Country Profile:

Portugal, situated on the southwestern tip of the European Iberian Peninsula, is a member of both the European Union and the Schengen Area. Expats make up 7% of its population.

Portugal is a member of the United Nations, OECD, European Union, and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries. Its Social Progress Index ranks 18th globally, ahead of France, Italy, and Spain.

Capital: Lisbon

Population: 10,467,366 (90th, as of 2022)

Ethnic groups: 92.5% Portuguese

Area: 92,225.2 km²(109th)

Offical Language: Portuguese

Currency: Euro

GDP per Captial: $26,013 (41st)

How To Immigrate To Portugal:

In addition to the well-known golden visa, foreigners can also move to Portugal through passive income visas, start-up visas, digital nomad visas, and other methods.

Golden Visa:

Portugal golden visa is one of the largest investment immigration programs in the world. Starting from October 2023, the only investment options left for the Portugal Golden Visa are business investment and capital transfer, with a minimum investment requirement of 250,000 euros.

Since late 2012, the Golden Visa pathway has attracted over 10,000 investors to Portugal, contributing more than 6 billion Euros to the local economy. While most investments used to be channeled into real estate, there has been a notable surge in foreign investments via investment funds in recent years.

The main investment options include:

1. Creation of ten jobs or more

2. Transfer of capital equal to or more than €500,000 applied to research activities by public or private scientific institutions

3. Transfer of capital of €250,000 or more applied to investment or support for artistic production, recovery or maintenance of national cultural heritage through direct administration services, public institutes and public foundations, among others

4. Transferring €500,000 or greater in capital intended for the acquisition of shares in collective investment organisms, also taking into account specific types of funds part of the Portuguese law

5. A capital transfer exceeding €500,000 is intended for the incorporation of a commercial company with a registered office in the national territory together with the creation of five permanent jobs or for the reinforcement of the share of capital of a commercial company registered in the country.

Beyond these financial prerequisites, applicants need to fulfill basic requirements such as no criminal records, verifiable legal sources of their funds, and must be above 18 years old.

Required documents mainly include the following: passport with a validity period of more than 6 months, two passport size photos; health insurance certificate; certificate of no criminal record; declaration of keeping the investment for at least 5 years; proof of investment.

The process primarily involves:

1. Completion of Investment: Applicants need to complete the investment before applying for the Golden Visa. This step can be done independently, but usually requires the support of an intermediary and immigration lawyer.

2. Registration: Applicants need to register an account on the online application platform of the Portuguese Immigration Office, fill in the application form, upload relevant documents (the documents you upload must be in PDF format, and a single document must not exceed 4MB), and submit the application.

3. Payment: All visa fees can be paid at this time, in the same document.

4. Fingerprinting: After the SEF’s preliminary review is passed, the applicant will receive a confirmation letter from the SEF, after which they need to log in to the SEF again, choose an appointment time online, submit original materials to the SEF service center within Portugal at the appointed location, and take fingerprints.

The Golden Visa is initially valid for one year. After the first year, it can be renewed for a two-year period indefinitely as long as the investment is maintained. The visa imposes minimal residency requirements – more than 7 days in the first year and over 14 days every two years thereafter.

HQA Visa:

Portugal’s Highly Qualified Activities Visa (HQA) is akin to a local entrepreneurial visa, provides non-European Union citizens who invest upwards of 175,000 Euros (inclusive of all government charges) the opportunity to establish their own businesses within Portugal. These ventures are required to undergo a three-year incubation period in a government-sponsored incubator.

The HQA does not have requirements for job creation or business performance, but it does require applicants to demonstrate outstanding talent. This is why engineers, scientists, doctors, project managers, etc, find it easier to apply for the HQA visa.

Visa applicants must meet the following basic conditions:

1. Be at least 18 years old with no criminal record.

2. Have a university degree or higher, and an income that reaches 1.5 times the local average income, or 3 times the local minimum income level of IAS. In 2022, the minimum income requirement for visa applicants was 1,330 euros.

3. Have a work contract with a local employer (or start a business on their own) for more than one year.

4. Purchase business insurance that covers Portugal.

Required documents include: a completed application form; passport and its photocopy; 2 passport-sized (3*4cm) photos; educational certificates; proof of no criminal record; and a local work contract or business establishment proof.

Applicants need to prepare all required documents, fill out the application form on the Portuguese government website (the website address is provided on the site), submit the necessary documents, and complete the visa application.

After a maximum review period of 3 months, successful visa applicants will receive a 4-month HQA visa. After entering Portugal, you can convert this visa to a 2-year residence visa and renew it indefinitely every 3 years when it expires.

HQA visa holders can bring their spouse and up to 2 other relatives to enter Portugal.

The visa application fee ranges between 75 to 90 euros, and the fee for making the residence card is 197 euros.

D7 Visa:

The D7 visa is Portugal’s non-lucrative visa. To apply for this type of visa, applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. Demonstrate passive income equivalent to at least the Portuguese minimum wage. In 2022, this passive income standard was set at 9,870 euros annually. If there are additional applicants, for each one, the main applicant needs to add 50%, which translates to an additional 4,935 euros of passive income per year.

This income should preferably be passive. Previously, if one had stable, recurring active income, they could apply for a D7 visa. However, since the introduction of the digital nomad visa, Portuguese D7 visa authorities primarily only accept applicants with sufficient passive income.

2. Be at least 18 years old and have no criminal record.

3. To maintain the visa, applicants need to prove they have resided locally for 16 months within the first two years of obtaining the visa, without any single absence exceeding six months.

4.  Open a bank account locally and obtain the local tax identification number NIF (Numero de Identificacao Fiscal). Acquiring the NIF is fundamental for any economic activity in Portugal.

