Portugal

EU Schengen

Capital Lisbon

Currency EUR

Languages Portuguese

Official fee 119 – 250,029 EUR

Portugal is an EU and Schengen member state. Most non-EU residence pathways follow a two-stage structure: apply for a national D-type residence visa at a Portuguese consulate or VFS abroad, then convert it into a residence permit at AIMA after arrival. The residence visa is issued for 120 days with 2 entries, and the resulting residence permit is valid 2 years and renewable for 3-year periods. The Golden Visa (ARI) is the main exception, applied for directly with AIMA without a consular D-visa.

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Immigration Pathways

(6) Last updated: Jun 7, 2026 · 5 days ago

6 of 6 pathways lead to long-term settlement — 6 to permanent residence, 6 to citizenship.

6 of 6 pathways are backed by official government sources.

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Work / Employment Medium confidence

Work residence visa - subordinate employment (D1) and independent/entrepreneur (D2)

Two-stage route for non-EU nationals coming to Portugal to work. Requires a work contract or written promise of a work contract, submitted with the consular application from the country of origin, followed by issuance of a residence permit at AIMA.

Processing time: Residence-visa decision within 60 days
Validity: Visa 120 days / 2 entries; residence permit 2 years, renewable for 3-year periods
Language requirement: No language requirement for the visa/permit; A2 Portuguese is required only for later naturalisation
Documents: 5 required
Permanent residence: Yes · Permanent residence after 5 years of legal residence
Citizenship: Yes · Naturalisation generally after 5 years of legal residence

Requirements

Valid work contract or written promise of a work contract (D1)
Passport valid at least 3 months beyond intended stay
Valid travel medical insurance
Criminal record certificate
Proof of means of subsistence (benchmarked to the annual minimum wage)

Required Documents

Work contract or written promise of a work contract (D1) required
Passport valid at least 3 months beyond intended stay required
Valid travel medical insurance required
Criminal record certificate required
Proof of means of subsistence required

Official fees

Long-stay (national) visa fee 90 EUR

Visa appeal administrative guarantee 75 EUR

In-person residence-permit collection fee (Ordinance 307/2023) 28.5 EUR

Estimated total 193.5 EUR

Process Steps

1
Secure work contract

Obtain a work contract or written promise of a work contract in Portugal.
2
Apply for D1/D2 visa

Submit the residence visa application at a Portuguese consulate or VFS in your country of residence.
3
Enter Portugal

Travel to Portugal within the 120-day visa validity window (2 entries).
4
Obtain residence permit at AIMA

Attend an AIMA appointment to be issued a 2-year residence permit.
5
Renew

Request renewal up to 30 days before expiry; permit renews for 3-year periods.

Official Sources

Self-employment / Freelance Medium confidence

Passive income / retiree residence visa (D7)

Residence visa for non-EU nationals with stable, regular passive income (pensions, dividends, rental, royalties). Two-stage consular-visa then AIMA-permit route.

Processing time: Residence-visa decision within 60 days
Validity: Visa 120 days / 2 entries; residence permit 2 years, renewable for 3-year periods
Language requirement: No language requirement for the visa/permit
Permanent residence: Yes · Permanent residence after 5 years of legal residence
Citizenship: Yes · Naturalisation generally after 5 years of legal residence

Requirements

Proof of stable, regular passive income (pension, dividends, rental, royalties)
Proof of accommodation in Portugal
Passport valid at least 3 months beyond intended stay
Valid travel medical insurance
Criminal record certificate

Official fees

Long-stay (national) visa fee 90 EUR

In-person residence-permit collection fee 28.5 EUR

Estimated total 118.5 EUR

Process Steps

1
Demonstrate passive income

Prove stable, regular passive income such as pension, dividends, rental or royalties.
2
Apply for D7 visa

Submit the application at a Portuguese consulate with universal documents plus proof of income and accommodation.
3
Enter Portugal

Travel within the 120-day window.
4
Obtain residence permit at AIMA

Receive a 2-year permit, then renew for 3-year periods.

Official Sources

Investor / Golden Visa Medium confidence

Golden Visa - Residence for Investment Activity (ARI)

Residence-by-investment programme applied for directly with AIMA without a consular D-visa. Qualifying routes include a EUR 250,000 donation/investment into Portuguese arts, heritage or culture and qualifying private-equity/venture-capital fund investments. Real-estate routes were removed in 2023.

Processing time: Varies; depends on AIMA processing
Validity: ARI residence permit with renewals; low physical-presence requirement
Language requirement: No language requirement for the permit; A2 Portuguese required only for later naturalisation
Documents: 4 required
Permanent residence: Yes · Permanent residence after 5 years of legal residence
Citizenship: Yes · Naturalisation generally after 5 years of legal residence

Requirements

Qualifying investment (e.g. EUR 250,000 donation/investment into arts, heritage or culture, or qualifying fund investment)
Passport valid at least 3 months beyond intended stay
Valid medical insurance
Criminal record certificate
Maintenance of the qualifying investment over the required period

Required Documents

Proof of qualifying investment required
Passport valid at least 3 months beyond intended stay required
Valid medical insurance required
Criminal record certificate required

Official fees

Cultural donation/investment route 250,000 EUR

In-person residence-permit collection fee 28.5 EUR

Estimated total 250,028.5 EUR

Process Steps

1
Make qualifying investment

Complete a qualifying investment such as a EUR 250,000 cultural donation/investment or a qualifying fund investment.
2
Apply with AIMA

Apply for the ARI residence permit directly with AIMA - no consular D-visa is required.
3
Biometrics

Attend the biometrics appointment.
4
Permit issued

Receive the ARI residence permit.
5
Renew with AIMA

Submit renewal requests to AIMA, which is the body responsible for receiving ARI renewal requests.

