Portugal D7 Visa Requirements — Complete 2026 Checklist

The Portugal D7 visa requirements are published in law and consular guidance, but the operational standard at consulates and at AIMA frequently exceeds the published floor. Understanding the gap between legal minimum and practical expectation is the difference between an approved file and a refused one.

This page is a complete checklist of 2026 requirements: income thresholds by family size, what counts as qualifying passive income, the documentary file, accommodation standards, health-insurance specs, criminal-record requirements by country of origin, and the post-arrival AIMA requirements. The overview of the D7 itself, and when a lawyer helps, lives on our D7 visa lawyer page; this page focuses on the documentary detail.

Legal framework

The D7 visa is a residence visa under Law 23/2007 (the Portuguese Foreigners Act, Lei n.º 23/2007), regulated by Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007 and later amendments. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs handles the consulate stage and AIMA issues residence permits in Portugal.

The legal reference for means of subsistence is the national minimum wage (RMMG), which is €920 per month in 2026 (Decreto-Lei n.º 139/2025). Under Portaria n.º 1563/2007 the first adult counts for 100%, each further adult for 50% and each child under 18, or adult child who depends on you, for 30%. See also the MNE visa portal: means of subsistence.

D7 visa processing time and timeline

The D7 has two phases: the consulate decision abroad, and the AIMA residence-permit process after arrival in Portugal. Neither has a fixed duration, and we do not quote waiting times here because we cannot tie them to an official source.

• Consulate decision: varies by consulate (for example Washington DC, New York, London or Toronto) and over time. Ask the consulate that covers your place of residence, or check its website.
• Visa validity for entry into Portugal: the national visa for a residence permit is valid for two entries and four months (120 days) (MNE visa portal: national visas).
• AIMA biometric appointment after arrival: varies and is hard to predict; see our AIMA appointment guide and aima.gov.pt.
• Residence card issuance after the biometric appointment: AIMA tells you how and when the card is delivered.
• Total timeline: the sum of the consulate stage, the AIMA stage and your own preparation. Plan with generous margins and avoid commitments (lease, sale of your home) that depend on a specific date.

Permanent residence and citizenship depend on a minimum period of legal residence set by law. These rules have changed recently, including how the period is counted, so read the current official sources (Lei n.º 23/2007 for permanent residence and the Nationality Law for citizenship) before you plan.

Income requirements by family size (2026)

The calculation follows the percentages in Portaria n.º 1563/2007, applied to the 2026 national minimum wage of €920 per month (Decreto-Lei n.º 139/2025): first adult 100%, each further adult 50%, each child under 18 or dependent adult child 30%. Add up the percentages for your household.

The table in the short answer above applies these percentages. We do not give ‘practical’ consulate standards because we cannot tie them to an official source. Each consulate may ask for more than the legal reference and for evidence of savings, so check your consulate’s own list of requirements.

What counts as 'passive income' for the D7

The D7 is for passive or recurring income that does not require ongoing work in Portugal. Active employment or freelance income earned in Portugal is not D7-qualifying (the D8 visa exists specifically for active remote work). Unsure which route fits your income? See the D7 vs D8 vs Golden Visa comparison. Qualifying sources:

• Pensions — public (Social Security, DWP State Pension, CPP, etc.), occupational, private. The single most common D7 income source.
• Rental income from real-estate portfolios, evidenced by lease agreements and bank receipts. Consulates expect to see consistent rental flow over a period they specify.
• Dividends from companies the applicant holds equity in, evidenced by distribution statements and tax returns.
• Royalties and intellectual-property income — recurring royalty statements from publishers, licensing agreements, IP-portfolio income.
• Interest and structured-product income from savings, bonds, annuities.
• Recurring distributions from trusts or estate vehicles — structured to be passive income, not employment income.

Salary income, ongoing consulting income, freelance fees from active engagements — these are not D7-qualifying and trigger refusals when misclassified.

