Portugal d7 Visa For Digital Nomads And Passive Income

Overview

The two types of digital nomad visas available for remote workers in Portugal are the Temporary Stay Visa and the Residence visa.

Temporary Stay Visa

This type of digital nomad visa permits holders to only stay for 1 year with a possibility of a 2-year renewal. This temporary stay visa is not a route to residency but is the easiest to apply for.

With the visa, you can leave and re-enter Portugal as many times as you want. And since Portugal is part of Schengen, you can visit other Schengen countries.

Residence Visa

This permits holders to stay more than one year. When you apply for this category of digital nomad visa, you will get a permit that will last for 4 months. During these 4 months, you are expected to apply for a residence permit.

After your application, you must attend a visa interview that will determine if you will be issued a residence permit.

The residence permit’s validity is 2 years and can be renewed for 3 more years. After spending 5 years in Portugal, you can apply for permanent residence or Portuguese citizenship.

Another upside to this visa category is that your spouse and children can join you in Portugal as long as you have enough money to cater for them.

Country-Specific Requirement

US, Canada, New Zealand or Australia

If you are a US, Canadian, New Zealand or Australian citizen, you can stay in Portugal for 90 days without needing a visa. During these 90 days, you can choose to work remotely for a company in your home country.

You can also open an account or use your foreign account in Portugal within this time. However, if you must stay longer than 90 days, you must meet the visa requirements to apply for the digital nomad visa. Note that US green card holders are exempt from this rule.

They cannot stay in Portugal freely for 90 days, so they must apply for a visa.

European Union (EU)

There is no need applying for a digital nomad visa if you are a national of any member states that make up the EU.

You can live, study and work freely in Portugal. But you must register as a resident in Portugal with the SEF (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras- Portuguese Immigration and Border Service).

Outside the EU, US, Canada, Australia or New Zealand

If you live in any country outside the EU, US, Canada, Australia or New Zealand, you will need to apply for the digital nomad visa.

Accommodation Requirement

This proof of accommodation is also an essential part of the visa requirement. When applying to come to Portugal as a digital nomad, you must show that you have where to stay.

You can show the embassy that you have a house of your own or have rented one in Portugal.

Booked hotel rooms and Airbnb can serve. You can also present a rental agreement between you and a property owner in Portugal. Note that the rental agreement or hotel bookings must show that you have one year covered.

If you have a friend or family in Portugal, they can send you a letter which you can submit to the embassy. With this letter, your family or friend pledges to take care of your accommodation needs till you leave Portugal.

In the eventuality that you could not use any of these options, you will have to submit your application with a letter.

This letter should state that you have been finding it difficult to get accommodation but will do so once you get into Portugal. When you send this letter, it will then be at the embassy’s discretion to decide on your application.

Financial Requirement

You need to show the Portuguese government that you will not be a liability to them. You have to show that you can take care of yourself and your dependents, if any. You typically prove this by presenting bank statements showing how much savings or income you have.

Your income must be four times more than the Portuguese minimum wage.

The Portugal digital nomad visa income requirement is calculated yearly. You must meet this income requirement for your visa to be approved. How much you need to show depends on the category of the digital nomad visa that you are applying for.

When applying for a temporary stay visa you need to show that you have a monthly income of €3,040 for the previous 3 months before your application. That is, if you sent in your application by October, you must have made €3,040 in July, August and September.

You must also show proof that your remote work will keep bringing this income for as long as you stay in Portugal.

For the residence or passive income digital nomad visa, you must prove that you have a business, job or investment paying you at least €8,460 yearly. If you intend to come to Portugal with your family, you must prove you have the means to take care of them.

• First, you must show you have €8,460 for a year.
• Secondly, you must show you have €4,230 for your spouse or partner.
• Thirdly, you must show you have €2,538 for every child.

You can meet the financial requirements in many ways:

• Self-employed applicants can show a bank statement and a certificate proving their business is duly registered in their country.
• For applicants who are working remotely, they can show their payslips and bank statements for the past 3 months.
• For applicants who are freelancers, you have to show bank statements containing your savings and the payslips for the past three months.

