Portugal recently made it an even more exciting time to be a digital nomad. Meet the Portugal Digital Nomad visa! Offering the first digital nomad visa of its kind in Europe, remote workers can apply for a one-year temporary stay visa or a residency permit that can be renewed for up to five years. Applicants need to make at least €2,800 per month a month, four times the minimum wage in Portugal.
Prior to this visa, there was no visa directed to remote workers wanting to reside in Portugal without a large investment through the Portugal Golden Visa or proof of passive income through the Portugal D7 Visa.
You can apply for the Portuguese Digital Nomad Visa at the nearest Portuguese consulate in your country of citizenship or permanent residence. Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about the Portugal Digital Nomad visa.
Portugal Digital Nomad Visa General Requirements
The main requirement for Portugal’s digital nomad visa is your salary. You must have made at least four times Portugal’s minimum wage, €2,800 per month, in the last three months prior to your application.
Only those from outside the EU and EEA can apply. You must also be employed by a company outside of Portugal or self-employed. These will naturally be checked officially through tax residency documents, proof of employment, and proof of income for the last three months.
You can apply for this digital nomad visa at a Portuguese Consulate in your home country or at the Portuguese Immigration and Border Service, also known as SEF.
Portugal Digital Nomad Visa: Two Types
There are two types of Digital Nomad Visas in Portugal. You can apply for a Temporary Stay Visa or a Residence Visa.
The Digital Nomad Temporary Stay Visa is the easiest to apply for and allows you to stay for up to 1 year in Portugal, with the possibility of renewal.
You are allowed to work as a freelancer or online business owner in Portugal for this period, as well as travel freely in and out of Portugal.
Digital Nomad Residence visa
On the other hand, you can also apply for the Digital Nomad Residence Visa if you are looking for a longer stay in Portugal. This is the perfect visa if you seek to get residence or start the path toward Portuguese citizenship.
For the Digital Nomad Residence visa, along with the income requirement of €2,800 per month, you will need the following:
- NIF and Portuguese bank account
- Proof of tax residence (12 months)
- Employment contract from outside Portugal or freelancer contract
- Payslips
Digital Nomad Residence Visa: How does the application process work?
There are two separate stages for the Portuguese Digital Nomad Visa. First, you will submit your application at your nearest consulate, either in your country of citizenship or permanent residence.
If your application is successful, the embassy will grant you a double-entry visa that will be valid for four months. With this visa, you will enter Portugal and start completing the second stage. The second stage is the residency permit stage where you will then apply for your residency permit at SEF.
Portuguese Embassies in the US, UK and Canada
Who can get a Portugal Digital Nomad Visa?
Those outside the EU and EEA can apply for the Portugal Digital Nomad Visa. You must also have an income that is 4x the Portuguese minimum wage, so €2,800 per month. Moreover, you need to be employed by a company outside of Portugal or be self-employed.
Other Portugal Visas
Portugal D7 Visa
The D7 Visa is also known as the Retirement or Passive Income Visa but is also suitable for remote workers and digital nomads. The Portugal D7 Visa was introduced in 2007 and requires no investment. The income required is also a lot more affordable.
This visa is for non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens who want residence in Portugal and have a reasonable passive income. This income can come from real estate, a retirement pension, a salary, etc.
The minimum passive income required is €8,460 per year for the main applicant. For a spouse, you must add 50% to this (€4,230) and for a dependent child, you must add 30% to this (€2,538). Therefore, for a couple with one child, you would need around €15,300 a year to be eligible for the D7 Visa.
For this visa, you must spend at least 16 months in Portugal during the first 2 years.
Portugal D2 Visa
The Portugal D2 Visa could be the right path to take if you are an entrepreneur, freelancer, or independent service provider from outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland looking to reside in Portugal.
You might be eligible for a D2 Visa if you want to start a business or startup in Portugal, transfer your existing one to Portugal, as well as invest in a business in Portugal.
This visa is catered to small and medium-sized businesses to raise foreign investment to develop the Portuguese economy.
To apply, you must put together a viable business plan that will be evaluated in terms of its economic, technological, and cultural impact. You can set up any business, from a restaurant to a tech startup.
In terms of cost, you must invest in the company’s share capital, which immigration firms advise should be at least €5,000. You must also show that you have the financial ability to sustain yourself while living in Portugal.
This visa allows for family reunification, where your family members are granted the same residency rights as you. Like the D7 Visa and Golden Visa, you can apply for permanent resident after 5 years and citizenship after 6 years. To be eligible for permanent residence, you must spend at least 6 consecutive months in Portugal within those 5 years.
Hi, thanks for you informative post! I have one question, does the following rule still apply?
Residency in Portugal for at least 16 months. In the first two years in Portugal, you must stay in the country for a minimum of 16 months.
