Portugal D7 Visa For Digital Nomads & Passive Income For Australians

Temporary Stay Visa

The temporary stay visa is for non-EU nationals who want to work remotely or stay in Portugal temporarily. It is valid for 1 year and can be renewed for 2 years.

You can access other European countries with a short or temporary stay visa. You can as well leave and re-enter Portugal as much as you like.

Residency Visa

This visa is for non-EU nationals who plan to stay in Portugal for a long time. Even though the visa is valid for 2 years, you only get a permit for 120 days. You are expected to move to Portugal and apply for a residence permit within this time.

Before the end of your 2 years, you can renew for 3 years. After spending 5 years in Portugal, you can apply for permanent residence.

Portugal’s digital nomad visa spouse rules permit you to travel on this visa with your partner and your children. You have to prove you have enough to cater to them without depending on the government.

Country-Specific Requirement

You must be a national of a country that is not in the European Union. This means Australians are eligible to apply for the digital nomad visa.

Age Requirements

Australians who are less than 18 are not eligible for the D7 visa. You must show a government-issued birth certificate proving you are 18 or older while submitting your D7 visa application.

Income Requirements

This is the most essential requirement that you must meet when applying for the D7 visa. You must show you won’t be a burden to the Portuguese government during your stay in Portugal.

The most typical way to prove you meet Portugal digital nomad visa income requirement is by submitting bank statements.

Digital Nomads

You must earn at least 4 times the minimum wage in Portugal. If you are applying to be a digital nomad in Portugal, you must prove that you make at least €3,040 monthly. You must have earned this income consistently for at least 12 months. Your bank statement or payslip must reflect this for your visa to be approved. Note that the proof of income is calculated yearly and not monthly.

Note that showing you have the money in your bank account is insufficient. You must also prove that you will keep earning the minimum required amount as long as you are in Portugal. You can do this by presenting an employment letter that shows that your employment will outlast the validity of the visa.

Passive Income Earner

If you are applying as a passive income earner, you must prove that you get a minimum of €705 per month from an overseas source. This could be your pension, payment from an investment, rental income, royalties, or business proceeds. This proof of income is also calculated yearly. So, €705 for 12 months is €8460 per year.

If you intend to go to Portugal with your family, you must factor their living expenses into your income requirement. You must prove an additional €4230 for your partner or spouse and an extra €2538 for every child.

If you have an investment, royalty or rented property bringing income for you, then you have to show a signed agreement that shows the income will keep coming from those sources till your visa expires.

You must not meet the financial requirement for the D7 visa using one source of income. If you have multiple sources of income, you can combine them to meet the criteria stipulated by Portuguese authorities.

Self-employed

If you are self-employed, you have to show a certificate of incorporation of your business in Australia and your personal and corporate bank statements.

Freelancer

If you are a remote worker or freelancer, you must show your payslips for the past 12 months and your employment letter.

If you are a passive income earner, you will show your payslips or bank statements that contain your savings.

Tax Number Requirement

As a digital nomad or passive income earner in Australia, you may be required to pay taxes if you earn any income in Portugal. And before you make any transaction in Portugal, you should possess a NIF. The NIF (Numero de Identification Fiscal) is your tax number in Portugal and it is essential to open a bank account or invest in the country.

Getting the NIF is relatively easy. All you need to do is enter the nearest tax office, supply the officials with the required information, and you will get a NIF number. If you are going in person, you must show proof of your visa, identification document and address in Australia or Portugal. Since Australians can stay for 90 days in Portugal with a tourist visa, you can do this there.

If you do not have the time for this, you can apply for the NIF number online.

Since you are in Australia and do not have the time to visit Portugal, you can give our team at Total Law a power of attorney to get the personal income tax number for you. Contact us on +44 (0)333 305 9375 if you need this service.

Bank Requirement

One of the requirements you need to meet when applying for a D7 visa is having a Portuguese bank account. You can open a bank account by walking into any Portuguese bank and showing the following:

• Visa that proves you are legally staying in Portugal (your Australian passport is proof enough as long as you have not stayed more than 90 days in Portugal).
• NIF number.
• Address of residence in Portugal or Australia
• Government-issued identification document.

