D7 Visa Portugal: Apply for Passive Income Visa From UK

A D7 visa, also known as a passive income visa, allows eligible foreign nationals to come to Portugal for 120 days, within which timeframe the visa holder can apply for a temporary residence permit to remain in the country. It falls under the long-stay visa or National (‘D’) visa category, and is also referred to as a residency visa.

The main condition of a D7 visa is that the applicant must have enough income from passive sources so that they will not have to work in Portugal to support themselves and their accompanying family members.

EEA and Swiss citizens do not need a visa to live in Portugal. Financially independent non-EEA/non-Swiss foreign nationals wishing to live in Portugal on a long-term basis may apply for the D7 Visa. Foreigners coming to Portugal to receive religious training within a religious congregation will also need to apply for a D7 visa.

Page Contents

• What is a D7 Visa in Portugal?
• Benefits of Portugal Passive Income Visa
• Portugal D7 Passive Income Visa Requirements
• Documents Needed for Portugal D7 Visa Application
• How to Apply for a Portugal D7 Visa From the UK?
• Application Cost for a Portugal D7 Visa
• How Long Does it Take to Get a Portugal D7 Visa?
• Portugal D7 Visa Eligible Dependants
• Renewals and Minimum Stay Requirements for the D7 Visa
• Explore Permanent Residency and Citizenship in Portugal With a D7 Visa
• How Can Our Portugal D7 Visa Lawyer Help?
• Frequently Asked Questions

A D7 visa is one of the most popular options among retirees or people who live from passive income sources worldwide to come and live in Portugal. Both the ‘2026 Annual Global Retirement Index’ (International Living) and the ‘Global Retirement Report 2025’ (Global Citizen Solutions) put Portugal among the world’s top five destinations to retire.

Pleasant weather, low crime rate, high-quality healthcare infrastructure, freedom of travel across Europe, comparatively lower cost of living, and an immigrant-friendly society are some of the major reasons behind Portugal’s increasing popularity among retirees all over the world. Although adult foreign nationals of any age group can apply for a D7 Visa, statistics show that it is most widely used by retirees, who are typically 55 years of age or older and not working any longer, earning it the name Portugal ‘retirement visa’.

Let’s explore the benefits of a D7 visa compared to other residency routes to Portugal:

• A D7 visa is a non-work, non-investment immigration route to Portugal. As long as you have stable passive income sources, you don’t need any eligible work offer, sponsoring family member or investment conditions to apply
• The visa allows you to come and apply for a residence permit in Portugal, which in turn grants you the right to live, work, and study without requiring any additional permission
• You get full residency rights in Portugal, including access to public education and healthcare, and right to legal protection
• Foreign national retirees over 65 may qualify for extra social security benefits
• You can enter and exit Portugal freely, and travel visa-free in the Schengen area
• You may start your own business in Portugal or remotely work for overseas companies
• Your eligible family members may accompany you to Portugal as your dependants
• You may eventually be eligible for permanent residency or Portuguese citizenship

To be eligible to apply for a D7 visa in Portugal, you must have a regular passive income outside of Portugal of at least €870 (i.e. the minimum national wage in the country in 2025) per month, from foreign pension income, financial or transferable equity, savings, rental income from real estate, intellectual property, etc.

If you have dependent family members accompanying you to Portugal on this route, you must have at least 50% of the above amount (€435) for your spouse/civil partner (or any other adult dependent relative), and 30% (€261) for each of your minor dependent children, in addition.

Plus, you must:

• Be a non-EEA/non-Swiss foreign national
• Be over 18 years of age
• Have no criminal record
• Have an accommodation in Portugal, purchased or rented
• Must reside in Portugal for 183 consecutive days per calendar year (in other words, be a tax resident in the country)

The financial criterion is the most crucial requirement for a D7 visa. You need to show that you have a regular passive income, already in place and clearly documented, from legal sources that meet the minimum income threshold. Having merely large savings will not justify your D7 visa application.