Official Sources

Family Reunification Medium confidence

Family reunification residence visa (D6)

Pathway for family members of a Portuguese residence-permit holder. Family members follow the same consular-visa then AIMA-permit route, initiated by the resident sponsor or the family member.

Processing time: Residence-visa decision within 60 days
Validity: Visa 120 days / 2 entries; residence permit 2 years, renewable for 3-year periods
Language requirement: No language requirement for the visa/permit
Permanent residence: Yes · Permanent residence after 5 years of legal residence
Citizenship: Yes · Naturalisation generally after 5 years of legal residence

Requirements

Proof of family relationship
Sponsor's valid Portuguese residence permit
Proof of means of subsistence
Proof of accommodation
Passport valid at least 3 months beyond intended stay

Official fees

Long-stay (national) visa fee 90 EUR

In-person residence-permit collection fee 28.5 EUR

Estimated total 118.5 EUR

Process Steps

1
Establish sponsor's residence

The sponsor must hold a valid Portuguese residence permit.
2
Apply for family reunification

The sponsor or family member initiates the application; the family member applies for the visa at a consulate abroad.
3
Enter Portugal

Travel within the 120-day window.
4
Obtain residence permit at AIMA

Receive a residence permit aligned with the family-reunification route.

Official Sources

Digital Nomad Medium confidence

Digital nomad / remote work residence visa (D8)

Residence or temporary-stay visa sub-type for remote workers earning from a foreign source. Follows the same two-stage consular-visa then AIMA-permit structure.

Processing time: Residence-visa decision within 60 days; temporary-stay-visa decision within 30 days
Validity: Residence-permit version: visa 120 days / 2 entries, permit 2 years renewable for 3-year periods
Language requirement: No language requirement for the visa/permit
Permanent residence: Yes · Permanent residence after 5 years (residence-permit version)
Citizenship: Yes · Naturalisation generally after 5 years of legal residence

Requirements

Proof of remote employment or income from a foreign source
Passport valid at least 3 months beyond intended stay
Valid travel medical insurance
Criminal record certificate
Proof of means of subsistence

Official fees

Long-stay (national) visa fee 90 EUR

In-person residence-permit collection fee 28.5 EUR

Estimated total 118.5 EUR

Process Steps

1
Document foreign income

Gather proof of remote work and income earned from a source outside Portugal.
2
Apply for D8 visa

Submit the application at a Portuguese consulate or VFS abroad.
3
Enter Portugal

Travel to Portugal within the 120-day window.
4
Obtain residence permit at AIMA

Attend the AIMA appointment to receive the residence permit (residence-permit version).

Official Sources

Permanent Residence High confidence

Permanent residence and residence-permit renewal

After 5 years of legal residence, holders may obtain permanent residence (issued for 5 years). Temporary residence permits renew for 3-year periods and must be renewed up to 30 days before expiry, primarily through IRN via the SIGA booking platform.

Processing time: Renewal must be requested up to 30 days before expiry
Validity: Temporary permit renews for 3-year periods; permanent residence issued for 5 years
Language requirement: No language requirement for permanent residence renewal itself
Documents: 6 required
Permanent residence: Yes · Permanent residence after 5 years of legal residence; permanent permit issued for 5 years
Citizenship: Yes · Naturalisation generally after 5 years of legal residence

Requirements

Current residence permit (or expired less than 6 months)
Valid passport
Proof of subsistence (tax return, payslips, work contract, or self-employment receipts)
Proof of accommodation (lease, property, or council certificate)
Proof of tax payment and Social Security contributions
Authorization to consult criminal record (not required for under-16s)

Required Documents

Current residence permit (or expired less than 6 months) required
Valid passport required
Proof of subsistence (tax return, payslips, work contract, or self-employment receipts) required
Proof of accommodation (lease, property, or council certificate) required
Proof of tax payment required
Proof of Social Security contributions required
Authorization to consult criminal record (not for under-16s)

Official fees

In-person residence-permit collection fee (Ordinance 307/2023) 28.5 EUR

Process Steps

1
Confirm eligibility

Confirm renewal eligibility on the AIMA site.
2
Book via SIGA

Book through the SIGA platform/app, selecting entity 'IRN Registo' and topic 'Autorizacao de residencia'.
3
Select appointment

Choose date, time and location.
4
Enter details

Enter your details and confirm your identity.
5
Receive confirmation

Get a confirmation email with an appointment code.
6
Attend in person

Attend in person at an IRN counter with the required documents.

Official Sources

Some pathway details are machine-translated and may contain minor inaccuracies. Always verify with official sources.

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