Portugal D7 Visa (For Passive Income & Retirement)

Affordable Cost of Living

The cost of living in Portugal is relatively low, and because of this, you will spend less money than you would have in other EU countries. The cost of transportation in Portugal is simple, making movement around the country easy.

Also, the affordability of lifestyle in Portugal continues to attract independent income earners, business owners, and retirees. With your Portugal D7 visa, you will enjoy so much luxury while spending a minimum amount of money, such as easily going out to grab a coffee, eat, or shop at the grocery store for a reasonable amount of money.

Lifestyles in most big cities of Portugal are more affordable when compared to the cities of other EU countries. Whereas the lifestyle in the rural areas of Portugal is affordable. However, the location of your residence and the way you spend your money largely determines your cost of living in Portugal.

Welcoming Culture and History

Portugal has a nice and hospitable culture and has an exceptional way of receiving expats into the country. The indigenous people of Portugal are friendly and tolerant, and this makes it much easier for foreigners to connect and ultimately embrace Portuguese culture.

Naturalisation and Citizenship

Bangladeshi citizens will have the opportunity to either remain indefinitely in Portugal as permanent residents or apply for citizenship. You can only remain indefinitely in Portugal or become a citizen of Portugal through naturalisation. This means that you must stay in Portugal for a total of 5 years, and meet other requirements under the Portuguese nationality law.

You will become a beneficiary of the rights indigenous Portuguese enjoy when you obtain Portuguese citizenship. You will be entitled to vote during elections or be voted for. Additionally, you can enter all the countries in the EU with your passport without needing an additional visa, provided your stay will not exceed 90 days.

Tax Benefits

Bangladeshi nationals and other non-EU citizens who have obtained the Portugal D7 visa and have not yet become tax residents in Portugal for the previous 5 years, will be granted 10-year tax preferential treatment under the Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) programme.

When you are registered as a Portuguese tax resident, you can apply for the NHR status. This status will help you to be excluded from paying some tax occasionally, mostly from capital gains, wages, and income you are paid while working for your employer who is outside Portugal.

Furthermore, the NHR status will pardon you from paying 48% and instead let you pay only 20% tax on the majority of income you earn from allowed professions in Portugal. Bangladeshi nationals who wish to enter Portugal to work remotely will benefit from the Portuguese NHR programme.

Overview

Your family is permitted to travel to Portugal with you once you get a D7 visa. You must apply for a Family Reunification at the SEF in Portugal. Any family member you want to include in this programme will require you to provide legal documentation proving your relationship with them.

Your dependents must meet the following criteria if they want to join you in Portugal on the D7 visa. They must:

• Be officially married or in civil partnership with your spouse (if you are married).
• Have no job and are unmarried if they are 18 to 21 years old.
• Have no criminal record.
• Rely on your financial support as the main applicant.
• Be your parents or your spouse’s/partner’s parents provided they are dependent on you.
• Be your minor siblings.

Other relatives are not permitted to participate in your application. They must submit their individual D7 visa applications. Also, it is advised that you file for two distinct D7 visas if your partner or long-term spouse has their passive income source.

This usually results in a quicker approval process at the embassy, as opposed to applying with one major applicant and the additional person listed as a dependent.

Dependent Requirements and Documentation

Your dependents are required to provide the following documents for a Family Reunification to be considered to join you in Portugal. They include:

• A Portugal visa application.
• A 6-month valid Bangladeshi international passport.
• Certificate establishing the relationship with your dependents.
• Passport-size photographs that comply with the demands of Portugal visa photo guidelines.
• A foreign family member’s identity documents.
• Proof of accommodation.
• Proof of enough funds to cater for your needs and those of your dependents.
• Certificate of proof that you are on a D7 visa which allows for family reunification.
• Birth certificate if the dependent is your child (an adult child).
• Evidence that the dependent resides lawfully in their current location.
• Proof of enrollment of the dependent in a Portuguese educational institution, if the dependent is your child and a student.
• Documents showing that you have legal custody of minor siblings, if they are the dependent in question.
• Copies of adoption documents and copies of verified adoption by a court in Bangladesh or any other current country of the dependent’s residence (if the dependent is adopted).
• Certificate of registered partnership.
• Consent of parents if the dependent is a minor child.
• Document showing that a dependent who is under 65 years old is economically dependent on you.

Keep in mind that upon the entry of your dependents into Portugal, they will enjoy the same rights as you (a Portuguese resident). Additionally, their duration of stay in Portugal will align with yours. That is, if your stay expires, theirs will also expire.

Complete the D7 Visa Application Form

Access the Portugal D7 visa official website and fill out the visa application form. The form you will fill out on that website, otherwise known as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs official website, is designed for Portugal National visas of which the D7 visa is among. While filling out the application form, ensure you do not make any mistakes in your email address, mailing address, or phone number.

Set an Appointment

Once you are done with your application form, you must fix an appointment and expect an interview. You must schedule an appointment for your Portugal D7 visa at your nearest Portuguese consulate in Bangladesh.

At the appointment, you will be required to submit your biometric information, that is, your fingerprints and photographs. You must attend the interview with all your required supporting documents so that the immigration officers can assess your documents.

Ensure that your documents are complete as any missing important document may delay your application process or at worst cause your visa application refusal. During the interview, ensure you provide honest answers to questions.

Also, ensure that your answers are aligned with the content of the documents you submitted. This is because you may risk a failed interview session if the immigration officer suspects falsehood in your answers or documents you have provided.

Pay for the Visa

Ensure you pay for your D7 visa application fee. This payment could be made through whichever method is preferred by the Portuguese consulate nearest to you. It could be through credit cards, debit cards, or even money orders.

Take Your Trip to Portugal

Immediately after your D7 visa is approved after your application, the Portuguese consulate or any other relevant authority in Bangladesh will organise an appointment in Portugal for you and the SEF.

Once you enter Portugal, head towards the office of the SEF and apply for a residence permit by presenting all required documents and paying €320 for the processing fee.

Collect Your Residency Card

Immediately after you have completed the application for your residence permit, you should be issued the permit by postal mail after the SEF is done processing it.

Get a Portugal D7 Visa

To enter Portugal, you must first obtain a Portugal residency visa. Because you need to enter Portugal to work for your overseas employer or as an independent income earner, you must obtain a Portugal D7 visa. This visa will grant you entry into Portugal. It has a 4 month validity period and typically takes about 2 to 3 months to process.

Get a Residence Permit

After you have received your D7 visa, take your trip to Portugal and visit the SEF to switch your D7 visa to a residence permit. You will be issued a social security number at a registration office. Ensure you visit the SEF within the 4-month validity of your D7 visa.

The SEF will grant you a 2-year temporary residence permit renewable for an extra 3 years. After residing in Portugal for 5 years and having met other requirements in the Portuguese nationality law, you may become eligible to obtain Portuguese permanent residency or citizenship.