Portugal D7/D8: From Consulate to AIMA and Residence Card (2026)

Portugal's D7 (passive income) and D8 (remote work) routes run in two stages: a national residence visa issued by a Portuguese consulate in your country of residence, then a residence permit and card issued by AIMA in Portugal. The first permit is valid for 2 years and renews for 3, and since 11 September 2026 AIMA silence no longer counts as approval. This guide walks non-EU applicants through each step, the official fees and the points where files most often stall.

Facts checked: September 2026. Rules change — verify on the official sources linked in the text before you apply.

How the route works: visa first, permit second

D7 and D8 are not residence permits. They are national residence visas: an entry document that lets you travel to Portugal and apply for residence there. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the residence visa is valid for two entries and four months, and during that period the holder must request a residence title from AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo), the agency that replaced SEF.

The sequence for most applicants looks like this:

1. Prepare the file at home: income evidence, accommodation, health coverage, criminal record, and a Portuguese tax number (NIF).
2. Submit the visa application at the Portuguese consulate responsible for your place of legal residence, or at the external service center (VFS, BLS or similar) it uses.
3. Receive the visa and enter Portugal within its validity.
4. Attend the AIMA appointment, give biometrics and file the residence permit application.
5. Receive the decision and the residence card; renew before it expires.

Who does not need any of this: citizens of EU and EEA countries, Switzerland and Andorra have a right of residence under free-movement rules. For stays over three months they register with the municipal council (Câmara Municipal) within 30 days after the first three months and receive a registration certificate (CRUE) — no D7, D8 or AIMA permit application is involved.

For everyone else, short-stay visa-free travel does not replace a national visa. Whether your passport allows visa-free short trips to the Schengen area is set by EU rules (see the European Commission visa policy page), but the D7/D8 route always starts with the consular residence visa.

D7 or D8: which one fits

The two visas share the same second stage at AIMA, but they test different things at the consulate.

D7: pension and passive income

D7 is designed for people living on a pension or on income from movable or immovable property, intellectual property or financial investments (Portaria 1563/2007). The Ministry's document list asks for a document certifying the retirement amount or the revenue from property or financial assets. The means-of-subsistence scale uses the Portuguese minimum wage (RMMG) as a reference: the Ministry lists €920 for 2026, confirmed by Decreto-Lei 139/2025, with 100% for the first adult, 50% for each additional adult and 30% for each child. On that reference, the calculation is €920 a month for the main applicant, €460 for a spouse and €276 per child — €11,040, €5,520 and €3,312 over 12 months. Resources must be ensured for at least 12 months. This is a reference calculation, not a mandatory bank deposit.

D8: remote work for clients or employers abroad

D8 requires an employment contract or a service relationship with employers or clients outside Portugal (Lei 23/2007, art. 61-B). The Ministry asks for proof of average monthly income for the last three months of at least four minimum monthly wages — €3,680 at the 2026 figure of €920 — plus a document confirming your tax residence. The test is income earned from remote work, not a savings balance.

The Ministry also distinguishes a temporary stay visa for remote work (up to one year, no residence permit) from the residence visa that leads to AIMA.

If you are also weighing Spain, the logic is similar but social security and family rules differ; see our guide to the Spanish digital nomad visa for a side-by-side reference point.

Stage 1: the consulate or visa center

You apply in the country where you legally live, not necessarily your country of citizenship. Many consulates use an external service center to collect documents and biometrics; the decision stays with the consulate.

Typical file

• Passport valid beyond the intended stay, application form and photos.
• Income evidence: pension statements, rental, dividend or interest income for D7; employment or service contracts and three months of income for D8.
• Accommodation in Portugal (lease or property title) — consulates compare it with the income shown.
• Travel medical insurance covering necessary medical expenses and repatriation.
• Criminal record certificate, legalized or apostilled as required, with translation where needed.
• NIF (Portuguese tax number). A non-resident can obtain it with an identity document and a foreign address; holding a NIF does not by itself make you tax resident.

The national visa fee is €110; service-center fees are charged separately. The general legal deadline for a decision on a residence visa is 60 days (Lei 23/2007, art. 58). Appointment availability is a separate issue, so plan document validity around it.

Stage 2: entry, the AIMA appointment and the card

Once you enter Portugal on the visa, the next step is the residence permit application. AIMA states that the request is made by appointment, with an electronic platform for residence-visa holders being phased in, and delivered in person at any AIMA office (Loja AIMA).