Documentary checklist

• Valid passport with validity beyond the visa application and enough blank pages, as your consulate specifies
• Recent passport-size photos meeting the Portuguese consular specifications
• Proof of accommodation in Portugal — a rental agreement, a property you own, or a statement from the person who houses you (see accommodation requirements)
• NIF (Número de Identificação Fiscal) — Portuguese tax identification number, obtainable by lawyer with power of attorney before travel
• Portuguese bank account in the applicant’s name with a meaningful balance (ask your consulate what it expects at the visa-application stage)
• Proof of regular income — bank statements for the period your consulate asks for, pension award letters, lease contracts, dividend statements, employer letters as applicable
• Criminal-record certificate from your country of citizenship and any other country you have lived in, as your consulate specifies — apostilled in the country of issue
• Health insurance valid in Portugal for the period and with the coverage your consulate requires
• Form 1A — statement allowing the Portuguese Border Service to consult your Portuguese criminal record
• Letter of intent describing your relocation plans, income sources, and reasons for choosing Portugal
• Visa application form — completed and signed
• Visa application fee receipt — the MNE visa portal currently lists the fee for a national visa application as €110 (MNE visa portal: fees (emolumentos)). Check it before you pay, because fees change.

Accommodation requirements: rental agreement or property

The forms of proof, and what to check for each:

• Rental agreement (contrato de arrendamento). In your name, for a home where you will actually live. We found no fixed minimum lease term in the MNE or AIMA pages; some consulates expect the lease to cover a set period, so ask yours before you sign. Ask the landlord to report the lease to the Tax Authority.
• A property you own. Your deed and the permanent land-registry certificate (certidão permanente) or its access code, which shows the owner and any charges (IRN: certidão permanente).
• A statement from the person who houses you. If a friend or relative houses you, a signed statement from them (termo de responsabilidade) or a loan-for-use agreement (comodato), with proof of their right to the home. AIMA lists the comodato among the accepted bases for living at an address.
• Hotels and short-stay bookings. A hotel or holiday-rental booking shows a trip, not where you will live. Expect the consulate to ask for more.

Renting before you have the visa is a cost risk. Ask the landlord for a clause that ends the lease if the visa is refused, and read it before you sign.

Health insurance requirements

Health insurance is required for the D7 visa application. The consulate sets the exact requirements, which generally include:

• Validity in Portugal for the period your consulate requires
• The level of medical and repatriation coverage your consulate requires
• Cover for the applicant and all dependents included in the application
• Issue by a provider licensed to operate in Portugal or by an internationally recognised insurer with Portuguese coverage
• A Portuguese-language coverage summary, if requested

Once your residence permit is issued and you register with Segurança Social, you gain SNS access on the same terms as Portuguese nationals. Most foreign retirees maintain private supplementary insurance alongside SNS.

Criminal-record requirements (by country)

Every applicant must provide a clean criminal-record certificate from their country of nationality and from any other country where they have lived, as the consulate specifies. Country-specific notes:

• United States: FBI Identity History Summary, apostilled by the US State Department, plus state-level certificates where your consulate asks for them. Allow generous lead time.
• United Kingdom: ACRO Police Certificate, apostilled by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. Allow time for the apostille.
• Canada: RCMP Criminal Record Check (Certified Fingerprints), apostilled by Global Affairs Canada.
• Australia: National Police Check from the AFP, apostilled by DFAT.
• EU countries: equivalent national criminal-record certificate, apostilled (the Apostille Convention applies to all EU member states).
• Brazil: Certidão de Antecedentes Criminais (federal and state), apostilled.

All foreign documents must be apostilled in the country of issue. The apostille validates the document's authenticity for use in Portugal under the Hague Apostille Convention. Documents without apostilles are not accepted.

Want a second pair of eyes on your file before you book the consulate? Read what a D7 visa lawyer checks and when you can apply on your own.