With golden beaches, historic cities, mild winters, and one of the friendliest remote work scenes in Europe, Portugal is a dream base for digital nomads. Since October 2022, Portugal has offered a dedicated digital nomad visa, known as the D8, for remote workers from outside the EU. Here's everything you need to know about the Portugal digital nomad visa: the types of visa, requirements, costs, and how to apply.
Requirements and fees change regularly, often every year. The figures below are approximate. Always check the official Portuguese visa website or your nearest Portuguese consulate before you apply.
Types of Portugal Digital Nomad Visa
The D8 visa comes in two forms, depending on how long you want to stay.
Temporary Stay Visa
This visa lets you live and work remotely in Portugal for up to one year, with multiple entries. It suits nomads who want to spend a season or a year in Portugal without becoming residents. It can't be converted into residency.
Residence Visa
This visa is valid for four months and lets you enter Portugal and apply for a residence permit with AIMA, the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum, which replaced the old SEF immigration service. The residence permit is initially valid for two years and can be renewed for three more. After five years of legal residence, you can apply for permanent residency. Portugal has been tightening its citizenship rules, so check the current requirements if naturalization is your goal.
Other options
- D7 Passive Income Visa: For people living on passive income, such as pensions, rents, or investments. The income requirement is about the Portuguese minimum wage, €920 per month in 2026.
- Golden Visa: Portugal's investment visa no longer accepts property purchases. The main routes now are investing in qualifying funds or businesses, usually starting at €500,000.
- Visa-free stays: Citizens of many countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK, can visit Portugal for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. This doesn't allow residency.
Portugal Digital Nomad Visa Requirements
- Remote work: You must work remotely for an employer or clients based outside Portugal, as an employee or freelancer.
- Minimum income: At least four times the Portuguese minimum wage, which is about €3,680 per month in 2026. You'll usually need to show this income for the last three months.
- Savings: Some consulates also ask for proof of savings in a bank account, often around €11,000 or more.
- Health insurance: Travel or health insurance valid in Portugal, at least until you're covered by a residence permit.
- Accommodation: A rental contract, property deed, or a statement of responsibility from a host in Portugal.
- Clean criminal record: From your home country and any country where you've lived for more than a year.
- NIF: A Portuguese tax identification number, which you'll need for renting and banking.
How to Apply for the Portugal Digital Nomad Visa
Step 1: Get a NIF and a Portuguese bank account
Your NIF is your Portuguese tax number. Non-residents usually need a tax representative in Portugal to get one, and many applicants use a legal service to arrange it remotely. A Portuguese bank account is not always required, but it makes the process easier.
Step 2: Find accommodation
For the residence visa, you'll usually need a long-term rental contract. For the temporary stay visa, a shorter booking may be accepted.
Step 3: Gather your documents
- A completed national visa application form
- A passport valid for at least three months beyond your stay
- Two passport photos
- Your work contract or proof of freelance work
- Proof of income for the last three months
- Bank statements
- Proof of accommodation
- Health or travel insurance
- A criminal record certificate, with an apostille
- Your NIF
Step 4: Apply at the consulate or VFS center
Submit your application at the Portuguese consulate or visa center responsible for where you live. The visa fee is around €90. Decisions usually take about 60 days, but it can be faster or slower depending on the consulate.
Step 5: Apply for your residence permit
If you hold the residence visa, AIMA should schedule an appointment to issue your residence permit after you arrive. Appointments can take months, so keep your documents ready and check AIMA's portal for updates.
Taxes for Digital Nomads in Portugal
If you spend more than 183 days a year in Portugal or have a habitual residence there, you'll generally become a Portuguese tax resident and pay tax on your worldwide income. Portugal closed its famous Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) regime to new applicants in 2024. Its replacement, the IFICI regime, offers a 20% flat tax for some highly qualified professions, but many digital nomads don't qualify. Speak with a tax adviser before you move.
Best Places in Portugal for Digital Nomads
- Lisbon: Portugal's capital has countless coworking spaces, cafés, and meetups, but it's the most expensive city.
- Porto: Charming, more affordable, and full of character along the Douro River.
- Madeira: Home to a digital nomad village in Ponta do Sol, with mild weather all year.
- The Algarve: Beaches and surfing in Lagos and Faro.
- Ericeira: A surf town with a laid-back remote work community, less than an hour from Lisbon.
Comparing options? See our guides to digital nomad visas in Europe and the best digital nomad destinations.
Stay Connected as a Digital Nomad in Portugal
An egoViet Portugal eSIM gets you online the moment you land, which is useful when you're sorting out apartments, banking, and appointments. You can use it as a hotspot for your laptop when the café Wi-Fi drops. Planning to travel around Europe? The Europe eSIM covers 33 destinations. Read more in our Portugal eSIM guide.
FAQs: Portugal Digital Nomad Visa
How much do you need to earn for the Portugal digital nomad visa?
About four times the Portuguese minimum wage, roughly €3,680 per month in 2026.
How long can you stay in Portugal on a digital nomad visa?
Up to one year on the temporary stay visa. With the residence visa, you get a two-year residence permit, renewable for three more years.
Can the Portugal digital nomad visa lead to citizenship?
It can. After five years of legal residence on the residence route, you can apply for permanent residency. Citizenship rules have been tightened, so check the current requirements.
Do digital nomads pay tax in Portugal?
If you become a Portuguese tax resident, usually by spending more than 183 days a year in the country, you'll pay tax in Portugal. Get advice from a tax professional.