D7 visa Portugal

Everything You Need To Know About The D7 Visa For Portugal

Having plans to live abroad in Portugal can open a whole new world if you are able to fund your own life. With that, the D7 visa Portugal is a special visa that is able to offer the necessary assistance. Often referred to as a Portugal Passive Income Visa, it makes obtaining Portuguese residency a lot simpler.

No matter what your financial status currently is, you can easily live a Portuguese lifestyle after obtaining your visa. Throughout this article we will discuss several factors that will guide you on your path towards the D7 visa. That way you will have a clear understanding of it prior to applying for it.

Because Portugal has some of the best conditions for living, it is no wonder that foreign immigrants flock to Portugal. Besides the conditions, the affordability for all services and market goods and the location itself makes it a popular country to enjoy life to the fullest.

Being able to apply for your D7 visa Portugal can be done quite easily just by proving that you receive an income that is moderate.

Currently, the process of acquiring a visa, permit for residency, or even a foreign citizenship continues to be favored by many. By having an adequate amount of personal funding, you will also be able to quickly secure your own D7 visa.

The sheer number of visas that Portugal offers is in itself appealing and the methods used to attract applicants to Portugal is pretty enticing, especially for those who are able to live self-sufficiently or are wealthy. Out of all of the visas Portugal has available, the two most applied for are the non-habitual residency tax regime (NHR) and Portugal golden visa. However, the D7 visa Portugal has begun to catch up to both of them.

Being able to make your way to Portugal full time and remain financially independent will enable you to look into the D7 visa as being the best attainable method. Unlike the golden visa, which is used for investment purposes, the D7 only needs an individual to be either financially self-sufficient, have an income above the minimum wage, or are retired with a pension. Choosing to live on a monthly income from a job that is above the minimum wage will require the monthly income to be close to €665 or a yearly mount of €7,980. For applications involving a family, each member of the family is able to be included. However, the income amount needs to be a lot higher than a single D7 visa Portugal applicant. Having the D7 visa to live in Portugal because of religious preferences is also allowable.

Having the D7 visa allows you to enjoy life in Portugal for an extended amount of time without needing to leave and return again after only 30 – 60 days of visiting.

Having a D7 visa for Portugal provides the foreigner with a way to avoid making an investment while living in the country. This is done by being self-sufficient for at least 6 months out of the year. This is great but an address will still need to be acquired for living accommodations so the type of visa you want will be up to you.

Being able to enjoy this route for immigration purposes is also great if an income is earned by many different ways like the below:

• Living off of interest or dividends
• Retirement plans
• Property income
• Personal savings
• Social Security Pension

Who does the D7 entice the most?

If it is your first time applying for a visa for Portugal, then it is good to know that the D7 visa can only be obtained if you are not a citizen of Switzerland or a national of the EU. Individuals who are targeted the most for the D7 visa include:

Pensioners – Retired individuals with a Social Security pension or other type of retirement account such as a 401k can enjoy their retirement years within Portugal with no worries.

Remote Workers – Being a remote worker has a lot of advantages. One of these is the ability to live abroad while receiving a regular paycheck.

Furthermore, those with financially stable incomes include property investors living off of the rent they collect from tenants or security investments. As long as the minimum amount is maintained, the D7 visa can be obtained.

The Portugal D7 Visa

Portugal´s D7 visa is an appealing and cost-effective way to migrate to Portugal without having to be a citizen of the EU to obtain residency just as long as a funding source is available for the duration of the stay in the country.

Many entrepreneurs may also enjoy this visa for the purpose of both living and bringing in new business to Portugal without any investment requirement.

After your visa is in your hands, it will be valid for a year. Then you can decide to renew it for two years. Then, when you have had the visa for five years, you can change the residency status to a permanent status. Not only that, but if you want to become a national of Portugal, then you would have the main requirement taken care of and complete the rest of the prerequisites under the law.

D7 Visa Requirements

Although the D7 visa for Portugal is not considered a great way to plan a living due to the fact that a lot of time will need to be spent in the country as a requirement for residency. If you decide to make a move, then the D7 visa is a good way.

Substantial Amount of Savings

Having a substantial amount in your personal savings is a good way to be approved for the D7 visa. BY presenting bank statements, you will have the proof needed to show the necessary resources are available and that they will last for the 2-year requirement. Having this requirement ensured that the period of time was sufficient because the initial permit for residence is also 2 years.

Officially, the amount required is actually lower than one would think. This is because the financial needs are connected to the minimum wage of Portugal, which is currently at around € 665 per month.