Application documentation requirements include: a passport with at least six months validity beyond the D7 visa’s expiration date; a completed D7 visa application form; two passport-sized photos; local address proof; a cover letter; health insurance covering at least 30,000 euros; and a no-criminal record certificate.

The entire D7 visa application process must be conducted offline.

The entire process can be divided into two stages: first, applying for a 4-month entry visa at the Portuguese consulate abroad and then converting it to a 2-year residence permit upon entering Portugal. Subsequent renewals can be made indefinitely every three years.

1. Entry visa application: Applicants should prepare all materials, download and complete the application form (the form’s link is attached at the end of the document), and attend a face-to-face interview at the consulate at the scheduled time. After a 3-4 month review process, if approved, applicants will receive a 4-month entry visa.

2. Residence card application: Within three working days of entering Portugal, applicants should register with the local immigration office SEF to become residents, attend a brief interview, and typically receive the residence card within two weeks after the interview.

The passive income visa comes with an approval fee of 180 euros, and the residence card processing fee is 320 euros.

D7 visa holders can have three generations of their family (the main applicant’s legal spouse, both parents, children under 18, or children over 18 studying in Portugal) obtain residency permits to live in Portugal.

If the application is successful, the applicant will receive a 4-month entry period, which can then be exchanged for a 2-year residency card. Subsequent renewals grant a 3-year residency card until either a transition to another type of residence visa or departure from Portugal.

A key advantage of the D7 visa compared to similar products from other countries is that holders can work and engage in business activities locally, but they must operate within Portuguese territory.

Portugal also offers a dedicated retirement visa, but its universality and application difficulty differ from the D7 visa, and further details aren’t elaborated here.

Digital Nomad Visa:

Portugal launched its Digital Nomad Visa program on October 30, 2022. Currently, the economic requirement for applicants is an income that is four times the local minimum wage, which is €3040 per month. For each additional adult co-applicant, the monthly income requirement increases by €380, and for each additional minor dependent, the monthly income requirement increases by €254. Additionally, applicants must have a bank deposit equivalent to 12 months of the income requirement, which amounts to a deposit of €36480. Both the deposit and monthly income are mandatory requirements.

There are two types of Digital Nomad Visas in Portugal:

1. Short-Term Travel Visa: Valid for 1 year, allows the applicant multiple entries into the country. The visa fee is €75.

2. Residence Visa: Valid for 4 months, allows the applicant to enter Portugal twice during its validity. The applicant needs to enter the country within these 4 months and then apply for a 2-year long-term residence card. The visa fee is €90.

The application procedures for both visa branches are similar. The only difference is that residence visa holders need to report to the local immigration office after entering Portugal and apply for a residence card.

Applicants must also meet basic criteria such as being at least 18 years old, having no criminal record, and leasing (or purchasing) a property in the local area with a lease term of over one year.

Required documents for the application include: a valid passport; two passport-sized (4.5*3.5) photos; remote work proof; bank deposit certificate; monthly income proof; tax payment proof; a letter of intent to go to Portugal (can be written in English); flight ticket to Portugal; no criminal record certificate (translated into Portuguese); local medical insurance coverage; and proof of housing purchase or rental in Portugal.

The entire visa application needs to be done offline. The process takes about 2 to 3 months and can be divided into the following four steps:

1. Application Submission: Prepare all required documents, make an appointment with the Portuguese consulate abroad, submit application documents, and pay the application fee.

2. Visa Issuance: The entire approval process takes about 60 working days. Once approved, the Digital Nomad Visa will be stamped on the passport. The approving consulate will also send information to the Portuguese Immigration Office SEF to create a personal file for the applicant.

3. Entry: Upon entry, visa holders and their families need to report to SEF, confirm their address in Portugal, and apply for a residence card. The official fee for the entire process is €170.

4. Receiving the Residence Card: 2 to 12 weeks later, the Portuguese residence card will be ready and sent to the applicant by mail.

Digital Nomad Visa holders who meet the criteria can renew their visas indefinitely. After a continuous stay, visa holders can apply for permanent residence or a passport in Portugal.

Furthermore, the spouses, children under 18, and parents over 65 of visa holders can also apply as co-applicants to settle in Portugal.

Digital Nomad Visa holders in Portugal do not need to pay taxes on overseas income. However, for income earned within Portugal, they need to pay a fixed income tax of 20% (if they are not local tax residents, they don’t need to pay local taxes).

When a digital nomad becomes a permanent resident or citizen of Portugal, the income tax can reach up to 48%.

Work Visa:

The prerequisite for a work visa in Portugal is to have a local employment contract. The visa is valid for 1 to 2 years, and it can be renewed as long as the employment is maintained. After residing and working in Portugal for a minimum of 5 years, work visa holders can apply for permanent residency.

Similarly, holders of the EU Blue Card have the opportunity to legally work and live in Portugal.

Naturalization:

Foreigners who have legally resided in Portugal for 5 years are eligible to apply for permanent residency.

After residing legally in Portugal for 5 years, foreigners who have passed the Portuguese language test and having a clean criminal record, can immediately apply for citizenship.

Passport Power:

Portugal recognizes dual citizenship and is a member of both the European Union and the Schengen Area. Its passport is ranked 5th globally. Passport holders enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 188 countries and territories worldwide.

Useful Links:

Portugal SEF residency page：https://imigrante.sef.pt/en/solicitar/

Portugal Visa Application Form: https://vistos.mne.gov.pt/images/formulario_visto_nacional_en.pdf

Portugal SEF visa application platform：https://ari.sef.pt/account/default.aspx