If you cannot come to Portugal for this, you have 3 options:

• Give our team at Total Law power of attorney to open a bank account for you.
• Open a Portuguese bank account online.
• Open an account with a bank in Australia that has a branch in Portugal.

After opening the bank account, you should transfer a minimum of €7000 if you intend to come to Portugal alone. If you are coming with your family, you must deposit €10500.

Accommodation Requirement

As a D7 visa applicant, you must show you have a place to stay in Portugal for 1 year. You have to show the consulate that you have done any of the following:

• Purchased a property in Portugal.
• Rented a property and signed the agreement with the owner for 1 year.
• Booked an Airbnb or hotel room for 1 year.
• Gotten an invitation letter from a friend or family who has agreed to house you till you leave Portugal.

If you find it hard to get accommodation for 1 year, you can get one for 6 months and then write a letter to the embassy. In this letter, show proof that you have gotten accommodation for 6 months and will look for another place to stay when you arrive.

Criminal History Check

You must subject yourself to a criminal history check when making a Portugal digital nomad visa application. This is mandatory for almost all kinds of Portuguese visas. To get your criminal history certificate, you have to log on to the website of the Australian Police Force and follow the instructions there.

If you are in Queensland, you must log on to the Queensland Police Force to get your police criminal history certificate.

If you have lived elsewhere, apart from Australia, in the past 5 years, you have to get a criminal history certificate from that country.

If you have also lived elsewhere 3 months before making your application, you must also get a criminal history check from there.

The Portuguese authorities would ask for a notarised and translated copy of your criminal history certificate if it was issued by a country that doesn’t speak English or Portuguese. You can approach the Portuguese consulate in Australia for this service.

Aside from the criminal history check certificate you submit, the Portuguese authorities will still ask for your consent to do a background check.

You may face visa rejection if you have committed a criminal offence. However, our team can advise you on what to do in such a situation if you reach out to us on +44 (0)333 305 9375 or contact us online.

Health Insurance Certificate

Portugal has one of the best healthcare schemes in Europe and, as a result, does not joke with the health of citizens and visitors. They have a public healthcare scheme that takes care of their citizens. Since you do not pay taxes like other citizens, you cannot access the public health scheme.

So, you have to pay to get your medical insurance. Your health insurance must cover you and your family if you come with them. You must obtain a policy with a value of at least €30,000.

You can access public health services when you move to Portugal and start paying taxes.

Minimum Stay Requirement

When you get your Portuguese D7 visa, you are expected to spend the bulk of your time in Portugal. However, this applies only to those getting the residency visa.

For the D7 visa, you must be in Portugal for a minimum of 16 months out of a possible 24.

Your visa will be cancelled if you do not comply with this rule.

D7 Application Form

Since the digital nomad visa is a national visa, you must complete a national visa application form when applying for the visa. To get this form, you have to visit the Portuguese embassy or consulate nearest to you in Australia. You can as well use VSFGlobal for your application.

Note that if you want to complete the form online, you have to print it, sign and attach it to the other supporting documents and then submit them to the Portuguese embassy or consulate.

A Valid Passport

Your Australian passport must be valid up to 6 months after the visa you intend to apply for has expired. In most cases, submitting your original passport to the consulate is unnecessary. You can submit one notarised copy. When you get a mail of the success of your application, you can then submit your original passport to get your visa.

Evidence You Have Accommodation

You must show the consulate that you have where to stay when you get to Portugal. Any evidence you present must show you have accommodation for up to 1 year. Below is the ideal evidence you can submit:

• Invitation letter from a friend or family in Portugal pledging to provide housing for you for 1 year. The sender must attach their identification document. The letter must be notarized and signed in Portugal.
• Rental agreement between you and a property owner for 1 year.
• Lease or property purchase documents.
• Receipts of booked accommodation in an Airbnb or hotel.

Cover Letter

Your application must come with a cover letter. This letter is addressed to the Portuguese authorities. With this letter, you should lodge a formal request to move to Portugal. Your cover letter should explain why you want to move to Portugal and how long you want to stay.

It should contain your details, reasons for relocation, your intended address, ties to Portugal and how you intend to fund your stay in the country.

