Moving to Portugal from the US: which visa or residence route fits

A US passport gets you into Portugal as a visitor, but it does not let you live there. Anyone planning to stay longer than a visitor stay needs a national visa issued by a Portuguese consulate, followed by a residence permit issued inside Portugal by AIMA, the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum. The investment route works differently and is covered further down.

This guide compares the routes Americans ask about most: the D7 for passive income and retirees, the D8 for remote workers, the D2 for independent professionals and entrepreneurs, and residence through investment (the former "golden visa"). Every figure below comes from the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa portal (vistos.mne.gov.pt) or AIMA, as checked on the date shown on this page.

The two-stage system: consulate first, AIMA second

For the D7, D8 and D2, the sequence is the same:

1. You apply for a residence visa at the Portuguese consular post that covers where you live in the United States. Portugal's consulates in the US take applications through an external service provider, so check your consulate's page for the booking link.
2. The consulate issues a visa sticker in your passport. A residence visa is designed to get you into Portugal so you can apply for residence there.
3. In Portugal, you file for the residence permit (autorização de residência) at an AIMA office. According to AIMA, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs normally books the AIMA appointment when it issues the visa, and the link to the appointment details is printed on the visa sticker. If the link does not work, or no appointment was available when the visa was issued, AIMA tells applicants to book through its online contact form, choosing "Autorização de Residência" and then "Autorização de residência com visto consular (Não CPLP)".

AIMA states that a first temporary residence permit under the general regime is valid for two years from issue and renews for successive three-year periods, unless a specific rule in the Foreigners Act sets other terms.

The practical consequence: you cannot fly to Lisbon as a tourist and switch to residence there under these routes. Plan for the consulate stage in the US.

How Portugal measures "enough money"

Most routes test your means of subsistence against the Portuguese minimum monthly wage. The visa portal states that the 2026 minimum wage is 920 euros a month (set by Decree-Law 139/2025), net of social security deductions, and applies these household percentages:

• first adult: 100 percent
• second and each additional adult: 50 percent
• each child under 18, and each adult child who still depends on you: 30 percent

So the benchmark for a single applicant is 920 euros a month; a couple adds 460 euros; each dependent child adds 276 euros. Consulates can ask for more evidence, and the minimum wage changes each January, so check the figure again in the year you apply.

D7: passive income and retirement

The D7 is the residence visa for retirees, people living on passive income, and religious workers. On the visa portal, the specific documents for this category are:

• for retirees, a document certifying the amount of your pension;
• for passive income, documents certifying income from movable or immovable property, intellectual property or financial assets.

Social Security, private and public pensions, rental income, dividends, interest and royalties are the income types the D7 is built around. Salary from a job you keep doing remotely is a different case: the D8 exists for that, and at least one Portuguese consulate states in its D7 guidance that the D7 cannot be used by people working remotely for companies outside Portugal.

The general residence visa documents still apply on top: passport, application form, photos, proof of accommodation, travel or health insurance, an FBI criminal record check, and proof of means of subsistence. Read our detailed guide to the Portugal D7 visa before you gather documents.

D8: remote work for employers or clients outside Portugal

Portugal's remote-work visa comes in two forms, both listed on the visa portal:

• a temporary stay visa for remote work, for stays of more than 90 days and up to one year, which does not lead to a residence permit;
• a residence visa for remote work, which is followed by an AIMA residence permit under Article 88(1) of the Foreigners Act.

For both, the portal asks for proof of the work relationship and proof of income:

• if you are employed: an employment contract or a declaration from the employer confirming the employment link;
• if you are self-employed: a company contract, a services contract, or a document showing services provided to one or more clients;
• proof of average monthly income over the last three months of at least four times the Portuguese minimum monthly wage;
• a document showing your tax residence.

At the 2026 minimum wage, four times 920 euros is 3,680 euros a month. Because the minimum wage changes yearly, recalculate the figure against the current wage when you apply. The D8 guide covers the paperwork in more detail.

