Portugal’s D7 visa is the residence visa for pensioners, ministers of religion, and people living on their own income. In 2026 the means test is 920 euros per month for the first adult, plus 460 euros for each additional adult and 276 euros for each dependent child, shown for at least 12 months.
Most applicants also open a Portuguese bank account and obtain a NIF (tax number) before filing, because consulates commonly ask for proof that the income is available in Portugal. Confirm with your filing consulate whether it requires both at the visa stage. This guide covers the visa and the first residence permit, based on official Portuguese sources checked November 2026.
On this page
- Key takeaways
- How much income do you need for a D7 visa?
- What income counts for a D7 visa?
- Documents
- How much does the D7 visa cost?
- Steps in order
- What happens after the visa?
- Frequently asked questions
- Official sources
Key takeaways
- The D-7 is a residence visa, not a residence permit. It allows two entries and is valid for 4 months.
- In 2026, the means test is 920 euros per month for the first adult, plus 50 percent for each additional adult, plus 30 percent for each dependent child.
- Financial resources must be shown for at least 12 months.
- During the 4 month visa validity, you must apply to the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) for a residence permit.
- Qualifying income is pension income, or income from movable or immovable property, intellectual property, or financial investments, with proof that it is available in Portugal.
How much income do you need for a D7 visa?
The Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa portal states the means of subsistence test for 2026.
The test is based on the minimum monthly salary, currently in 2026 amounting to 920 euros, citing Regulatory Decree 139/2025 of 29 December 2025, net of social security deductions. The scale on the same page is: first adult 100 percent, second and additional adults 50 percent, children and young people under 18 and non minor dependent children 30 percent.
| Family | Monthly means test | 12 month resources |
|---|---|---|
| Single applicant | 920 euros | 11,040 euros |
| Couple | 1,380 euros | 16,560 euros |
| Couple plus one child | 1,656 euros | 19,872 euros |
| Couple plus two children | 1,932 euros | 23,184 euros |
The monthly scale is printed on the official portal. The 12 month totals in the table are arithmetic from that scale and from the 12 month resources rule below. They are not printed as totals on the official pages.
The Embassy of Portugal in Beijing D-7 checklist, dated July 4, 2025, requires proof of financial resources for a period of at least 12 months, under Ordinance 1563/2007 of December 11.
The same checklist states that means of support can be reduced by half when it is proved that the applicant has secured accommodation in any way, or by up to 90 percent of the amount when it is demonstrated that food is also secured.
Do not treat that reduction as a guaranteed discount. The checklist states it as a possibility, and consulates retain discretion. Confirm it with the filing consulate for your file.
What income counts for a D7 visa?
For pensioners, the Beijing embassy D-7 checklist asks for a document proving the amount of the pension, and a document proving the guarantee of receipt or availability of other income in national territory.
For people living on their own income, it asks for documents proving the existence and amount of income from movable or immovable property, intellectual property, or financial investments, and a document proving the availability of such income in national territory.
Salary or active freelance income is not accepted on the D-7 checklist as qualifying passive income. Active remote workers or digital nomads should instead review the Portugal D8 Digital Nomad Visa requirements. If your income is employment-based, do not file it as a D7 without professional advice. For refusal or appeal insights on D7 and D8 files, read Portugal D7 and D8 visa refused.
Documents
The standard documents on the Beijing embassy D-7 checklist, dated July 2025, are listed below. Confirm with the filing consulate that no newer checklist supersedes it before you file, because consulate checklists differ by post.
- National visa application form, filled in and duly signed.
- Two identical passport sized photographs, recent and in good condition, with one attached to the form.
- Passport or other travel document valid for at least 3 months beyond the intended period of stay, plus a photocopy of the biographical data page.
- Proof of regular status, if you are of another nationality than the country where you apply, valid beyond the date of expiry of the visa applied for.
- Valid travel insurance covering necessary medical expenses, including urgent medical assistance and possible repatriation.
- Police clearance certificate issued less than 90 days before submission, from the country of nationality or the country where you have resided for over a year, with the Hague Apostille if applicable, or duly legalised.
- For religious purposes only, a sponsorship letter and a document certifying status as a minister of worship or a member of an institute of consecrated life, duly legalised.
Citizens of Portuguese speaking countries are exempt from presenting travel insurance, a return transport ticket, and means of support on presentation of a qualifying sponsorship letter, on the checklist terms. That exemption does not apply to the general D7 applicant.
How much does the D7 visa cost?
There are two separate fees. The Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa portal states that processing a national visa application costs 110 euros. The AIMA residence permit at the second stage is charged under the fee table annexed to Portaria 307/2023, whose updated version applies from 1 March 2026: granting or renewing a temporary residence permit under Article 75(1) is 114.30 euros, reduced to 85.80 euros where the application is filed through the digital channel. Collecting the residence card in person adds 29.90 euros, and urgent issuance adds 47.80 euros. Consulates that take applications through an outsourced centre add their own service charge on top of the 110 euros.
Steps in order
- Confirm the filing consulate current D-7 checklist, including the income evidence and the police clearance timing.
- Build the 12 month resources evidence, with proof that the income is available in Portugal.
- File the national visa application with the documents above, and pay the fee on the filing consulate table.
- On approval, use the residence visa, which allows two entries and is valid for 4 months.
- During that 4 month period, apply to AIMA for a residence permit.
What happens after the visa?
Under Article 75(1) of Law 23/2007, a temporary residence permit is valid for 2 years from the date the title is issued, and is renewable for successive periods of 3 years.
When you apply to AIMA, you must show where you live.