Providing a Residential Address

Another D7 visa Portugal requirement is providing a residential address of where you are living. There are a few ways for you to prove that you have an address. Below are a few methods you can use:

• Buying a home or land
• Having a current lease for an apartment or house
• Having a letter of accommodation through a Portuguese sponsor
• Having long-term accommodation through Airbnb is considered as proof

D7 Visa Length of Stay in Portugal

As opposed to the residency permit for investors, it is necessary for the D7 visa Portugal holder to live in Portugal for at least 6 months without exiting.

This amount of time needs to be on a yearly basis and the visa holder cannot be outside of the borders longer than 6 months.

Advantages of Obtaining the D7 Visa in Portugal

There are many advantages for a foreigner to obtain the Portuguese D7 Visa. The main advantage is the ability to achieve permanent residence and become a citizen of Portugal once you have lived in the country for 5 years. Other advantages of the D7 visa Portugal involve:

• Ability to move freely within Portugal
• Ability to enjoy the educational opportunities
• Ability to take part in the NHR residency
• Ability to obtain public healthcare
• Family reunification

• Obtain Portuguese resident legal rights as described in the law
• Access to work for any employer or independently
• Ability to travel to the Schengen area and its 26 territories

• Unrestricted equal freedom to obtain facilities that include contributing to the social security system, paying taxes, and trade union protection.
• Access to activities on a professional level
• Freedom to start a business
• No requirement to make any investments
• Ability to decrease tax liability due to the many tax treaties
• The D7 Applicants’ immediate family, children, and their parents can be included.
• NHR tax advantages
• Rapid D7 visa application processing

The D7 Visa Process for Portugal

If a foreigner plans to live abroad in Portugal under the D7 visa, there are a few steps that must be taken first. Initially, it is a good idea to get the process started prior to leaving your country by having a 4-month temporary D7 in your home country. Then, when you arrive in Portugal, you need to attend an appointment with SEF. After your appointment, your D7 visa will be approved. Below are the exact steps to take.

Have all of your application paperwork and documents together and ready for presentation to your country’s Portuguese embassy. Upon approval of your application, you will receive your temporary D7 visa residency card and SEF appointment. Remember, the temporary visa is only good for 4 months.

Go to your SEF appointment on the scheduled date. While there, they will enter your information into the national system. Once your information is added, you will be given your D7 visa Portugal, which is good for a year and renewable.

Legal Requirements for The D7 Visa

Must have no prior criminal convictions

Have a sufficient amount of savings for financial support regardless of amount of time

Must not reside within the EU

Prove accommodations

Have the necessary willingness

Financial Responsibility for the D7 Visa

There are many financial methods available for an immigrant to apply and obtain a D7 visa. Below are the most familiar and welcomed form:

• 401k retirement plans
• Social Security pension
• Property ownership
• A job that is remote in nature

If you plan to apply for the D7 visa with only a certain amount of savings in the bank, you may be denied. This will be due to you not having any ability to maintain your monthly financial responsibility if your savings runs dry before the time requirement expires. However, you may experience a rare exception where the Portuguese consulate may approve you, but it may be a difficult route to take. Other requirements include:

The applicant’s income must be at least the Portuguese minimum wage.

The applicant´s family members need to have half of the financial support that the applicant provides for themself.

A minor child needs to have 30% of the financial support from the applicant.

Knowing that the minimum wage is Portugal’s average for cost-of-living purposes, this amount is not able to help you maintain a comfortable lifestyle. You will be better off ensuring that your monthly amount is well above the €665 monthly minimum. This is especially true if you wish to live in either Porto or Lisbon. In fact, you may not even find cheap accommodations for that amount of income.

It is suggested that before you relocate, you ensure that your annual amount for an individual applicant is around €32,000, while a family will need a yearly amount of around €45,000. When these amounts are confirmed, the approval process becomes a smooth one towards becoming a resident in Portugal.

Another suggestion is to hold a year’s worth of salary income in a local bank in Portugal. There you will only need to show your bank statements equaling 6 months.

This can be broken down even further in the following manner:

• Each child needs at least €2.100 per month
• Primary adult needs at least €7.900 per month
• Each additional adult needs at least €3.500 per month

What You Can Expect from the Application Form D7 Visa Portugal?

When you begin to fill out the application form, there will be many questions regarding who will be included in the visa. Items such as:

• A spouse
• Underage children
• A child who is planning to enroll in a Portuguese school
• Younger siblings who are under the legal care of the applicant
• Applicant or spouse´s mother and father who are dependent

Necessary Documents to Accompany the D7 Application

• Proof of accommodations
• 2 photos that are passport-sized
• Unexpired passport
• Clean criminal history check
• Fully vaccinated against COVID
• Current health insurance coverage
• Documents showing a source of income
• Bank statements totaling a 6-month period

Amount of Time for Processing a D7 Visa Portugal

If you decide to apply for the temporary D7 visa in your country of residence, then you can expect to receive the temporary resident visa in 2 months as long as all documents are submitted.

