Portugal is quickly becoming one of the most popular places in Europe for digital nomads and once you come for your first visit you’ll understand why. That’s why we’re going to share with you how to get a digital nomad visa in Portugal along with some of the best digital nomad cities in this beautiful country

If you’ve been looking into moving to Portugal as a digital nomad, then keep reading!

In this post, we will cover the D7 visa which is applicable for digital nomads from around the world. Specifically, if you’re a nomad from outside of the EU. If you are from the EU then the process to live and work in Portugal is much easier.

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Disclaimer: We are not legal advisors. The purpose of this post is purely to help provide the correct resources for you to see if you’re eligible for the visa. Furthermore, this post contains affiliate links which means that if you decide to use them we get a small commission from the platform at no additional cost to you.

How to get a digital nomad visa in Portugal 

Getting a digital nomad visa in Portugal is so popular, and there’s a good reason why! It’s not only because of the sunny weather, the kind people, and the beautiful beaches. It is because of the D7 visa.

Portugal is seen as one of the friendliest countries in Europe when it comes to digital nomads because the requirements to get a visa are not that difficult. 

As long as you can provide consistent income, fill out an application form, have a valid passport, and a few other quite simple tasks then you can be on your way to a life in Portugal.

Check if you can apply for the D7 Visa here.

Basic requirements (as of 2022):

  • Digital nomads can apply for a D7 visa after proving regular income.*
  • Must fill out the Portuguese visa application form.
  • Passport validity at least 3 months longer than the duration of your stay.
  • 2 passport-sized photos.
  • Valid travel insurance.**
  • Proof of your legal stay if applying from a country other than your country of origin.

*more details below.

**if you do not have travel insurance, we can highly recommend SafetyWing which is nomad insurance: a travel insurance created specifically for nomads. Check out SafetyWing here.

What is a D7 visa for remote workers in Portugal? 

What is a D7 visa? The D7 visa is what you’re going to be applying for as a digital nomad. The visa itself actually started out as a visa for pensioners outside the EU to settle in Portugal. But over time it’s become increasingly popular for digital nomads around the world because of how easy it is to apply and the perks that come with it.

There are a few main reasons why lots of remote workers choose to move to Portugal:

  1. The D7 visa has the lowest stable income requirement of any similar program in Europe. You basically have to show and prove that you earn roughly 665 Euro (770 USD) monthly. You can also apply if you have savings and aren’t currently working. The more savings the better of course.
  2. You can actually work in Portugal! Whether you have a remote gig or not you are actually allowed to get an in-person job in Portugal on this visa. If want to barista in a cafe or work somewhere in person that’s cool. You can do both! So that’s another big bonus for the D7 visa.
  3. Lastly, after only 5 years of living in Portugal, you can actually apply for a Portuguese passport! YES, that means that after 5 years you can have dual citizenship (if your home country allows this) and live anywhere in the EU legally. After Dom got his EU passport in 2020 this has been a game changer for our travel + relationship as we can stay in any EU country we want now for as long as we want.

There really are so many awesome perks of moving to Portugal. Of course, it’s not going to all be easy but this is definitely the easiest option for anyone outside of the EU to come and live in Portugal.

Let’s just say a quick thank you to Portugal, whoever created this awesome D7 visa, and all the other digital nomads who found out about this and shared this with the world because the fact that this is possible is incredible! 

How to apply for the D7 visa in Portugal

You’re sold on moving to Portugal now, aren’t you? COOL! Let’s get into the more boring stuff then like applying for the visa and everything you need to do beforehand.

The first thing you need to do is to check where the nearest Portuguese Embassy is in your country of origin. This Portuguese Embassy website has all the embassies in every country so you can find the one closest to you. You can also make a trip out of it and go to a Portuguese embassy in a different city and go explore a new place! (Jo did this when she applied for her WHV in Canada). 

Once you apply for the visa at your local or nearest Portuguese Embassy you will have to fly to Portugal and make an appointment with the SEF (Foreigners and Border Service). From there they will grant you the actual D7 residency visa for Portugal. 

It’s that easy! At least it seems that way. It does take a while because of the Portuguese bureaucracy and they might ask you for things like proof of flight tickets, travel insurance, etc. before you can actually come to Portugal to start your journey as a digital nomad in this beautiful country. 

It is definitely worth the “hassle” in our opinion. Who knows? Maybe 5 years down the road you’ll be holding a Portuguese passport thanks to this awesome digital nomad visa.

Other useful things to know about the D7 Visa in Portugal

  • The visa costs between €50 to €300 per applicant.
  • It can take up to 6 months to get your D7 visa approved by the embassy. So don’t worry that it’s not going to get approved. This bureaucracy stuff usually just takes some time. 
  • Once you have your D7 visa you are a Portuguese resident and that means you have access to the health care system as long as you are registered and pay your fees into the NHS (National Health Service).
  • The D7 visa lasts for 1 year at first, then you can reapply for another 2 years. After those 3 years you can apply for another 2 years. Once you’ve done it for 5 years then that’s when you can apply for permanent residency.
  • While you’re on the D7 Visa you have to stay in Portugal for at least 183 days a year (half the year) to be able to reapply again. 
  • There are also plenty of different tax benefits on becoming a Portuguese resident which you can see here. It might be a good long term plan to look into because Portugal is a very tax-friendly country! =)

Other related questions about the digital nomad visa in Portugal

Does Portugal have a digital nomad visa?

Portugal doesn’t have a “digital nomad visa” but it does have a D7 visa that basically acts as a digital nomad visa. The D7 allows digital nomads and remote workers to work remotely in Portugal during their stay. To get such a visa you do need to require proof of stable or passive income.

Do digital nomads pay tax in Portugal?

Digital nomads can pay tax in Portugal if they become residents of Portugal and spend over a certain amount of days a year in Portugal. As a digital nomad only spending a few months a year in Portugal you will continue to pay taxes in your home country or country of residence.

Is Portugal good for digital nomads?

Portugal is an amazing country for digital nomads. With good tax incentives, great weather, and an affordable cost of living Portugal is one of the best countries in Europe for digital nomads.

Can you work remotely on a tourist visa in Portugal?

In reality you need a D7 visa to work remotely in Portugal. A tourist visa in Portugal allows you to travel the country freely for the length of the visa but to work remotely legally in Portugal you should have the D7 visa.

How much is a D7 visa?

There are two fees for the D7 visa. The first fee is for the application of the D7 visa and that’s $102.20 and the second fee is for the residence permit which is $86. In total for both the application and the residence permit you can expect to pay $188.20 in total.

How does the D7 visa work?

The D7 Visa gives you residency in Portugal for a full year once it’s approved. After the first year you can renew the D7 visa for a period of 2 years moving forward. After 5 years you can actually apply for a permanent residence permit for Portugal.

What type of visa is the D7 visa?

The D7 visa is known as the Passive Income Visa or the Retirement Visa. The D7 visa has been around since 2017 and allows non EU/EEA/SWISS people to apply for the visa and gain residence in Portugal.

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We want to wish you the best of luck in applying for your D7 visa to be able to live in Portugal freely and legally. It may seem like a daunting task but take it step by step and you’ll end up in Portugal sooner than you can imagine.

There are also wonderful Facebook groups like this one: Expat Portugal D7 Visa Residency which has tons of people applying for the same thing. It’s always nice to go through this kind of process with other people. 

Good luck and have fun on your new adventures in Portugal!

Dom & Jo
Red White Adventures

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