Proof of Funds

This is perhaps the most important document to submit when making your application. You can submit eligible documents to show you have the needed funds. Note that you can combine any of them to meet the minimum requirement.

• Employment letter showing you earn up to €3,040 every month.
• Affidavit of support letter from a Portuguese or EU citizen or a Portuguese permanent resident.
• Bank statement that shows you have savings of €8460.
• Pension policy certificate from your pension service provider.
• Investment certificate showing your monthly or annual returns.
• Bank statement showing you earn income from assets, rents or intellectual property.
• Payslips showing you earn up to €3,040 monthly.
• Credit cards showing your credit limit.
• Evidence from social security that shows your annual benefits.

Digital Passport

You have to submit 2 digital passport photographs taken no later than 3 months before the date you started your application.

Bank Details

You need to show the consulate that you have an account in Portugal. Note that this account must be funded.

Criminal History Certificate

Your criminal history certificate must not be older than 3 months.

Medical Insurance Policy

You have to show you have a health insurance policy that is up to €30,000 in value. This must come from an EU-certified policy provider.

NIF Number

You must present your NIF number obtained from the tax office.

Marriage Certificate

You must show the consulate proof when applying for a visa with your family. You typically show this by presenting your government-issued marriage certificate.

Birth Certificate

If you are going to Portugal with your children, you must prove they are your children by presenting their birth certificates. This is to prevent child or human trafficking.

Visa Fees

Your application will be declined if you do not submit evidence that you have paid the visa fees. You must attach the visa fee payment receipt to your supporting documents.

Money Order

If you are more comfortable making your application offline, that is by post. Then you must add a money order for the VSFGlobal centre, Portuguese embassy, or consulate. Your application will not be processed if they get your package without the money order.

You pay $35 as the application fee and $41.83 as the service charge.

Gather Supporting Documents

You can look through this article and create a checklist of all the documents you need for your application.

Get Application Form

Next, fill out your application form. You can get this form at the embassy or online. Ensure your document is signed before sending them to the Portuguese embassy.

Schedule a Date for Application Submission

Walk into any Portuguese embassy or consulate near you and schedule a date. You can also do this online through the Portugal digital nomad visa official website.

Submit Your Supporting Documents

On the due date, submit your documents.

Pick up Your Visa

After the embassy looks at your initial visa application, they can approve or decline your request. If you get approval, submit your passport so your visa will be attached at the scheduled date. This visa permits you to travel to Portugal, but this is not what allows you to stay in Portugal as a digital nomad or passive income earner yet.

Register Your Presence in Portugal with SEF (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras or Foreigners and Borders Service)

Upon arrival in Portugal, you have 3 days to inform SEF of your presence.

When you do so, an interview will be scheduled for you if the Portuguese consulate in Australia has not done it.

Attend Your Interview with SEF

The final step of your application is an interview with SEF. If the interview is successful, you will get your temporary residency permit and live in Portugal as a D7 visa holder.

Pleasant Weather

One of the reasons why many people go to Portugal is because of the weather. The weather is much warmer. Winters in Portugal are mild, unlike most places in the world’s temperate regions.

Exemption from Taxes

Another benefit of the D7 visa is that it allows you to be a non-habitual resident (NHR). This means you don’t pay tax on the money you earn outside Portugal. You also pay minimal taxes (20%) on the money you make in Portugal.

Internet Connection Speed

Portugal has one of the best internet connections in Europe. The internet speed in Portugal is 205.11Mbps. This is ideal for digital nomads who need an internet connection to work.

Affordable Cost of Living

Again, Portugal is one of the most affordable countries in Europe. The rent, living cost and price of food are cheap.

Access to the Schengen Zone

With your D7 visa, you can easily visit any country of choice within the Schengen region without a permit.

Family Reunification

Portugal knows the value of family. Hence, you can move in with your family if you apply for the residency visa category.

Study in Portugal

As a D7 visa holder, you can take short courses in Portugal. Your dependents can also attend school in Portugal.

Route to Permanent Residence

If you applied for the residence visa route under the D7 visa, you are eligible for permanent residence after you have stayed in Portugal for 5 years.