Applying for the D7 from within Portugal is possible and depends on the Portuguese location you are living in. When you are waiting for your SEF appointment from Lisbon, you can expect a 4-month waiting period.

You can then expect another month to receive your D7 residency documents in the mail at your address you provided on the application.

How the Process of the D7 Works

Both the D7 residence permit and D7 visa can have many similarities and can be interchanged among each other. This is due to them being a part of the same visa program. However, it is a good idea to know what the differences are.

Also known as the National Visa, the D7 permits the holder to travel to all Portugal territory. While in Portugal, you will go to your SEF interview and following that you will have a temporary permit for residency. The temporary permit will be valid for 2 years and can be renewed. You are able to renew your D7 visa Portugal as long as it takes for you to become eligible for permanent residency status. Currently, the amount of time that can be granted is 10 years. However, to obtain this amount of time, the applicant needs a basic understanding of the Portuguese language. When the 5-year mark is reached and the applicant wishes to have citizenship, they must also have a basic understanding of the Portuguese language.

The following steps are an important part of the D7 process:

Applying for the Visa – Obtaining the application can be done before you arrive in Portugal and is a faster method to get the process started.

The following will be needed:

1. D7 visa Portugal application
2. Two passport photos
3. Current passport
4. Letter explaining your motives for residency, your address, and your financial support system such as pension or retirement fund or job.
5. Clean criminal history
6. Sufficient amount of travel insurance for healthcare
7. Accommodation’s proof

Other documents that you may be asked for include:

• Financial statements from previous 6 consecutive months
• A funded bank account opened in Portugal
• A Portuguese numero de identificado fiscal (NIF)
• Able to prove legal status
• Birth certificates of children and marriage certificates if applying as a family.

Keep in mind that the D7 rules may change and a Portuguese consulate may instill their own rules and instructions for the D7.

Arriving in Portugal – After landing and getting settled, you need to attend your SEF interview for your visa.

You will then receive a temporary visa good for 4 months, which allows you to do everything required for your relocation. It will then become a regular D7 good for 12 months.

If you notice that the 120 days have lapsed and you still have no visa, you will still be in good standing because you are still in ¨pending status. ¨

Living In Portugal with the D7 Visa

Now you are able to live freely in Portugal and enjoy the life you dreamed of. After a year, you can renew the visa to continue living in Portugal.

There may be confusion based on the time limit for the visa, so when you are at your SEF interview, make sure to ask how many years the initial visa is valid for.

Converting to a permanent residence permit or becoming a Portuguese citizen will be possible once you hit the 5-year mark.

Hitting the 5-Year Mark – After you have been living in Portugal for 5 years you become eligible for either citizenship or permanent residency. Once you obtain permanent residency you will need to have it renewed once you hit 10 years instead of the normal 2 years. This relieves a lot of stress.

Timeline For the D7 Visa Portugal

1. Time of application to 1 year = obtain the D7 Visa for a year
2. Year 1 to Year 3 = Renew your D7 Visa for 2 years
3. Year 3 to year 5 = Renew your D7 Visa for 2 additional years
4. Year 5 = Apply for permanent residency or nationality

Obtaining Health Insurance While in Portugal

As part of your relocation to Portugal, you will need to obtain health insurance that will cover the entire stay before your visa is granted. This coverage should include health-related COVID-19 emergencies.

The Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that health coverage for a visa applicant needs to remain valid and cover all member states for the entire time the applicant is in the country. This excludes coverage for the entire time of the visa.

Furthermore, health insurance coverage needs to include all expenses related to emergencies, medications, hospital stays, or if a medical evacuation is required. Currently, the amount of coverage necessary to fulfill this requirement is set at 30,000 Euros.

There are many health insurance providers who provide international health insurance so you should shop around for the one that suits you best.

Having insurance is also a good idea prior to attending your SEF interview. However, you may hear that it is not needed. Regardless, it is best to have it so that the ESF will see you are serious about living in Portugal and have met requirements already.

Although it may sound confusing, having it will put you one step ahead and not having to worry about what is the right advice and being stuck without it as you wait for your visa. If you do see yourself having to get it while waiting, then it will not be too expensive. When you are all set with insurance you will be able to be seen by a Portuguese doctor who may speak perfect English.

