Portugal news, in English, every morning. Free.

Subscribe

The Portugal Brief
Subscribe
Guides

Getting the D8 Digital Nomad Visa for Portugal

Researched and written with AI tools from official sources. How we make our guides

Who qualifies for the D8 remote work visa, the income you must earn, the documents, the fees, and the steps from consulate to AIMA residence card.

The Portugal Brief 12 min read

Getting the D8 Digital Nomad Visa for Portugal

Last verified: October 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 live on a pension or investments. Read Getting the D7 Retirement and Passive Income Visa for Portugal instead. EU citizens should read Registering as an EU Citizen Resident in Portugal (CRUE).

Updated October 2026. Since 11 September 2026, AIMA must decide new residence permits within 90 days, and any refusal must give its reasons.

The D8 is Portugal's visa for people who work remotely for employers or clients based outside Portugal. In 2026 you must show average earnings of at least €3,680 a month over the last three months. That is four times the minimum wage. You apply at the Portuguese consulate where you live, and the visa fee is €110. The consulate has 60 days to decide a residence visa. You then get a two-year residence permit from AIMA, the immigration agency, for €185.60 at the rate it charges now.

Who can apply

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

You must work in one of these ways:

  • as an employee of a person or company based outside Portugal
  • as a freelancer or self-employed person, for clients based outside Portugal

The D8 is for work done for people or companies abroad. If you will work for a Portuguese employer, you need a work visa instead. If you will freelance mainly for Portuguese clients, read Getting the D2 Entrepreneur Visa for Portugal.

The two versions of the visa

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

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

  • It is valid for the length of your stay and allows multiple entries.
  • It does not lead to a residence permit or to permanent residence.
  • You need a return or onward ticket.
  • AIMA can extend your stay by up to one year if you still meet the conditions.
  • The consulate has 30 days to decide.

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 attend your AIMA appointment 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 earnings of at least €3,680 over the last three months. That is four times the 2026 minimum wage of €920.

  • If you are an employee, your salary counts.
  • If you are self-employed, your income from your clients counts.

The consulate treats this income, from your contract, company, or service contracts, as your means of support. The official list does not ask for separate savings. Consulates can ask for extra documents, so keep clear records if your income varies.

The minimum wage usually rises each January, so the D8 floor rises with it.

Documents for the consulate

You need these general documents:

  • the national visa application form, filled in and signed
  • two identical, 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 status in the country where you apply, if you are not a citizen of it
  • travel insurance covering medical treatment, urgent care, and repatriation (UK S1 holders may be exempt; some consulates, such as Toronto, ask for at least €30,000 of cover)
  • a criminal record certificate from your country of origin, or from any country where you lived over a year, with an apostille or legalisation (not needed under 16)

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 for one or more clients
  • for the temporary stay version only: a promise of a job contract, or a written proposal for a service contract, is also accepted
  • proof of average monthly earnings 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

Many consulates also ask for proof of accommodation in Portugal and a Portuguese tax number (NIF). Some, such as Toronto, ask you to sign a form allowing a check of your Portuguese criminal record. Check your consulate's own list before you book.

How to apply, step by step

  1. Choose your version. Decide between the temporary stay visa and the residence visa.
  2. Get a NIF. You do not need a tax representative to get a NIF. Later, once you own property or a car here or work here while living outside the EU and EEA, you must either appoint one or switch on free electronic notifications on the Portal das Finanças. See Getting a NIF (Tax Number) in Portugal and Appointing a Fiscal Representative in 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 centre, in the country where you live legally.
  5. Submit your application and pay the €110 fee. A visa centre 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. With the residence visa, attend AIMA within its four months.

You cannot switch to a D8 from inside Portugal as a visitor. Get the visa first.

If you arrive through another Schengen country, the law says you must declare your entry within three working days. You do not need to do this yourself if you stay in a hotel or similar registered lodging.

Getting your residence permit from AIMA

When the consulate issues your residence visa, it also books your AIMA appointment. The details are in a link on the visa sticker. If the link does not work, use AIMA's online contact form. Choose "Autorização de Residência com Visto Consular (Não CPLP)" and give your passport and visa numbers.

