Clear guides to the D7, Digital Nomad, Golden Visa, residence permit and citizenship routes in Portugal. If you have a question about your own situation, send it to us.
Tell us about your situation and what you want to know.
We use your details only to answer your request. We do not sell them and we do not share them with anyone without your specific consent. Privacy Policy.
Before you send
No. Sending your question is free and does not commit you to anything. If you later decide to hire a lawyer, the lawyer gives you their own written fee proposal first, and you decide whether to go ahead.
We read your question and your situation and reply by email or phone. With your consent, we pass your request and contact details to a Portuguese partner lawyer for an Expert Review, and the lawyer contacts you. Sending the form does not create a lawyer-client relationship.
We do, to answer you. A Portuguese partner lawyer sees them only because you ticked the consent box. Our hosting, email and analytics providers process them on our behalf. We do not sell your details. See the Privacy Policy.
Start with the guides
Pick the route that fits your nationality and situation, read the guide, then send us your question. We are an information site, not a law firm: we explain how the routes work and we do not give legal advice.
Investment route
The Golden Visa cost categories — the qualifying investment, AIMA fees, legal fees, fund costs and ongoing costs — explained, with the official sources to check.
Services
Pick the route that matches your situation — or compare the D7, D8 and Golden Visa side by side, or send us your question.
For retirees, entrepreneurs and people with stable passive income who want to live in Portugal.
Read about the D7 →For remote workers and freelancers who want to live in Portugal while working for clients or employers abroad.
Read about the D8 →For investors seeking residency in Portugal through eligible investment routes (funds, cultural, scientific).
Read about the Golden Visa →Legal support for citizenship by descent, marriage, residency or other eligible routes.
Read about Citizenship →Support with residence permit applications, renewals and AIMA immigration procedures in Portugal.
Read about Residence Permits →Guidance for foreign retirees planning to move to Portugal legally and securely under the D7 framework.
Read about Retirement →By citizenship
D7, D8 and Golden Visa routes for Americans. Six US consulates, US-Portugal tax treaty considerations, FBI background checks and FATCA.
For US citizens →Post-Brexit immigration routes. Withdrawal Agreement protections for pre-Brexit residents. London and Manchester consulates.
For UK citizens →Moving to Portugal from Canada step by step, the D7, D8 and Golden Visa, and citizenship by descent for Luso-Canadian families.
For Canadians →Deep dives
Through a Portuguese parent, grandparent or great-grandparent. No residence required.
Claim by descent →Cost of living, healthcare, best places, tax framework after the 2024 NHR closure.
Retirement guide →Three years married to a Portuguese citizen. Effective connection evidence required.
By marriage →Complete 2026 checklist: income, documents, accommodation, insurance, criminal records.
Full checklist →The €500K qualifying-fund route under the ARI regime.
Fund route →Cost guide: investment, AIMA fees, legal fees and fund costs.
Cost breakdown →Immigration lawyer
An immigration lawyer in Portugal (advogado) handles the legal side of your move: choosing the visa or residence route, preparing the file for the consulate, the residence permit with AIMA after you arrive, family reunification, renewals and, later, citizenship (see the Portuguese citizenship requirements). Portuguese consulates issue the visas (MNE visa portal) and AIMA issues the residence permits (AIMA).
The law does not require you to hire a lawyer. A lawyer adds most value when your income is mixed, your family is large, your documents come from several countries or an earlier application was refused.
We do not name, rank or recommend individual lawyers. Read the guide for your route: D7 visa lawyer, Golden Visa lawyer, citizenship lawyer.
Expert Review: send your question with the form on this page. With your consent, a Portuguese partner lawyer reviews your situation, contacts you and gives you their own written fee proposal before any work starts. We are not a law firm.
Before you apply
The Portugal immigration market is crowded with agencies, "consultants" and packagers. Rules, documents and timelines change often, so compare what you read with the official sources before you pay anyone.
Read first. Decide later. Our guides and our question form cost you nothing.
Understand which visa route is right for your nationality, income and family situation.
Avoid documentation errors that delay or compromise your application.
Get the right documents prepared from the beginning — consulate-ready.
Learn what complex situations, refusals or appeals involve before you decide who handles them.
Get clear answers about timelines, eligibility and what each step actually requires.
Stop chasing forums and contradictory advice — start from one clear guide.
Who we help
This site is for individuals and families relocating, investing, retiring or returning to Portugal — from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Northern Europe, Brazil and beyond.
How it works
A simple process from your question to our reply.
Tell us about your nationality, goals and current situation. The form takes 60 seconds.
We read your question and your situation and look for the routes that apply.
We reply by email or phone with what we can tell you. We share your details with no one without your specific consent.
FAQ
Short, plain answers. For specifics on your case, send us your question.
You are not legally required to use a lawyer, but most visa, residency and citizenship applications involve specific documentary, eligibility and procedural rules. A Portugal-based immigration lawyer can identify the correct route, prepare a complete file and reduce the risk of delays or refusals.
The right visa depends on your nationality, income, family situation and long-term goals. Common routes include the D7 visa (passive income), the Digital Nomad Visa or D8 (remote workers), the Golden Visa (investment) and citizenship by descent. A lawyer can review your case and recommend the most suitable path.
The D7 visa is a residence visa for non-EU citizens with sufficient passive income (pensions, dividends, rental income or similar). It is widely used by retirees and individuals with stable, recurring income who want to live in Portugal.
The Portugal Digital Nomad Visa (D8) is designed for remote workers and freelancers who earn income from clients or employers outside Portugal. It allows residence in Portugal while continuing to work remotely.
Yes. The Golden Visa programme remains available, but real estate routes have been removed. Current eligible investments include qualifying funds, scientific or cultural contributions and job creation. A lawyer can confirm which routes apply to your situation.
Portuguese citizenship can be obtained by descent, marriage, residency (after a qualifying period of legal residence) and other specific routes. Eligibility, documentation and timelines vary significantly between routes.
Yes. US citizens commonly move to Portugal under the D7 visa, Digital Nomad Visa or Golden Visa, depending on their profile. A lawyer can help select and prepare the most appropriate application.
Yes. Since Brexit, UK citizens are treated as third-country nationals for immigration purposes and follow the same routes as other non-EU applicants, including the D7, Digital Nomad and Golden Visa programmes.
Timelines depend on the visa type, the consulate, and the workload of Portuguese immigration authorities (AIMA). Many applications take several months from submission to issuance of a residence permit.
Legal fees vary by case complexity and visa type. Ask any lawyer for a clear written fee proposal before you engage them.
Search the name in the Ordem dos Advogados public search at portal.oa.pt. Every lawyer who practises as an advogado in Portugal is registered with the Ordem dos Advogados. A lawyer licensed only in another country is not a Portuguese advogado, so ask who signs and files your application in Portugal.
An immigration lawyer chooses the visa or residence route with you, prepares the file for the Portuguese consulate, handles the AIMA residence permit after you arrive and later the renewals, family reunification and citizenship. The law does not require a lawyer for these procedures.
Send your question and tell us about your situation.
Send your question →