The distinction between the most popular visas, D7 Visa and D8 Visa, is fundamentally about how your money comes in.
The D7 Visa is designed for people who can support themselves without relying on local employment. This means having stable pensions, dividends, rental income, or any income that gets credited without you actively working for it.
The D8 Visa is designed for remote workers and entrepreneurs with active monthly income from clients or employers based outside Portugal.
If you’re earning a salary from a company in another country while working remotely, that’s the D8. If your income shows up whether you open your laptop or not, that’s the D7.
On paper, both the D7 and D8 follow a similar processing timeline. Most consulates quote 60 to 90 days for a decision. But it can take less time depending on a few factors.
Some consulates are faster and more streamlined than others, and the difference between a well-prepared application and an incomplete one can cost you months of back-and-forth (and of course, money).
Viv Europe recently had two clients approved within 15 days of submitting their applications; both were based in Houston. That’s not the norm, but it reflects what’s possible when the paperwork is airtight from day one.
This is where working with a relocation specialist makes a tangible difference. When you’re navigating the process alone, it’s easy to lose weeks, sometimes months, to small documentation errors, missing apostilles, or simply not knowing the unwritten expectations of a specific consulate. A team that has submitted dozens of applications through the same offices knows exactly what’s expected and how to front-load the process correctly.
This is where the difference gets clearer.
The D7 Visa, also popularly known as the Retirement Visa or Passive Income Visa, requires a passive income of €920 per month. That means €11,040 per year for a single applicant. If you’re going to be relocating to Portugal with your spouse, that’s an additional 50%.
The D8 Visa, also known as the Digital Nomad Visa, requires four times Portugal’s minimum wage, which totals up to €3,680 a month. With the same rule of adding another 50% for your spouse.
To get real numbers for your situation, in the case of adding more dependants, feel free to book a free consultation with Viv Europe!
Despite being nicknamed the “Retirement Visa,” the D7 has no age requirement. What matters is the income type, not your age.
It is more typical for applicants aged 40 to 50 to apply for this visa because they’ve built up multiple passive income streams. But we’ve also seen applicants well below this age bracket.
For someone in their 20s to 40s, done with commuting to an office in a high-cost city, the D8 offers a legal path to living in Portugal without giving up your job or your income. The visa grants a two-year residence permit, renewable for a further three years, with a path to permanent residency after five years.
Long-term visa holders can access Portugal’s public healthcare and education systems, travel freely within the Schengen Area, and build toward permanent residency or citizenship over time.
This article is in collaboration with Viv Europe, a company founded by immigrants to share the pain of people who are determined to live a better life in Portugal. Founded in 2020, they’ve helped 1,500+ people get visas, find real estate, and file their taxes. If you’d like to get in touch, book a free consultation now!
Disclaimer:
The views expressed on this page are those of the author and not of The Portugal News.