D7 vs D8 visa Portugal 2026: which one fits you

If you live on a pension, rent or dividends, the D7 is your visa. If you earn a salary or fees from an employer or clients outside Portugal, the D8 is. In 2026 the D7 asks for at least €920 a month for the main applicant, the national minimum wage. The D8 asks for average earnings of four times that, €3,680 a month, over the last three months. Both lead to a residence permit from AIMA, Portugal's immigration agency.

D7 and D8 side by side

How much income you need in 2026

Both visas are tied to the minimum monthly wage, which Decree-Law 139/2025 (Diário da República, December 29, 2025) sets at €920 from January 1, 2026. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MNE) visa portal uses that figure for the means of subsistence, with a percentage for each household member: 100% for the first adult, 50% for each additional adult, and 30% for each child under 18 or adult child who depends on you.

For a D7 that gives, by our calculation from those percentages, €920 a month for one person, €1,380 for a couple and €1,932 for a couple with two children. Portaria 1563/2007 asks D7 applicants to show these means for at least 12 months, which for one person is €11,040. It also asks for proof that the income can be received or is available in Portugal.

For a D8 the test is your own earnings: an average of at least four minimum wages, €3,680 a month, over the last three months. If your family comes with you, the MNE also asks for stable means that cover you and the relatives with you, under the same percentages. The portal does not publish a single combined D8 family figure, so confirm the amount with your consulate.

Guides that quote €870 use the 2025 minimum wage.

Housing, health insurance and the other documents

Every residence visa application includes a criminal record certificate from your country of nationality, or from any country where you have lived for more than a year, with an apostille where applicable. It also needs travel insurance that covers medical expenses, urgent care and repatriation. The consulate may ask for more documents.

Housing is a legal condition for the residence permit and for every renewal (Law 23/2007, articles 77 and 78). At AIMA you sign a declaration of your address. An owner adds the land registry certificate; a tenant adds a declaration from the landlord. AIMA also asks for health insurance, or proof that you are covered by the National Health Service (SNS).

Temporary stay or residence visa: the D8 choice

The D8 comes in two forms. The temporary-stay visa covers a stay of less than a year, with multiple entries. The residence visa is valid for four months and two entries, and exists so you can enter Portugal and apply for a residence permit. If you plan to live here, that is the route. For real waiting times, read our AIMA processing times guide.

From visa to residence card, and renewals

Once in Portugal, you apply to AIMA for a temporary residence permit. It is valid for two years from issue and then renews for three years at a time. Ask for renewal no later than 30 days before it expires. To renew you need the same means and housing, and your tax and social security obligations must be up to date.

A temporary permit can be cancelled if you are away for six consecutive months, or eight months in total during its validity, without a valid reason. After five years of temporary residence you can apply for permanent residence, which also requires basic Portuguese.

Bringing your family

Your spouse or partner and dependent children can apply for visas together with you, as accompanying family members, or join you later through family reunification at AIMA. Since October 23, 2025 (Law 61/2025), reunification requires you to have held your permit for two years. The wait is 15 months for a spouse who lived with you for at least 18 months before you moved. There is no wait for minor children or dependants who cannot look after themselves, or for a spouse who is their parent. Reunification also needs housing considered normal for a comparable family in the same region, and means that do not rely on social support. If your family is ready to move, applying together avoids that wait.

Which one fits you

Retired, living on a pension

A US Social Security benefit or a Japanese public pension is retirement income, so the D7 fits. You prove it with a certificate from the official body that pays it. How Portugal taxes that pension is a separate question, covered in our IFICI article.

Employed by a company outside Portugal

The D8 fits if your employer is based abroad and your average pay reaches €3,680 a month. A salary does not fit the D7.

Freelancer

The D8 fits when your clients are outside Portugal. If you plan to work mainly for clients in Portugal, the MNE lists a separate residence visa for independent work.

A pension and some work income

Each visa counts a different kind of income: the D8 looks at earnings from remote work, the D7 at pensions and passive income. Check which of the two your income meets on its own. The MNE portal does not describe adding one to the other, so raise a mixed case with the consulate and your lawyer before applying.

What Urbanis does

Urbanis is a licensed real estate agency in Porto (AMI 24596). For people moving on a D7 or D8 we coordinate the relocation, find the rental or purchase that gives you the address AIMA asks for, and refer you to independent immigration lawyers for the application. We do not give legal advice. Our team works in Portuguese, English, Spanish and Hebrew. Talk to the relocation team.

Frequently asked questions

What is the D7 income requirement in 2026?

€920 a month for the main applicant, plus 50% for each additional adult and 30% for each child, shown for at least 12 months.

Source: MNE visa portal, means of subsistence; Portaria 1563/2007, article 5, Diário da República

What is the D8 income requirement in 2026?

An average of at least €3,680 a month over the last three months, four times the €920 minimum wage.

Source: MNE visa portal, residency documentation; Decree-Law 139/2025, Diário da República

Can I get a D7 on US Social Security or a Japanese pension?

Yes, if the amount meets the threshold. The D7 covers retirees, and AIMA accepts a pension certificate issued by the official body of the paying country.

Source: MNE visa portal, residency documentation; AIMA, means of subsistence

How long is the first residence permit valid?

Two years from issue, then renewable for three years at a time.

Source: Law 23/2007, article 75, Diário da República; AIMA, residence permit for remote work

Can my family join me later?

Yes, through family reunification, after you have held your permit for two years. Minor children are exempt from that wait.

Source: Law 23/2007, article 98, as amended by Law 61/2025, Diário da República

This article is general information, not legal or immigration advice.