Bring:

  • your valid passport and D8 residence visa
  • proof of your remote work: your employment contract or employer's declaration, or your company contract, service contract, or proof of work for clients
  • proof of means of subsistence
  • a signed statement of your address, with a landlord's or host's declaration if you rent or share, or the land registry certificate if you own
  • proof of registration with the tax office (Finanças) and with Social Security, where it applies

At the appointment you give fingerprints and a photo and pay the fees. AIMA now has 90 days to decide, extendable by 30 in exceptional cases. AIMA sends the card by post.

What it costs

ItemFull feeCharged now
Consular visa€110€110 (free for children up to six)
AIMA, assessing the permit€133.00€99.80
AIMA, granting the permit€114.30€85.80
Administrative review of a refused visa€75€75

AIMA's fee table gives a full fee and a fee 25% lower. Until its services move fully online, AIMA applies the reduced fee at the counter too. That makes €185.60 per person for the permit.

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

How long it takes

  • Visa decision: up to 60 days for the residence visa and 30 days for the temporary stay visa, from a complete file. Getting an appointment can take longer.
  • Travel: you must enter Portugal within the residence visa's four months.
  • Residence permit: AIMA has 90 days to decide, and can extend that by 30 days.

No official end-to-end time is published. 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 means for everyone. Each other adult adds 50% of the minimum wage (€460 a month), and each child adds 30% (€276).

If your family joins you later, they apply through family reunification. You usually need to have held your residence permit for two years first. There is no wait for children under 18, or for a spouse who is the other parent of those children. A spouse or partner who lived with you for at least 18 months before you moved can apply after 15 months. See Applying for Family Reunification in Portugal.

Family members with residence permits may work in Portugal, as employees or self-employed.

Keeping and renewing your permit

  • Keep meeting the rules. You must keep your remote work and enough income.
  • Live here. AIMA can cancel your permit if you are away without good reason for six months in a row, or eight months in total. If you must be away longer, ask AIMA before you leave.
  • Renew in good time. Apply online from 90 days and no later than 30 days before the card expires. The renewal fee is €185.60 online or €247.30 in person. See Renewing Your Residence Permit with AIMA in Portugal.
  • Keep your tax and Social Security up to date. AIMA checks both before it renews a permit.
  • If your work changes. If you take a job with a Portuguese employer, ask AIMA whether you need a different permit before you start.

After five years of legal residence, you can apply for permanent residence. You need basic Portuguese at A2 level. See Getting Permanent Residence in Portugal.

Citizenship takes longer. Since 19 May 2026, you need ten years of legal residence, or seven if you are a citizen of a Portuguese-speaking (CPLP) or EU country. You must also pass a test of Portuguese language, culture, history, and national symbols. Applications made before 19 May 2026 follow the old rules. See Getting Portuguese Citizenship by Naturalisation.

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. See Becoming a Tax Resident in Portugal.

  • Income tax in 2026 runs from 12.5% on the first €8,342 of taxable income to 48% above €86,634.
  • If you are self-employed, you can use the simplified regime if your income was under €200,000 in the previous year. For the professions in the tax office's official table, you pay tax on 75% of your income.
  • Social Security is separate. Self-employed people pay 21.4% on 70% of their income from services. If you are self-employed for the first time, contributions start in the twelfth month. See Understanding Portugal's Social Security System.
  • The old NHR regime is closed. Its replacement, IFICI, covers specific research, startup, and qualified jobs. Check the eligible activities before you count on its 20% rate. See Qualifying for the IFICI Tax Regime That Replaced NHR.
  • Double taxation treaties between Portugal and many countries stop you paying tax twice on the same income. See Avoiding Double Taxation in Portugal.

Your home country may also still tax you, so get advice before you move.

If you are refused

If the consulate refuses the visa, it must tell you why. You can ask for an administrative review, which costs €75, or go to court. 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. Appointments can be weeks away.
  • Sending income proof that does not clearly show three months at or above €3,680.
  • Choosing the temporary stay visa when you want to settle. It does not lead to residence.
  • Missing the four-month window to attend AIMA.
  • Taking a job with a Portuguese employer without checking your permit with AIMA.
  • Assuming the 20% IFICI tax rate applies to you.

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change often; check the official source before you act.

Sources

This guide is written from official sources and, where relevant, organisations' own websites.

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

Read next