Portugal D8 Digital Nomad Visa

Written by Luis Minvielle Moderated by Oleksandra Dosii

Luis Minvielle

Luis is a writer with over 5 years of experience in B2B software. Even though he has always worked in tech, a sector he regularly publishes about, his initial incursions into writing were, curiously enough, music essays discussing scenes from different parts of the world—most likely to deal with his unfulfilled ambition of becoming a neo-soul crooner.

Oleksandra Dosii

Oleksandra is a dedicated marketer with a passion for growing HR-tech products. She believes content marketing is about delivering high-quality content that provides value—not just generating leads. Since 2016, Oleksandra has been involved in tech talent relocation.

Last update: April 1, 2025

Next update: Scheduled for February 1, 2026

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The Portugal D8 visa (Digital Nomad or DR visa) is a residence visa for non-EU nationals who want to work remotely from Portugal. It also allows family members to apply for a visa to travel alongside the main applicant. If you are granted approval, you’ll be able to stay in Portugal working remotely for a few months and apply for a long-term residence card. You should apply for this visa before you travel to Portugal.

You need to have a contract that earns you at least €3,480 a month, and at least €10,000 in savings, before you apply for the Portuguese Digital Nomad visa.

 

D8 visa duration

The Portugal D8 visa is valid for 120 days (four months) and allows you to enter the country twice. It’s a first step toward living in Portugal in the longer term. To stay beyond the initial four months, you’ll need to apply for residency with AIMA before your visa expires. The temporary residency status is renewable and will let you stay for two years initially. This card also puts you on the path towards permanent residency and eventually citizenship.

What do you need to get a Portugal digital nomad visa?

In addition to the requirements common to all types of visas (that we’ll review shortly afterwards), the Portuguese consulates list these requirements as essential to apply for the Portugal Digital Nomad visa:

• Proof of accommodation conditions must be provided for a minimum period of one year in the case of a residence visa, or for the desired period in the case of a temporary stay visa.
• Health insurance can be valid for 120 days in the case of a residence visa and for the intended period in the case of a temporary stay visa.
• Means of subsistence must be equivalent to four Portuguese minimum wages, which stands at €870. So, in 2025, you need to prove you have €3,480. Or, as we explain below, you need to demonstrate you are invoicing for €3,480 a month and have €10,000 in savings.
• A document proving tax residency.

This is the most credible information you can access because it’s taken directly from consulate pages and translated from Portuguese. If you have found conflicting information, we suggest you stick with these bullets. And if you haven’t seen this information on Portugal’s official visa site, it’s because it’s nowhere to be found! That’s also why speaking with an immigration expert is a good idea if you plan to relocate to Portugal. They have excellent visa pathways, but a lot of critical information is not clear enough.

Portuguese immigration lawyers add a bit of nuance to these requests. A legal professional explained the following when talking about D8 and how much money you need to demonstrate:

Income is indeed mandatory

According to this lawyer, the D8 Visa requires proof of €3,480/month (four Portugal minimum wages) from remote work or income, demonstrated via invoices or payslips from the previous three months. Savings alone (even large amounts) will not cut it.

Some expats claim that you’ll need to save €10,000 before applying (this is just their advice). So maybe having those €10,000 and plus having a monthly invoice of €3,480 is the best idea. Applicants risk rejection if they submit large savings without proof of qualifying monthly income. Portuguese authorities prioritise ongoing work income, not lump-sum savings.

Savings only support livelihood proof

Savings can supplement your application to show “sufficient means” for living in Portugal, but they do not replace income proof. Remember that passive income is the focus of the D7 visa, not the D8.

The bank account and NIF are optional

A Portuguese bank account and NIF are not mandatory for the D8 Visa. The advice is that they can be helpful for initial expenses but including them might confuse authorities into thinking it's a D7 application. So don’t include them.

Bringing the family

In Portugal, applicants typically need to demonstrate additional savings (not income) if they want to bring the family. The main applicant must present additional savings at 50% for a spouse and each parent, and 30% for each child. So, using the €10,000 benchmark, this would mean a family of four would need to demonstrate, in savings: €10,000 + €5,000 + €3000 + €3000, which equals €21,000.