For passive income digital nomads, you can combine any of the following to meet the financial requirement:

• Accrued and payable interest from fixed deposits or savings
• Income from investments
• Income from selling intellectual property
• Royalties
• Pension
• Income from real estate
• Dividends from businesses you are not working for
• Transferable equity.

A Valid Passport

You must ensure that your passport is valid for up to 6 months after the visa you are applying for has expired. At the early stages of the application process, you are only required to submit a notarized copy of your passport to the Portuguese consulate.

Only when your visa application is successful should you submit the original passport so your visa sticker can be attached.

D7 Visa Application Form

You must also complete a Portugal national visa application form when applying for your D7 visa. You can do this at any Portuguese consulate or embassy in the US. You can also do so via any VSF center.

If you want to submit the form online, you have to print out the application form when you are done and attach it to your supporting documents. It is also necessary to ensure your details on the form are the same as the ones on your passport.

Discrepancies in the information supplied are one of the leading causes of visa refusal.

The application form must be completed either in English or Portuguese.

Proof of Accommodation

You must submit any of the following:

• Rental agreement that covers 12 months
• Proof that you have bought a property in Portugal where you will live
• Evidence of at least a 4-month-long booking in a hotel or Airbnb
• Invitation letter from a host in Portugal. This letter must have a copy of your host’s ID. It must also be signed and notarized in Portugal.

Proof of Income

You can present various documents to prove that you meet the minimum income requirement. You can combine these to meet the income requirement.

• 3-month bank statement showing you earned €3,040 per month
• Cash savings showing €8460 if you are applying alone, an extra €4230 if you are applying with your spouse and an additional €2538 for every dependent child
• Employment letter showing your salary equals or exceeds €3,040 per month
• Credit card that shows your credit limit
• Pension certificate from your service provider
• Bank statement showing income from intellectual property, assets or rents
• Certificate of investment
• Traveler’s check
• Letter from Social Security stating your monthly or yearly benefits
• Tax returns from the past fiscal year
• Letter of financial support from an EU citizen, Portuguese citizen or permanent resident

FBI Criminal History Certificate

You can complete the form at the FBI’s website and then submit your fingerprints at any US post office eligible to collect biometrics for this purpose.

You can also download the application form, complete it, and submit it with a fingerprint card. This should be forwarded to the FBI CJIS Division – Summary Request 1000 Custer Hollow Road Clarksburg, WV 26306.

When you get your document via mail, you can proceed to the SEF website and submit the document.

Step 1

Gather Supporting Documents

Ensuring you have all the documents you need is vital. You can use the required documents section as your checklist.

You can also enlist the assistance of our immigration team to check your documents and application to ensure correctness. One of our accredited attorneys will also provide a letter of approval needed for your application.

Submit Application and Supporting Documents

After getting all the documents ready, proceed to the Portuguese consulate or embassy nearest to you and submit your application. You have to submit your application form with your supporting documents. Ensure you have also paid the visa fees via money and attach the receipt with your documents.

Sometimes, the embassy will ask you to submit your passport. This is so that they can attach your residency visa if your application is successful.

Collect Your Visa

If your application is successful, you will be notified by post or email. The letter will also tell you where to pick up your passport. Ensure you go with an ID to collect the passport.

Step 2

Now, you can travel to Portugal with your visa. If you inform the embassy of your travel date, they will book an appointment with SEF for you.

Book an Appointment with SEF

If the appointment with SEF was not pre-booked. You can proceed to their online portal to schedule an appointment at any SEF center near your place of residence.

Attend An Interview with SEF

When attending the appointment with SEF, you must go with all of the supporting documents you submitted in step 1. You should get certified translated copies of all your documents if they are not in Portuguese.

Also, you must submit another application form. This form is written in Portuguese; hence you need to ask a local translator to help you with the translation.

The Portuguese authorities will ask for your consent to check your records for any criminal history. You must permit them to do so, or your visa will not be granted.