D2: independent professionals and entrepreneurs

The D2 residence visa covers people who will run a business or work independently in Portugal. The consular checklists for this category ask independent professionals for a contract or written proposal for services, plus a declaration from the professional body when the profession is regulated in Portugal. Entrepreneurs are asked to show investments already made or a credible plan to invest, with funds available in Portugal. Applicants through the startup visa program need a declaration from IAPMEI, the public agency for business competitiveness, confirming an incubation contract with a certified incubator.

The D2 fits Americans who plan to invoice Portuguese clients, open a company in Portugal or move a small business there. If your clients and employer stay outside Portugal, the D8 is the closer fit.

Residence through investment (ARI)

Residence through investment, called Autorização de Residência para Investimento (ARI) and often marketed as the golden visa, still exists, but its menu changed. AIMA's page states that the investment cannot be aimed, directly or indirectly, at real estate. The qualifying options AIMA lists are:

• creating at least 10 jobs;
• transferring at least 500,000 euros to scientific research at institutions in the national science and technology system;
• transferring at least 250,000 euros to artistic production or the recovery or maintenance of national cultural heritage;
• transferring at least 500,000 euros into non-real-estate collective investment funds set up under Portuguese law, with a maturity of at least five years and at least 60 percent invested in companies headquartered in Portugal;
• transferring at least 500,000 euros to set up or capitalise a Portuguese company that creates at least five permanent jobs, or maintains at least ten jobs with at least five permanent, for at least three years.

Unlike the other routes, ARI exempts holders from the residence visa: AIMA says beneficiaries can enter Portugal without one. Holders must spend at least 7 days in Portugal in the first year and at least 14 days in each following year, and they commit to keeping the investment for at least five years. AIMA also requires mandatory online pre-registration on its ARI portal. Our guide to Portugal's investment routes goes through each option.

Which route fits which American

• Retired on Social Security, a pension or investment income: D7.
• Employed by a US company or freelancing for clients outside Portugal: D8, residence version if you want a path to longer-term residence.
• Opening a business or working for Portuguese clients: D2.
• Investing at least 250,000 to 500,000 euros in an eligible non-real-estate activity, wanting minimal stay requirements: ARI.
• Hired by a Portuguese employer: a work residence visa supported by your employment contract, which the visa portal lists as a separate category.

Documents most routes share

Expect to assemble these for any national visa:

• a US passport with enough validity beyond the intended stay;
• an FBI Identity History Summary (the US criminal record check), since the visa portal requires a criminal record certificate from your country of nationality and anywhere you lived for over a year;
• proof of accommodation in Portugal (a lease, a deed, or a signed term of responsibility from a host);
• health or travel insurance covering medical care and repatriation, which we cover in the insurance requirements guide;
• proof of means of subsistence;
• a Portuguese tax number (NIF), which most applicants obtain before or during the visa stage.

Foreign public documents such as birth and marriage certificates usually need an apostille and a certified translation. Ask your consulate which documents it wants translated.

After you arrive

Once you are in Portugal on a residence visa, the next steps are your AIMA appointment, registering with a health centre, and settling your tax position. Our first-weeks checklist walks through the order.

Common questions

Can I move to Portugal on a tourist entry and apply for residence there? Not for the D7, D8 or D2. Those routes start with a residence visa from a Portuguese consulate in the US, and AIMA's residence permit application is made by holders of that visa. The investment route (ARI) is the exception, because AIMA exempts ARI applicants from the residence visa.

How much income do I need for the D7 in 2026? The visa portal uses the 2026 minimum wage of 920 euros a month for the main applicant, plus 50 percent for each additional adult and 30 percent for each dependent child. Consulates can ask for more evidence, and the figure changes each January.

Can I still buy a home to get a Portuguese golden visa? No. AIMA's page for residence through investment states that the investment cannot be aimed directly or indirectly at real estate. The remaining routes are job creation, research, culture, eligible funds and company capital.

How long is a first residence permit valid? AIMA states that a temporary residence permit under the general regime is valid for two years from issue and then renews for successive three-year periods, unless a specific rule sets other terms.