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Getting the D8 Digital Nomad Visa for Portugal

Who qualifies for Portugal's D8 remote work visa, the €3,680 monthly income floor, the documents, fees, AIMA permit, and what happens after you arrive.

Getting the D8 Digital Nomad Visa for Portugal

Last verified: September 2026.

Who this is for

  • You are not an EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen, and you work remotely for employers or clients abroad.
  • You earn at least €3,680 a month and want to live in Portugal.
  • You already hold a D8 and need the fees, renewal, tax, or citizenship rules.

Not for you if: you are an EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen. Read "Registering as an EU Citizen Resident in Portugal (CRUE)". If you live on a pension or investments, read "Getting the D7 Retirement and Passive Income Visa for Portugal".

Updated September 2026. Citizenship now needs 10 years of legal residence for most non-EU nationals, and the consular visa fee is €110.

The D8 is Portugal's visa for people who work remotely for employers or clients abroad. If you are a non-EU citizen staying longer than a tourist visit, you need it. In 2026 you must earn at least €3,680 a month, four times the minimum wage. You apply at a Portuguese consulate where you live. The visa fee is €110, and the AIMA residence permit costs about €326 more. Allow two to three months for the visa and several more for the permit.

Who can apply

If you are a citizen of a country outside the EU, the EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway), and Switzerland, you can apply. That includes UK, US, Brazilian, Canadian, and Australian citizens.

You must do one of these:

  • work as an employee for a company based outside Portugal
  • work as a freelancer or self-employed person for clients based outside Portugal
  • run a business registered outside Portugal and work for it remotely

The D8 does not let you work for a Portuguese employer or mainly for Portuguese clients. If you want that, you need a different visa and a different permit.

The two versions of the visa

You choose one of two versions before you apply. The income rule and the documents are the same.

The temporary stay visa is for stays of less than one year.

  • It allows multiple entries.
  • It does not lead to a residence permit or to permanent residence.
  • If you want to stay longer, you can ask AIMA to extend your stay by up to one year.
  • It suits people who move between countries and do not plan to settle.

The residence visa is for people who want to live in Portugal.

  • It is valid for four months and two entries.
  • In that time, you enter Portugal and apply to AIMA for a residence permit.
  • The first permit lasts two years. Each renewal lasts three years.
  • Time on a residence permit counts towards permanent residence and citizenship.

How much you need to earn

If you apply in 2026, you must show average monthly income of at least €3,680 over the last three months. That is four times the 2026 minimum wage of €920. The figure is gross income from your remote work.

  • If you are an employee, your salary counts.
  • If you are self-employed, your invoiced income from foreign clients counts.
  • If you run a business, the income you draw from it counts.

The consulate counts this income as your means of support. The official list does not ask for separate savings. Some consulates ask for more evidence when income varies from month to month, so bring six to twelve months of records if yours goes up and down.

The minimum wage rises most years, so the floor usually rises in January. In 2025 it was €3,480.

Documents for the consulate

You need these general documents:

  • the national visa application form, filled in and signed
  • two recent passport photos
  • a passport valid for at least three months after your planned stay, plus a copy of the photo page
  • proof of legal residence in the country where you apply, if you are not a citizen of it
  • travel insurance that covers medical treatment, urgent care, and repatriation (€30,000 of cover is the usual minimum)
  • a criminal record certificate from your country of nationality, and from any country where you lived for over a year, with an apostille or legalisation
  • a signed consent for the Portuguese authorities to check your Portuguese criminal record

You also need proof of your remote work:

  • if you are employed: your employment contract, or a letter from your employer confirming the job
  • if you are self-employed: a company contract, a service contract, or documents showing work done for one or more clients
  • proof of average monthly income of at least €3,680 over the last three months, such as payslips, invoices, and bank statements
  • a document showing where you are tax resident now

For the temporary stay version, you also need a copy of your return or onward ticket.

Many consulates also ask for proof of accommodation in Portugal, such as a rental contract, and a Portuguese tax number (NIF). Check your consulate's own list before you book. Documents not in Portuguese or English may need a certified translation.

How to apply, step by step

  1. Choose your version. Decide whether you want the temporary stay visa or the residence visa.
  2. Get a NIF. Most people get one before they apply. You can do this through a tax representative if you are outside Portugal.
  3. Collect your documents. Order your criminal record certificate and apostilles early. They often take weeks.
  4. Book an appointment with the Portuguese consulate or its visa service provider in the country where you live legally. You cannot switch to a D8 from inside Portugal as a tourist.
  5. Submit your application and pay the €110 fee. The provider may add its own service charge.
  6. Wait for a decision. The law gives the consulate 60 days for a residence visa and 30 days for a temporary stay visa.
  7. Collect your passport with the visa inside.
  8. Travel to Portugal before the visa expires. If you have the residence visa, apply to AIMA within its four months.

