Quick answer first
The D7 route allows a non-EU/EEA/Swiss national to seek a national residence visa for settlement in Portugal, followed by a temporary residence permit from AIMA. Applicants must evidence adequate, regular resources, accommodation, insurance and the other general visa conditions.
Who may consider D7?
Pensioners and people intending to live in Portugal on sustainable income from movable or immovable property, intellectual property or financial investments may examine this route. AIMA’s official guidance gives examples of evidence for pensions, property income, intellectual-property income and financial-investment returns.
- Pension recipients
- People with documented, continuing rental income
- People with documented dividends, interest or investment income
- People with sustainable royalties or licence income
Financial reference and family calculation
The means-of-subsistence ordinance uses 100% of the reference wage for the first adult, 50% for additional adults and 30% for children under 18 and dependent older children. With the 2026 mainland RMMG at €920, the arithmetic is:
| Household | Monthly reference | 12-month arithmetic | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| One adult | €920 | €11,040 | 100% |
| Two adults | €1,380 | €16,560 | 100% + 50% |
| Two adults + 1 child | €1,656 | €19,872 | 100% + 50% + 30% |
| Two adults + 2 children | €1,932 | €23,184 | 100% + 50% + 30% + 30% |
Regular income is not the same as savings
Regular resources are cash flows whose source and continuity can be documented. Savings support financial resilience. Portuguese law does not publish one fixed D7 amount that every applicant must hold in a Portuguese bank. Any NIF, local-account or balance requirement should be confirmed against the current filing-post checklist.
Document categories
The current gov.pt service page lists an application, valid travel document, two photographs, travel insurance, authorisation to consult Portuguese criminal records, a criminal record from the country of origin or residence, accommodation, means of subsistence and evidence of pension or sufficient own income.
- Identity: current form, passport and photographs.
- Criminal records: confirm countries, recency, legalisation and format locally.
- Insurance: valid cover for urgent medical assistance and repatriation where necessary.
- Accommodation: ownership, tenancy or another legally accepted right to use the dwelling.
- Resources: evidence of source, payment history, tax/bank records and continuity.
- Family: marriage, birth, custody or dependency evidence where relevant.
Proving accommodation
The visa stage requires accommodation conditions. AIMA’s current general residence page requires an address declaration plus proof of the legal basis for using the property: a land-registry certificate/access code for owners or usufructuaries, or a declaration from the landlord/accommodation provider explaining the applicant’s legal position, for example.
The official general text does not itself create a universal “12-month lease only” rule or a blanket statement that every short-term booking is forbidden. The safer approach is genuine, verifiable accommodation that convincingly supports an intention to settle, together with the current local checklist.
Application route
Use the competent Portuguese consular post and its currently authorised application provider.
Use country-specific document, translation, legalisation, payment and appointment rules.
Bank movements, agreements, institutional letters and tax records should describe the same source.
Personal attendance, fees and passport-retention practice should be confirmed locally.
Gov.pt states a 60-day decision period; actual timing may vary with scrutiny and workload.
The gov.pt service lists a €90 visa fee. Local-currency conversion, provider fee and payment method can change and should be rechecked before the appointment.
Entry and the AIMA residence stage
A residence visa permits the applicant to begin the settlement process; it is not the residence card. After entry, follow the visa label/appointment information and complete the AIMA residence application.
- Valid passport and residence visa
- Evidence of means of subsistence
- Address declaration and legal right-to-use evidence
- Family evidence where relevant
- Tax and social-security registration where applicable
- Health insurance or evidence of SNS coverage
A general temporary residence permit is valid for two years and is renewable for successive three-year periods. AIMA fees changed on 1 March 2026 and depend on the procedure and channel; use the current official fee table rather than an approximate card price.
Absence from Portugal
The general cancellation threshold for temporary residence concerns an unjustified absence of six consecutive months or eight non-consecutive months during the permit’s total validity. This is not the same as the 183-day tax-residence test. The law also provides for notification and justified exceptions.
Family members
Applying together at the visa stage and requesting family reunification later are different procedures. Amendments made in 2025 introduced general waiting periods and exceptions for later reunification. It is inaccurate to say every D7 holder automatically brings every adult family member. The correct route, relationship evidence and additional resources must be checked for each person.
Tax and work
Immigration residence and tax residence are separate legal questions. Spending more than 183 days in Portugal is an important tax test, but maintaining a dwelling as a habitual residence can also matter. The taxation of foreign income depends on the income type, treaties and individual facts.
D7 is applied for on the basis of own resources. Residence-permit holders have work and business rights, but an applicant should not misdescribe the real main purpose at the visa stage.
Permanent residence and nationality: the 2026 change
The new law also includes Portuguese language and culture, history and national symbols, fundamental rights and duties, political organisation, a solemn commitment to democratic rule of law, criminal/security conditions and capacity for subsistence. Nationality applications already pending on 19 May 2026 remain governed by the previous law. Permanent residence is a separate status with its own conditions.
Common risk factors
- Income source and bank movements do not match
- Presenting a one-off balance as recurring income
- Using D7 where active remote work is the real main purpose
- Accommodation that cannot be verified or support settlement
- An outdated checklist, expired evidence or wrong legalisation/translation
- Resources that do not cover the household
- Contradictions between forms, cover letter and supporting evidence
Final pre-filing check
- Is my income genuinely regular, lawful and documentable?
- Have I calculated the 2026 household reference correctly?
- Am I using the current checklist for my filing country?
- Have I confirmed apostille/translation rules document by document?
- Is my accommodation genuine, verifiable and legally explained?
- Have I rechecked fees and payment method?
- Have I retained updated evidence for the AIMA stage?
- Have I avoided planning nationality around the obsolete five-year claim?
Frequently asked questions
Is D7 only for pensioners?
No. The official category also covers persons living on their own income.
What is the 2026 one-person reference?
€920 per month and €11,040 as 12-month arithmetic, based on mainland RMMG. It does not guarantee approval.
Must I show 14 monthly payments?
The general official D7 page does not publish a universal 14-payment rule. A filing post may expect a stronger financial buffer.
Are savings alone enough?
D7 focuses on the ability to subsist from own resources. Savings are supportive; source and sustainability still matter.
Must I buy a home?
No. Accommodation must be lawfully and factually evidenced; ownership is not the only route.
Can I work after receiving residence?
Residence-permit holders have employment and business rights, but the initial application’s real purpose and income must be described honestly.
How long does the visa take?
Gov.pt states 60 days. Additional scrutiny and workload may change actual timing.
How long is the first residence permit?
The general rule is two years, followed by three-year renewals.
Must I spend 183 days in Portugal every year?
183 days relates to tax residence. The general immigration absence threshold is different: six consecutive or eight non-consecutive months without justification.
How long to nationality in 2026?
For new general applications after 19 May 2026, Turkish nationals face a ten-year lawful-residence rule. Pending applications on that date remain under the previous law.
Official sources
- Gov.pt – residence visa for pensioners and persons living on own income
- Decree-Law no. 139/2025 – 2026 RMMG of €920
- Ordinance no. 1563/2007 – means-of-subsistence weightings
- AIMA – means of subsistence and evidence
- AIMA – general residence conditions
- AIMA – 1 March 2026 fee update
- Organic Law no. 1/2026 – nationality rules