIMA: granting the permit | €85.80 | List price €114.30 |
| Appeal against a refusal | €75 | Only if you appeal |
| Apostilles, translations, insurance | Varies | Set by the issuing body or insurer |
AIMA charges 25% below its list prices until its services move online, so check the table before your appointment; each family member pays the same fees.
After you arrive: the AIMA residence permit
The residence permit for remote work has its own legal basis, article 88 of the Foreigners Act, so it isn’t the same procedure as the D7’s (AIMA). At the appointment you bring the sworn declaration about your employer or clients and a sworn declaration of your address. AIMA has 90 days by law to decide, and the permit lasts two years before three-year renewals; fees follow AIMA’s fee table.
A 2026 amendment to the Foreigners Act (Lei 62/2026) lets holders of a work-based residence permit change employer by notifying AIMA. Whether it covers remote-work permits isn’t spelled out, so check before you switch.
Taxes when you live and work in Portugal
More than 183 days in Portugal within any 12 months, or a home there you intend to keep as your habitual residence, makes you a Portuguese tax resident (IRS Code, article 16). Once resident, Portugal taxes your worldwide income, remote salary or fees included (article 15), and a tax treaty may give relief where another country also taxes it.
IFICI, the incentive for new residents, depends on doing one of the listed qualified activities (tax authority guidance); we found no rule linking it to this visa, so check your work against the list rather than assuming the visa brings a tax break. Americans also keep filing in the US; our guide to moving to Portugal from the USA covers that side.
Bringing your family
Your spouse and children can file their own residence-visa applications alongside yours, under the general rules for residence visas. For the temporary-stay track, the regulation sets the extra means at 50% of one minimum wage per additional adult and 30% per child, on top of your own income; the residence track’s family figure isn’t spelled out the same way, so confirm it with your consulate.
On the temporary-stay track that works out at €4,140 a month for a couple and €4,416 for a couple with one child in 2026.
Where applications go wrong
The rules point to a handful of weak spots, and most come down to the income test or the paperwork.
- The three-month average falls short. One quiet month can pull an otherwise healthy income below €3,680.
- The income comes from Portugal. Work for Portuguese clients or a Portuguese employer doesn’t count toward the test.
- The tax-residence document is missing. The consulate asks for it for this visa specifically.
- A document has expired. Criminal record certificates go stale quickly, so order yours last.
- The AIMA conditions aren’t met. A prison sentence of more than a year, a re-entry ban or a Schengen alert can block the permit even after the visa is granted.
If the consulate refuses, the Ministry’s appeal rules give 15 days for a complaint to the consular post, three months for a hierarchical appeal and three months for a court challenge.
Renewal, permanent residence and citizenship
Renewals last three years each. Being away without good reason for more than six consecutive months, or eight months altogether during the permit’s validity, puts it at risk. Absences for professional reasons don’t count against you, which matters if your work involves travel, and AIMA can approve a longer absence if you ask before leaving.
After five years of residence you can apply for permanent residence with basic Portuguese, and since May 19, 2026, the citizenship clock is 10 years of lawful residence, cut to 7 for citizens of EU and CPLP countries (Lei Orgânica 1/2026).
Claims you’ll see elsewhere that the rules don’t support
- “You need €11,040 in savings.” That’s the D7 figure for a year at the minimum wage; the digital nomad visa’s document lists name no savings amount.
- “Each family member adds 50% or 30% of €3,680.” On the temporary-stay track the uplifts are a share of one minimum wage: €460 per extra adult and €276 per child.
- “You must spend 183 days a year in Portugal to keep the permit.” 183 days is the tax-residence test; the permit rule is about absences of six or eight months.
- “You have 30 days to appeal.” The complaint deadline is 15 days, and an appeal to the Minister has three months.
- “Insurance must cover at least €30,000.” No official minimum is published for national visas.
Digital nomad visa vs D7
The digital nomad visa is for earned remote income and needs four times what the D7 asks; the D7 is for passive income. Choose by where your money comes from, not by which visa sounds easier. Next door, Spain’s digital nomad visa asks €2,442 a month instead.
| Digital nomad visa | D7 | |
|---|---|---|
| Income type | Earnings from remote work for clients or employers abroad | Pensions, rent, dividends, interest |
| Monthly income in 2026 | €3,680 (3-month average) | €920 |
| Savings in the rules | Not listed | Consulates ask for 12 months of funds in Portugal |
| Permit legal basis | Article 88 | Article 77 |
Frequently asked questions
Answers to what remote workers ask before applying.
What is the D8 visa in Portugal?
“D8” is the shorthand applicants and advisers use for Portugal’s residence visa for remote work; the label doesn’t appear in the law itself. It’s for people working for employers or clients outside Portugal. It leads to a two-year residence permit.
How much income do I need for Portugal’s digital nomad visa?
An average of €3,680 a month over the last three months in 2026, four times the minimum wage. The figure changes when the minimum wage does.
Do I need savings for the digital nomad visa?
The regulation’s document lists don’t require savings. Your consulate’s checklist may still ask about funds, so read it before you apply.
Can I work for Portuguese clients on the digital nomad visa?
Not as the basis of your application: the income you show must come from employers or clients based outside Portugal. If Portuguese work is your plan, look at a different visa.
How long does the digital nomad visa last?
The residence visa gives you four months and two entries to get to AIMA, which issues a two-year permit; after that, renewals run three years each.
Can my family come with me?
Yes. Each family member files a separate residence-visa application, and these can go in together with yours.
Portugal’s digital nomad visa rewards steady remote income from abroad: three strong months above €3,680, contracts that show who you work for, and a tax-residence document ready at the consulate. Pick the residence track if you’re moving for good, and plan your taxes for your first year as a Portuguese resident.
Sources
- National visas: types of visa
- Temporary stay visa: required documents
- Residence visa: necessary documentation
- Residence permit for remote professional activity
- Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007 as republished by Decreto Regulamentar 4/2022
- Lei 23/2007 (Foreigners Act), consolidated text
- Lei 62/2026 (amendment to the Foreigners Act)
- Lei Orgânica 1/2026 (Nationality Law amendment)
- Guaranteed minimum monthly wage for 2026
- National visas: fees
- National visas: appeal mechanisms
- Table of fees and charges
- IRS Code, article 16 (tax residence)
- IRS Code, article 15 (scope of taxation)
- U.S. citizens and resident aliens abroad
- Ofício Circulado 20276/2025 (IFICI)
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Immigration and tax rules change often and depend on your circumstances. Check the official sources above and speak to a licensed professional before you apply or move. Read how we research and review in our editorial guidelines.