You will need the following supporting documents to apply for a D7 visa in Portugal:

• Current passport with at least three months’ validity from the estimated visa expiry date, along with a photocopy of your passport’s biometric page
• Two recent passport-size photos, in compliance with Schengen requirements
• Signed and completed National Visa application form (the legal guardian must sign the form in case of minor and incapacitated applicants)
• A personal cover letter stating the reason(s) for applying
• Proof of your legal status in the UK if you are not a UK citizen
• Proof of passive income, meeting the minimum threshold applicable (e.g., bank statements)
• A Portuguese taxpayer identification number (NIF)
• Proofs of an active Portuguese bank account
• Proof of accommodation in Portugal (property purchase documents, rental lease etc.)
• A travel health insurance
• Birth certificate(s) or marriage certificate(s), as applicable for your dependents moving to Portugal with you
• Criminal background clearance
• An invitation addressed to the applicant from the concerned church or religious community legally present in Portugal, if you are applying for a D7 visa for religious training purposes

Note that the above list of documents is not exhaustive in nature. The Portuguese immigration authorities may ask you for additional supporting documents, during the visa application or during the processing of your temporary residence permit, based on your circumstances.

All supporting documents must either be in English or in Portuguese. If not, get them translated by a certified translator and notarised at an additional cost. Certain public documents may also need to be legalised if your country of nationality is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention (note: the UK is a member of the said convention).

The Portuguese D7 Visa application process begins with downloading the National Visa application form from the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website, and arranging for all relevant supporting documents.

VFS Global is the official third-party consular services provider on behalf of the Portuguese consulate in the UK. They run visa application centres (VACs) in London, Edinburgh and Manchester. Once you have filled in and duly signed your application form and have arranged for the required documents, book an appointment with your nearest VAC.

You will have to submit your D7 visa application and supporting documents in person at the VAC on the date of your appointment. They will collect your biometrics information (unless exempted) as well as the visa processing fees (if you have not already paid it online).

If your visa application is successful, you will receive a D7 Visa, on which you can travel to Portugal. A D7 visa allows you to stay in Portugal for 120 days. After your arrival, you must apply to AIMA (Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum) for a temporary residence permit to continue living in the country beyond the initial 120 days.

Also, note that you can have a power of attorney to obtain your personal income tax number (NIF) in Portugal, even before you physically enter the country. Once you have your NIF, you can remotely open a bank account in Portugal before travelling. We recommend that you keep a minimum account balance equal to 12 months’ income in your Portuguese bank account before proceeding with your D7 visa application.

You will have to pay a non-returnable fee of €110 for a D7 visa processing. If you need to get your supporting documents translated and/or legalised, you will need to pay for the same separately in addition to the visa processing fees.

AIMA will additionally charge a fee of €160 to process and issue your D7 residence permit application.

It may take up to 60 calendar days to process your D7 visa application. The counting of days will start only after your application and supporting documents are received by the Portuguese embassy/consulate in the UK (sent by the VFS Global VAC where you submitted them).

Public holidays as announced on the concerned embassy/consulate website will not be counted as working days for this purpose.

Following family members can accompany you to Portugal as your dependants on a D7 visa:

• Spouse/partner (must be at least 18 years of age)
• Minor children, both biological and adopted
• Children over 18 in case they are dependent on you/your spouse, as long as they are not married and are studying in a Portuguese school/college/university, or have disabilities that made them entirely dependent on their parent(s)
• Your or your spouse’s dependent parents
• Your minor siblings, as long as they are considered to be solely under your legal guardianship

A D7 temporary residence permit is initially valid for two years. This can subsequently be renewed for three years, if you continue meeting the minimum stay requirement.

The goal of a D7 visa is to make applicants live in Portugal. So, it mandates that you live in Portugal for six consecutive months, or for a total of eight non-consecutive months, per year throughout this five-year period to maintain your legal residency status in the country.

Five years of legal residence in Portugal on a D7 residence permit may make you eligible to apply for permanent residence permit or citizenship in Portugal, if you meet all other specified terms and conditions thereof. You will also need to take a test to prove your knowledge of Portuguese before you can apply for permanent residency/citizenship in Portugal.

Portugal announced its plans to amend the Nationality Law and the legal framework governing immigration on 23 June 2025. Among other proposals, the government considered increasing the residence requirement for citizenship from the current five years to 10 years (seven years for CPLP and EU citizens). It was also discussed whether residency period should be calculated from the date when a permit had been issued rather than from the application date.

While these proposed changes are not yet established as law, they passed the plenary vote on 28 October, and will next be undergoing Presidential review. Watch this space for further updates or consult our immigration advisers to stay updated on future developments.