You must provide a signed statement of your address, accompanied by a property registry certificate (Certidão de Teor) if you own the home, or a registered lease agreement from your landlord if you rent. You must also supply proof of your means of subsistence, comprehensive private health insurance (or proof of SNS public healthcare registration via your NIF), and official proof of Portuguese tax (Autoridade Tributária) and social security registration.
After 5 years of lawful residence you can apply to AIMA for permanent residence. You need Portuguese at A2 level (CIPLE), proof of income and address, and clean tax and social security records. Citizenship is a separate and longer timeline. Under Organic Law 1/2026, in force from 19 May 2026, most residents need 10 years of legal residence before they can apply to naturalise, and nationals of Portuguese speaking countries need 7.
If your family does not move with you, check the reunification rules first. Under Article 98 of Law 23/2007, as amended by Law 61/2025 of 22 October 2025, you must hold a valid residence permit for at least 2 years before you can sponsor a spouse. That drops to 15 months where the spouse lived with you for at least 18 months immediately before you entered Portugal. Dependent minors and dependent incapacitated family members are exempt from the waiting period altogether.
Physical presence: under Article 85(2)(a) of Law 23/2007, a temporary residence permit can be cancelled if you are absent from Portugal, without acceptable reasons, for 6 consecutive months or 8 non-consecutive months within the permit’s total validity. Article 85(3) lets you justify a longer absence by applying to AIMA before you leave, or in exceptional cases after you leave, so a long trip is a planning question rather than an automatic loss.
Work rights: Article 83(1)(b) and (c) of Law 23/2007 gives every residence permit holder the right to employed and self-employed work in Portugal without any separate authorisation. That is the permit stage, not the visa stage: the income test still has to be met with qualifying passive income rather than salary. Whether your filing consulate wants a Portuguese tax number or bank account at the visa stage is not set out on the pages above, so confirm that point with the post and our associate lawyers.
Savings on deposit: several consulates ask to see the 12 months of resources sitting in an account rather than only as income on paper, and some posts work to a 14 month figure (12,880 euros for a single applicant at the 2026 rate) rather than 12. Neither the Ministry of Foreign Affairs means of subsistence page nor the Beijing D-7 checklist states a lump-sum deposit requirement, so treat it as a post-level practice to confirm with your filing consulate, not a rule.
Frequently asked questions
How much passive income do I need for a Portugal D-7 visa in 2026?
For 2026, the official passive income requirement for a single applicant is 920 euros per month (totaling 11,040 euros for 12 months). Each additional adult adds 460 euros per month, and each dependent child adds 276 euros per month, according to the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs means of subsistence guidelines.
Does pension income qualify for D-7?
Yes. The embassy D-7 checklist asks pensioners for a document proving the amount of the pension, and proof that receipt or availability of other income in Portugal is guaranteed. People living on their own income prove income from property, intellectual property, or financial investments.
How long is the D-7 visa valid?
Residence visas allow two entries and are valid for 4 months. During that time, you must apply to AIMA for a residence permit. The visa itself is not the residence permit.
How old can my police clearance be?
Less than 90 days before submission, on the Beijing embassy D-7 checklist. It must come from the country of nationality or the country where you have resided for over a year, with the Hague Apostille if applicable, or duly legalised.
Does D-7 lead to citizenship after five years?
No. Under Organic Law 1/2026 of May 18, 2026, which changed the Nationality Law, most D-7 holders need at least 10 years of legal residence before they can apply to naturalise. Nationals of Portuguese speaking countries and EU citizens need 7 years. You also need to pass a Portuguese language and culture test and meet other conditions. Applications filed before the new law took effect follow the old rules.
How long must I live in Portugal each year on a D7 visa?
Article 85(2)(a) of Law 23/2007 sets the limit: a temporary residence permit can be cancelled if you are absent from Portugal, without acceptable reasons, for 6 consecutive months or 8 non-consecutive months within the permit’s total validity. Article 85(3) lets you justify a longer absence by applying to AIMA before you travel.
How much does a Portugal D7 visa cost in 2026?
Two fees. The Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs charges 110 euros to process the national visa application. At the AIMA stage, the fee table under Portaria 307/2023, updated from 1 March 2026, charges 114.30 euros to grant a temporary residence permit, reduced to 85.80 euros through the digital channel, with 29.90 euros more to collect the card in person.
Can my spouse and children come with me on a D7 visa?
Family members can be included, but the rules changed in 2025 for reunification applied for after arrival. If your family is not travelling with you at the visa stage, confirm the waiting period in force on your filing date before you commit to a plan.
Can I work in Portugal on a D7 visa?
Yes, once you hold the residence permit. Article 83(1)(b) and (c) of Law 23/2007 gives residence permit holders the right to employed and self-employed work without a separate authorisation. It does not change the visa stage, where the income test must still be met with qualifying passive income rather than salary.
Official sources
- Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, means of subsistence, checked November 2026.
- Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, general information, national visas, checked November 2026.
- Embassy of Portugal in Beijing, D-7 checklist, July 4, 2025, checked November 2026.
- Consulate General of Portugal in Goa, visa, consular matters, checked November 2026.
- Embassy of Portugal in Ankara, consular section, general information, checked November 2026.
- Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, national visa fees, checked November 2026.
- AIMA, table of fees under Portaria 307/2023, in force 1 March 2026, checked November 2026.
- Diário da República, Law 23/2007 consolidated, Articles 75, 83, 85 and 98, checked November 2026.
Work out the cost for your own family with the residence cost calculator. Start from the residence by investment hub for the full programme set. For the Portugal golden visa routes that are still open, read Portugal Golden Visa after real estate. To check a D7 file, Book Your Strategy Consultation.