As I was looking to live in Lisbon and work remotely for 1 year only, I am not sure if this digital nomad visa will work for me?
Thanks!
Georgie
Hi Georgie,
I think you got that information regarding the D7 visa, where you need to spend at least 16 months in Portugal during the rest 2 years. The Digital Nomad Temporary Stay visa caters to those who want to stay up to 1 year in Portugal, which is your case!
Hello, thanks for providing really helpful info. My sister & I are very keen on relocating to Portugal, she could go on the D7 visa as has a UK pension. I’m still working, I’m a UK citizen though resident in Spain and work for a company in Luxembourg. I earn a lot less than the €2800 required for the Digital Nomad visa – is there any way I could live and work in Portugal given these circumstances? I don’t have a sum to invest. Thank you for your help.
Hi Stephanie,
I recommend contacting an immigration lawyer as perhaps the D7 visa could still apply to you as a remote worker.
Hi! Thanks for this info. Just wondering if this means that if we wanted a digital nomad visa as a couple we would both be required to be earning €2800 or does it reduce if your a couple?
Thank you!
Hi Emma,
The amount is per applicant, so you would each need to earn that amount.
Hello,
I have a few questions. I am an American that would like to work remotely in Portugal. I am employed by a global company that has an office in Lisbon but I would remain a US resident/employee and would not transfer employment to the local Lisbon office. Regarding the Digital Nomad Residence Visa:
1. I would like to eventually obtain Portuguese citizenship. Is it true that I could potentially do this through the Digital Nomad Residence visa assuming that I renew up through 5 years (it is my understanding that 5 years of residency is needed in order to obtain citizenship)?
2. Does family reunification apply in the case of the Digital Nomad Residency Visa? I may need to bring my 64-year-old mother with me who is under my care due to health issues (she is currently in a nursing home here in the US).
3. Can you confirm that as a Digital Nomad Residence Visa holder, I am free to enter/travel through (including working remotely and living in) other EU countries? I may need to occasionally travel to/work remotely in Spain during the time I’m holding the Portuguese Digital Nomad Residency Visa.
Thank you!
-Monique
Hi Monique! The best way to get an accurate answer to all these questions is to contact an immigration lawyer. However, from my understanding:
1. Yes, after 5 years of residence this is possible.
2. Yes, family reunification does apply. You will need to prove the €2,800 monthly salary minimum + 50% for your family member.
3. I am unsure about your last question.
Hi there,
Thank you for sharing this information. Does the digital nomad visa (temprary visa) allow holders to travel within the Schengen area? I am applying from Africa. I work remotely for a UK-based company.
Thank you.
What is the income requirement for thr Portugese Digital Nomad Visa longer term if you are a couple? Is it more than the 2800€?
If we are US Expats living abroad currently in Spain, is it possible to apply from here?
Thanks!
Hi Lacey! From my understanding, you need a salary of €2,800 per person and you need to apply with your local US embassy. However, if you contact an immigration lawyer, they are better equipped to assess your situation.
If my wife and I and three children are applying for nomad visa is it just 2 times 2800 euro?
Hi Scott, no. You or your wife would be the main applicant, needing a minimum salary of 2800 euros. Then its +50% (1400) for each family member.
I want to rent a furnished apt for a year minimum in portugal after getting out nomad visa. How can one rent a property requiring a NIF number, but you can’t get your NIF number until you get your visa, but you can’t get your visa with out proof of residence?
I recommend contacting an immigration lawyer who will help you through this process.
Hi Lara,
Thank you for this post, it’s very helpful. I am an American (living in Wisconsin) who wants to apply for the digital nomad temporary stay visa. Everything I’m finding online says that I need to travel to Washington DC to apply for the visa in person (fingerprints, photo and submit my application). However, DC is very far from where I live and that’s a very expensive endeavor for what I assume will be a 20 minute appointment. Do you know if I’m able to apply somewhere closer? Like the Portugal Consulate of Chicago?
Thank you!
Is the €2800 per month income requirement before or after tax?
Hi Darren! It refers to gross income so before.
Hi Lara, thanks for the article, really helpful. I do have a question if you have time? If I brought my spouse on a Digital Nomad Visa to Portugal could she then work from Portugal if the income was derived from outside the country?
Hi George, the Digital Nomad visa is exactly catered for people with income outside the country, either through a foreign company or self-employment.
Hi Lara
Does the Digital Nomad Visa count towards permanent residency/citizenship?
Dear Darren, the Digital Nomad visa is eligible to renew. If you can successfully renew the visa and maintain five years of legal residence in Portugal, you should be able to apply for Portuguese residency and/or citizenship. Please consult with a lawyer or immigration specialist to ensure that you have everything in order.