Proving Your Living Arrangements (Accommodations)

When it comes to proving your living arrangements, many foreigners are asked to show a lease or a property deed prior to obtaining a temporary visa. Many have obtained short-term contracts and some have managed to use a hotel that they will be staying at. However, don´t be surprised if you are asked to show a one-year lease before you are granted a visa. This may seem like a big demand but it may be that the decision making may be bestowed upon the immigration officer who requests it. Just make sure to ask about what the requirement truly is first.

By having a friend that is willing to provide you accommodations in Portugal, then they will be able to fill out a form that shows responsibility for your living arrangement. This responsible party letter needs to be notarized along with a copy of their identification submitted with the statement form.

Writing Your Motivations for the Visa

You will need to write out your motivations for the D7 visa. This may be a difficult step of the process as it needs to be clear on why you are seeking the D7 visa to live in Portugal.

As you get started, you need to put yourself in the shoes of those reading your motivation. They may be looking for certain characteristics within an applicant such as:

Being an asset towards Portugal and not a burden. Do this by highlighting your professional career and university education.

Sharing your Portugues connections towards the culture and your true integration plan.

What ties do you have with Portugal? Mention if you have extended family currently living in Portugal.

Explain your financial method of supporting yourself such as a pension, IRA, social security, or job.

You May feel Overwhelmed

When you see the amount of paperwork and supporting documents you need, you may feel overwhelmed with the D7 Application process. If you do, then you will benefit from having a professional complete it for you.

You may find a lot of D7 information all over the web talking about applying for the visa. However, you can save yourself time and get other important arrangements done while the professional fills out your application.

Because of so much bureaucracy in Portugal, there is a huge amount of uncertainty within the system. By having a professional fill out your application, they will know the ins and outs of what is and is not required. This will make the entire process easier and a lot faster for you to get approved. Plus, with them speaking Portuguese, they will have complete understanding.

As you search for a company to assist in your application, make sure to shop around and inquire about what they provide and don´t provide. The difference may lie in the price you pay. On average, you may pay a minimum of €1,000 or as high as €3,000. The amount you pay may also depend on any requirements you already have met, such as a bank account opened in Portugal.

Minimum Portugal Stay

A D7 visa permits travel all around Portugal for up to a year or two at most, depending if you have already renewed the visa or not.

There seems to be a lot of confusion surrounding the minimum stay and how long it lasts. While many say 6 months and others say 8 months, it is always a good idea to ask the Portuguese consulate to get the definite answer.

Special Tax Advantages with the D7 Visa

Having residency through the D7 permits the visa holder to enjoy the advantages of the NHR. As a tax program, the NHR offers many tax advantages so that double taxation does not take place on the same income. By providing tax-free opportunities that can last 10 years.

We have listed a few of the income types below that the NHR covers.

• Any Royalties
• Income stemming from real estate
• Dividends
• Pensions
• Any real estate capital gains
• Profits made from self-employment or business transactions

Frequently Asked Questions about the D7 Portugal Visa

Does the D7 visa require the applicant to have a certain amount of Portuguese language skill?

No language skill is required for the D7 visa. However, if you plan to become a citizen or obtain permanent residency, then you need to have an A2 level language knowledge.

Having a basic understanding of Portuguese language will give you a head start and may make your entire Portugues experience even better. This will be especially true when you need to deal with many different departments throughout the application process. You will not be expected to have a full understanding of the language at your initial interview for the visa.

What is the time frame to receive citizenship in Portugal?

You need to wait a full five years before you apply for Portuguese citizenship and become a Portuguese national. Because of both the permanent residency and citizenship application needing the same documents to accompany them, it will be a good idea to just complete both. The process of citizenship could be 2 years so while you wait for the citizenship application to be approved, you can still enjoy permanent residency.

Does the D7 require an applicant to be a certain age?

There is no age requirement for the D7 visa.

Does the D7 allow you to work?

While a D7 visa´s main purpose is for those who can support themselves financially, you are allowed to work under this visa program.

How much time does the D7 visa permit a stay in Portugal?

Pretty much the length of time a visa holder can stay in Portugal is unlimited. This is due to the number of times the visa can be renewed.

Is it expensive to live in Portugal?

Portugal is not an expensive place to live. In fact, Portugal´s cost of living is considered cheap as compared to many other countries, even more so when you see how good the Portuguese live. As a couple, you will be able to live a pleasant retirement for less than €1,800 each month.Here you can find a list of the cheapest cities in Portugal.

What does the NIF number mean?

Portugal´s NIF is the tax number similar to a social security number in the United States. Having an NIF permits you to conduct any type of financial business.

Will I enjoy Living in Portugal?

Many retirees have been lured to Portugal for many years. With a high standard of living, you will enjoy the cost of living being affordable. Along with that, the healthcare is great and there are many adventures awaiting a retiree. With many things to do, you will surely enjoy your new life in Portugal.