The D7 visa is one of the most sought-after routes to a residence permit in Portugal for third-country nationals who have regular and passive means of subsistence – whether pensions, rental income, dividends, interest or other sources of passive income – and who wish to settle in the country without the need to carry out dependent professional activity within national territory. This article falls within the Immigration and Nationality practice area at Araújo & Associados.
The D7 is a residence visa, which allows entry into Portugal for the subsequent formalisation of the residence permit with the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA). Unlike visas linked to carrying out professional activity in Portugal, the D7 is based on the applicant demonstrating that they have sufficient passive income that can be made available within national territory.
Third-country nationals – that is, those who are not citizens of European Union member states, the European Economic Area or Switzerland – who can prove regular and sufficient means of subsistence may apply for the D7 visa. In practice, this profile includes:
The applicant may be joined by their household through the family reunification process, a matter we cover in the article Family Reunification in Portugal.
The competent consulate requires proof that the applicant has a regular monthly income equal to or higher than a reference value, indexed to the Portuguese national minimum wage, which is updated annually. Where the application includes family members through reunification, the required income is increased by additional percentages for each household member, under the reference tables applied by the Social Security Institute. Proof of income is typically provided through pension statements, bank statements, tax returns for recent years and other suitable documentation, depending on the specific source of income.
Without prejudice to any specific documents each Portuguese consulate may require, the D7 visa application process generally includes:
The D7 visa application process typically takes place in two stages. In the first stage, the applicant submits the visa application to the Portuguese consulate with jurisdiction over their area of residence in their home country, with the application assessed by that consulate in coordination with AIMA. Once the visa is obtained, the applicant travels to Portugal within the visa’s period of validity and formalises the residence permit with AIMA, by prior appointment. Scheduling and decision timeframes vary according to the consulate, the competent local department and the volume of cases being processed at any given time, so an assessment of the applicant’s specific circumstances is necessary for a more accurate estimate.
The D7 visa is not the only route to a residence permit in Portugal. For applicants wishing to make a qualifying investment in Portugal rather than basing their application on own income, there is the Residence Permit for Investment Activity programme, known as the Golden Visa, described in the article Golden Visa in Portugal. For applicants carrying out remote professional activity for entities based outside Portugal, there is the specific regime described in the article D8 Visa for Digital Nomads. Once the legally required period of residence has elapsed, holders of a residence permit obtained through the D7 route may also assess the possibility of applying for Portuguese nationality, a matter developed in the article Portuguese Citizenship.
In operation since 1980, with offices in Porto and Lisbon, Araújo & Associados handles immigration proceedings for clients from more than 31 countries, providing legal advice in Portuguese, English, French, German and Spanish.
The D7 visa is based on demonstrating regular own income and is not linked to carrying out professional activity in Portugal. Even so, the holder of a residence permit obtained through this route is not generally prevented, under the general terms of the law, from later carrying out professional activity in Portugal, and this should be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
The reference value is indexed to the Portuguese national minimum wage and is updated annually, with additional percentages applied when the application includes family reunification. As this value is subject to updates, it is advisable to confirm the value in force at the time the application is submitted.
No. Proof of accommodation can be provided through a rental agreement or a hosting declaration, and ownership of property is not required for the purposes of the D7 visa application.
Not directly. The D7 visa allows the applicant to obtain a residence permit, the period of which may, once the legally required term has elapsed, support a naturalisation application, subject to the specific requirements set out in the Nationality Law.
Yes, through the family reunification process, covered in detail in the article Family Reunification in Portugal.
The D7 visa is an entry visa for national territory, with its own period of validity set by the issuing consulate, within which the applicant must travel to Portugal to formalise the residence permit with AIMA. The validity of the residence permit itself is separate from the validity of the visa and is set at the time it is issued.
For further information about the D7 visa, or to schedule a legal consultation, you can contact us through our Porto or Lisbon offices, by telephone, e-mail or through the form available on the website. We provide legal advice in Portuguese, English, French, German and Spanish.
The online legal consultation service aims to provide personalized legal guidance and answer legal questions clearly and efficiently.
Consultations last 30 or 60 minutes, depending on the customer’s choice, and are carried out via secure videoconferencing from any device with internet.
Scheduling is done online at least 1 hour in advance, and payment is made at the time of booking using secure methods.
We guarantee the privacy of information, as well as professional secrecy.
Schedule your consultation online now and count on us to protect your interests and rights.
