Portugal's classic route for retirees and passive-income earners.
Real-world processing — including the bottlenecks competitors don't talk about.
Both can be done remotely via a fiscal representative.
Critical bottleneck — short-stay Airbnb does not count.
Submit application and biometrics.
60–90 days typical; 4-month visa issued on approval.
Within the 4-month visa, attend AIMA for biometrics and residence permit.
Standard Portuguese resident tax; IFICI ('NHR 2.0') only if you qualify under the new narrow rules.
Officially the D7 is for passive income. Remote-work income should be applied for under the D8. Some consulates have historically accepted mixed cases, but the safer route for active remote workers is the D8.
Not the original NHR — that ended 31 December 2023. Some D7 applicants may qualify for IFICI ('NHR 2.0') if their work fits the qualifying scientific or innovation categories, but most D7 retirees won't qualify and will pay standard Portuguese rates.
5 years of legal residency, A2 Portuguese language test, clean record. Portugal has one of the shortest paths in the EU.
Severe — multi-year delays in some cases. Plan for friction and consider getting legal help to track your file.
Yes — spouse, dependent children, and dependent parents. Income requirement increases by 50% for spouse and 30% per child.
Yes — 183+ days/year, or 8 months across any 2-year residency period. Less than that and renewal will be denied.
Hand-picked immigration lawyers licensed to practise in Portugal. We don't take a cut — the booking link goes straight to their calendar.
Costa Advogados · Lisbon
Bar reg: OA 00000
Lisbon-based, handles D7 and D8 from initial NIF setup through AIMA biometrics. Experienced with backlog escalations and consulate liaison.
Ferreira & Partners · Porto
Bar reg: OA 00000
Porto-based, focused on Golden Visa investment-fund applicants and post-residency IFICI tax planning. Handles 5-year citizenship filings.
Information only. Always verify a lawyer's active bar registration before sharing documents or transferring funds.
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