If you arrive through another Schengen country, you may need to declare your entry to AIMA within three working days.

Getting your residence permit from AIMA

If you have the residence visa, you apply for your residence permit at an AIMA office (Loja AIMA). AIMA is Portugal's immigration agency. It replaced SEF in October 2023.

  1. Book an appointment. AIMA is rolling out an online platform for residence visa holders. Until it reaches you, book through the AIMA contact centre on +351 217 115 000.
  2. Bring these documents: - your valid passport - your valid D8 residence visa - a signed statement from your foreign employer or client confirming your work - a signed statement of your address in Portugal, saying whether you own, rent, or share - proof of that address: a land registry certificate if you own, or a statement from your landlord or host if you rent - the AIMA application form (Modelo 1), filled in and signed
  3. Give your fingerprints and photo at the appointment and pay the fees.
  4. Wait for your card. AIMA posts it to you.

What it costs

  • Consular visa fee: €110. The visa service provider may charge extra.
  • AIMA residence permit, in person: €326.40. This is €133.00 to process the application, €114.30 to grant the permit, and €79.10 for the card.
  • AIMA fees online: 25% lower (€245.00) where you can apply online.
  • Extending a temporary stay: €53.40, plus €27.00 for the forms.
  • Appeal against a visa refusal: €75.

Budget separately for criminal record certificates, apostilles, translations, insurance, and any lawyer or tax representative.

How long it takes

  • Visa decision: up to 60 days for the residence visa and 30 days for the temporary stay visa, from when your file is complete. Getting an appointment can take longer.
  • Residence permit: the law gives AIMA 90 days to decide, and it can extend that by 30 days. In practice, many people wait longer.

Keep your visa, your appointment confirmation, and any AIMA receipt with you while you wait.

Bringing your family

If you apply for a residence visa, your spouse or partner and your children can apply for residence visas at the same time. You must show enough income to support everyone.

If your family joins you later, they apply through family reunification. For most relatives, the rule is that you must first have held your residence permit for two years. There are exceptions for children under 18 and for a spouse who is a parent of those children. A spouse who lived with you for at least 18 months before you moved can apply after 15 months.

Family members with residence permits can work in Portugal for any employer.

Keeping and renewing your permit

  • Keep meeting the rules. You must keep your remote work and income at the required level.
  • Stay in Portugal most of the time. AIMA can cancel a temporary permit if you are away for six months in a row, or eight months in total, during its validity. Tell AIMA before you leave if you must be away longer.
  • Renew in good time. The law says you must apply at least 30 days before your permit expires. You apply through the AIMA renewal portal, and the fees are the same as the first permit.
  • Keep your tax and Social Security up to date. AIMA checks both before it renews a permit.
  • Changes in your work. If you start working for a Portuguese employer, you need to change to a different type of permit.

After five years on a temporary residence permit, you can apply for permanent residence. You need basic Portuguese, usually shown with an A2 certificate.

Citizenship takes longer. Since 19 May 2026, you need 10 years of legal residence if you are a citizen of a non-EU country outside the Portuguese-speaking world. Citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries, such as Brazil, need seven years. Applications made before 19 May 2026 follow the old five-year rule.

Tax once you live here

If you spend more than 183 days in Portugal in any 12 months, or keep a home here as your main home, you become a Portuguese tax resident. The visa type does not decide this. Once you are resident, Portugal taxes your worldwide income.

  • Income tax in 2026 runs from 12.5% on the first €8,342 to 48% above €86,634.
  • If you are self-employed, most people use the simplified regime. For most professional services, you pay tax on 75% of your income. It is open to people earning under €200,000 a year.
  • Social Security is separate. Self-employed people usually pay 21.4% on 70% of their relevant income. New self-employed workers are usually exempt for the first 12 months.
  • The old NHR regime is closed. Its replacement, IFICI, is for specific research, startup, and qualified jobs. Most remote workers for foreign companies do not qualify.
  • Double taxation treaties with the UK, the US, Canada, Brazil, and many other countries stop you paying tax twice on the same income.

Get advice from a Portuguese tax adviser before you move. Your home country may also still tax you.

If you are refused

The consulate must tell you why. You can ask it to reconsider, or appeal to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The appeal fee is €75. Many refusals come from missing documents or unclear income, so check those first. You can also apply again with a stronger file.

Common mistakes

  • Booking the consulate too late. Some consulates are booked weeks or months ahead.
  • Sending income proof that does not clearly show three months at or above €3,680.
  • Letting a criminal record certificate go out of date before the appointment. Consulates often want one issued in the last three months.
  • Missing the four-month window to apply to AIMA.
  • Taking a job with a Portuguese employer without changing your permit.
  • Assuming the 20% IFICI tax rate applies to you.

Sources

Last verified September 2026. Rules and fees change; check the official source before acting.

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