Portugal D7 Passive Income Visa:
Ultimate Guide 2023

The Portuguese Golden Visa is one of the most famous Residency By Investment (RBI) programs in the world, thanks to the aggressive marketing efforts of investment migration firms and the Portuguese government. 

And with a minimum investment requirement of €200,000, and fees of up to €30,000, it’s easy to understand why it is being promoted so widely — it’s a serious money spinner.

In contrast, the Portuguese D7 Visa program is virtually unknown. For starters, it requires no pricey property investment — although you do have to have an address in Portugal. And while there are scores of law firms that can assist you with your application, the D7 fees are far lower than those of a Golden Visa. 

You can expect to pay only around €3,000 in legal fees as a single applicant, and around €4,000 if you’re applying as a married couple. But you could also apply for the D7 without recruiting the services of an immigration professional — if you’re up for doing the research and legwork yourself — in which case you’ll end up spending practically nothing to apply.

So how does it all work?

The Portuguese authorities welcome D7 Visa applications from ANYONE with the means to support and accommodate themselves in the country. Affiliate marketers, digital nomads, remote workers and even clergy members can apply.

Furthermore, the program’s passive income requirements are the most lenient of all the competing EU programs: As a single applicant, the minimum monthly income required is only  €760 — but we’ll get into the financial requirements in more detail later. 

Please note:  It is advisable to treat the above amount as the absolute minimum. In addition, the exact financial requirements tend to vary from one Portuguese consular mission to the next, so it’s advisable to contact your local Portuguese embassy to confirm their exact requirements.

What makes the D7 even more appealing than say the Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa or the Italian Elective Residence Visa, is the fact that you are allowed to get a local job in Portugal.

And, as an added bonus, you can apply for citizenship and a Portuguese passport after only five years, whereas with the Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa, you’ll only become eligible to apply for Spanish citizenship after 10 years or longer. (Unless you’re from a former Spanish colony, in which case the process is far shorter.) 

And in order to get Spanish citizenship, you’ll have to renounce your native citizenship, as Spain doesn’t recognize dual nationality.

Whereas in Portugal, you’ll be able to obtain second citizenship without having to give up your current nationality.

So where’s the catch..?

As a rule, EU Golden Visas offer far greater flexibility than passive income or non-lucrative visas. In order to maintain your Portuguese Golden Visa residency status, you’ll only be required to spend two weeks in-country during the first two years, and then, on average, one week per year for every subsequent year.

For Greece and Spain’s Golden Visa programs, there are no minimum stay requirements — you don’t have to visit these countries at all.

In contrast,  the D7 has the following minimum stay requirements: You must stay in Portugal for at least 183 days per year in total – and ideally more.

In practice, this means that the D7 is NOT well suited as a “paper residency” — you actually need to intend spending six months or more per year in Portugal.

But if that is your intention, it would be lunacy to invest €200,000+ on a property in a country with a fairly overheated property market in order to apply for a Golden Visa.

For those seeking to actually settle in Portugal, the D7 Visa therefore makes a lot more sense.

Please note: You’ll also be required to get comprehensive, EU-wide health insurance and repatriation cover for both yourself and any dependent family members joining you in Portugal.

This cover must be prepaid for at least the validity of your D7 “entry stamp visa”, which covers the time you’ll be spending in-country upon application. Once you become a legal resident, you can gain access to national healthcare services in Portugal, however private medical insurance is both cheap and useful to obtain.