D8 visa requirements and documents

To be eligible for a Portugal D8 visa, you must be a non-EU/EEA citizen and have a demonstrably remote job with income flowing from outside of Portugal. For the application, you will need the following documentation:

• Completed visa application
• Valid national passport: Valid for at least three months after the visa’s expiration.
• 2 passport-sized photos: Recent and coloured.
• Proof of legal residence: Of your country of nationality or where you reside, valid beyond the visa’s expiry date.
• Criminal record certificate: Issued within the last 3 months from where you've lived for over a year.
• Travel Insurance: Must cover medical expenses, emergencies, and repatriation.
• Proof of financial resources: As we outlined: an invoice or contract of €3,480 per month, and savings of at least €10,000 if you’re single and €21,000 if you’re a family of four. These are estimates.
• NIF (Portuguese taxpayer number): Required for tax purposes.
• Proof of Accommodation: Booking, rental contract, lease agreement, etc, for at least 12 months.
• Cover letter: Explaining why you want to apply and how you plan to live as a remote worker.
• Proof of employment: Contract or declaration in case of subordinate workers. Articles of association, service contract or any document verifying services provided in case of self-employment.

You might want to consider opening a Portuguese bank account if you don't have a sponsor, as embassies often prefer proof of savings from a Portuguese bank. If a Portuguese citizen or legal resident signs the terms of responsibility, you don’t need to show financial resources proof. This sponsor guarantees your food, accommodation, and repatriation if needed, and their signature must be officially recognised.

How to apply for the Portuguese D8 visa: A step-by-step guide

The Portuguese D8 visa is for digital nomads looking to live in Portugal. To submit your application, you will need to follow these steps:

Step #1 – Prepare your application

Gather the required documents we mentioned above.

Step #2 – Start your application

Schedule an in-person appointment at a Portuguese consulate, embassy, or VFS Centre in your country of residence.

• Forms:
  • Complete the general National Visa form, as there is no specific document for D8 visa applications. Some consulates, like the Canadian consulate, offer their own forms.
• Fees:
  • D8 Visa fee: €110

Step #3 – Wait for visa approval

The standard processing time varies between 60–90 days.
Outcome:

• If approved: A D8 Visa sticker is stapled to your passport, valid for 4 months with two entries to Portugal.
• If denied: You will receive a written explanation. Appeals must be submitted within 15 days.

Step #4 – Move to Portugal and apply for residency

Within 4 months of arriving in Portugal:

• Schedule an appointment with AIMA (formerly SEF). You can read our guide on how to book an appointment on our Visa and Immigration page.
• Required documents:
  • Passport with D8 Visa.
  • Updated proof of accommodation.
  • Proof of ongoing passive income (e.g., updated bank statements).
• Fees:
  • Residence permit fee: €155.50
  • Biometrics: Fingerprints and photos collected at AIMA.
• Processing:
  • AIMA response time: Up to 90 days.
  • Residence permit validity: 2 years, renewable for additional 3-year periods.

Where to apply for a Portuguese D8 visa

To apply for a Portugal D8 visa, start by booking an appointment at your nearest Portuguese embassy, consulate, or VFS Centre. When submitting your application, be sure to pay the required fee and provide all the necessary documents. While the standard processing time is around 60 days, it can vary by country, so don’t worry if it takes a bit longer.

D8 visa fees

The Portugal D8 visa costs €110. If your application is denied, and you decide to appeal, there’s an additional €75 administrative fee. According to immigration lawyers, the government asks you to demonstrate you’re earning €3,480 a month. This is not very clear on some Portuguese sites, but it makes total sense.

Further on, when you apply for the temporary residence, you will need €155.50 to pay for the card. In terms of fees, you don’t need much for your Portuguese D8 visa. You actually need to have savings running at €10,000 and a monthly invoice totalling €3,480. But that’s not money you’ll be spending—that’s something you can build in your home country.

Talk to a visa consultant

The Portugal D8 Digital Nomad Visa is a straightforward way to live and work remotely from Portugal. It’s also a stepping stone toward securing Portuguese citizenship. Portugal’s D8 visa requires applicants to demonstrate a stable monthly income of just €3,480 (four times the Portuguese minimum wage). Contrary to what plenty of websites say, there’s no explicit statement regarding whether these funds should come from remote work, freelance projects, or foreign business activities. Then again, immigration lawyers do claim that you need to prove you’re earning a monthly pay cheque of €3,480 or more.

Yes, it’s as complicated as it sounds. Unfortunately, Portugal’s immigration info is a bit perplexing. In any case, if you’re a digital nomad planning to move to Portugal, you should consider speaking with an immigration expert. They will know better how to assess your situation, and suggest you the D8 visa path or a different one altogether.

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