What AIMA asks for

Under the general regime (art. 77), the AIMA document list includes:

• valid passport and valid residence visa;
• proof of means of subsistence;
• a sworn declaration of your address, with a landlord declaration or land-registry certificate depending on how you occupy the home;
• proof of family ties where relevant;
• tax registration and social security registration, where applicable;
• health insurance or proof of coverage by the National Health Service (SNS).

Decision deadlines

Following Lei 62/2026, the general deadline for a first residence permit decision is 90 days, extendable by 30 in justified exceptional cases with notice to the applicant. Renewal decisions keep a 60-day deadline. These are legal deadlines counted from a properly filed application; waiting for an appointment is not the same period.

The card

After approval, AIMA issues the residence title as a card. The first temporary permit is valid for two years from the date the title is issued and renews for successive three-year periods. Older "1+2+2" descriptions do not reflect the general rule.

What changed in 2026

No more tacit approval

Lei 62/2026, published on 10 September 2026, repealed article 82(7) of Lei 23/2007. From 11 September 2026, the lack of an AIMA decision no longer counts as approval of a residence permit or renewal. Older articles that describe "silent approval after 90 days" are out of date.

If AIMA misses the deadline

Silence now calls for action rather than waiting. The usual steps are a written follow-up through official AIMA channels and, if that fails, a court route: a lawyer can file an administrative court action asking the court to order AIMA to decide. Under the general administrative procedure code (CPTA), such an action for failure to act is generally available for one year after the legal deadline expires, and a refusal decision must state its reasons and how to challenge it in court. Whether a lawsuit makes sense is a question for a licensed Portuguese lawyer.

Citizenship: 10 years

For applications filed from 19 May 2026, ordinary naturalization for third-country nationals requires 10 years of legal residence (Lei Orgânica 1/2026). Applications already pending on that date follow the previous rules. If citizenship is part of your long-term plan, factor this into the decision.

Keeping the permit: renewals, absences and tax

• Renew on time. Request renewal at least 30 days before the permit expires (art. 78), with the same basis, means and accommodation still in place and your tax and social security obligations met.
• Absence limits. A temporary permit can be canceled after absence without justified reason of more than 6 consecutive months or 8 months in total within the permit's validity (art. 85). For permanent residence the limits are 24 consecutive months or 30 months within three years.
• Tax residence is a different test. Under the Personal Income Tax Code you generally become tax resident after more than 183 days in a 12-month period, or earlier if you have a home you intend to use as your habitual residence. Spending 183 days a year is not the immigration rule, and a D7 or D8 permit does not by itself grant any tax regime.
• Report changes. Address changes must be reported to AIMA within 60 days; the tax address is updated separately with the Tax Authority.
• Long term. Permanent residence is generally available after 5 years of temporary residence, subject to means, accommodation, basic Portuguese and other conditions.

What it costs

Official fees only. AIMA amounts come from the fee table in force from 1 March 2026; section XIV of that table applies a 25% reduction for requests made through the digital channel, which is why two figures are shown.

For a first application, check the AIMA table for any additional receipt-and-analysis line that applies to your category; AIMA confirms the exact total at the appointment. Translations, apostilles and insurance are paid to third parties and vary.

Who this is for — and who it is not for

D7 or D8 usually fits if you:

• have a stable pension or passive income you can document for at least 12 months (D7);
• work remotely for an employer or clients outside Portugal and can show three months of qualifying income (D8);
• plan to actually live in Portugal and stay within the absence limits;

It is usually not the right tool if you:

• are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen — registration with the municipality is enough;
• want to take a job with a Portuguese employer — that is a different visa category;
• plan to spend most of the year elsewhere — the 6/8-month absence rule applies;
• are choosing Portugal mainly for a fast passport — the naturalization period is now 10 years.

Common mistakes and reasons for refusal

• Wrong visa type. Applying for D7 while living on a salary, or for the temporary remote-work stay visa when a residence card is the goal. The consulate assesses the category you chose, not the one you meant.
• Income that does not match the rule. For D8, a large savings balance does not replace three months of qualifying remote income; for D7, income that cannot be traced to a pension or assets is weak evidence.
• Accommodation that does not fit the income. A lease that takes most of the declared income raises questions about means of subsistence.
• Documents expiring in the gap. Criminal records, bank statements and insurance can expire between the consulate and the AIMA appointment. Keep copies and plan to update them.
• Relying on silence. Since 11 September 2026 an unanswered application is not an approved one. Keep proof of filing and escalate in writing.
• Confusing 183 days with residence rules. Long absences can cost the permit even if your tax position looks fine.

Many applicants file on their own, and that is a legitimate choice. The cost of an error is usually time: a refusal means a new application, a new appointment and new documents. Where professional support helps most is the file review before the consulate stage and follow-up with AIMA when deadlines pass.