The D7 is Portugal's residence route for people living on stable recurring income — pensions, rent, dividends. In 2026 the threshold is €920 per month (about €11,040 a year), rising 50% for a spouse (≈ €460) and 30% for each child (≈ €276), and you must also show roughly 12 months of that income saved in a Portuguese account. It is far cheaper than the golden visa — but it is not the same product: the D7 expects you to actually live in Portugal, and since 19 May 2026 the residency needed for citizenship is 10 years, not 5.
Who is the D7 for?
Non-EU nationals who can support themselves from regular passive income rather than a job. Retirees are the classic case, but it works for anyone with reliable recurring income: pensions, rental income, dividends, transferable equity, intellectual property or financial investments. The key word is recurring — the D7 is a test of income stability, not of wealth.
How much income do I need for the D7 in 2026?
The threshold tracks Portugal's minimum wage. From 1 January 2026 it is:
| Household | Minimum passive income |
|---|---|
| Main applicant | €920 / month (≈ €11,040 / year) |
| + spouse (+50%) | ≈ €1,380 / month |
| + spouse + 1 child (+30%) | ≈ €1,656 / month |
| + spouse + 2 children | ≈ €23,184 / year |
On top of the income, expect to show savings equal to about 12 months of it in a Portuguese bank account — a minimum of roughly €11,040 for a single applicant.
These are floors, not targets. Consulates assess whether your income is genuinely stable and recurring — a pension statement running over years is stronger evidence than a lump sum that happens to sit in an account this month. Applicants who clear the number but cannot evidence regularity are the ones who get refused.
What counts as passive income?
Pensions, rental income, dividends, transferable equity, intellectual property royalties and returns on financial investments. Salary from a job does not fit the D7's logic — if you work remotely for an employer, the D8 digital nomad visa is the route built for you, and it carries a different, higher income test.
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Do I have to actually live in Portugal?
Yes — and this is the D7's defining difference from the golden visa. The golden visa asks for an average of roughly 7 days a year; the D7 asks you to make Portugal your genuine home, with real limits on how long you may be absent. If your plan is to hold EU residency while living elsewhere, the D7 is the wrong instrument, and the mismatch tends to surface at renewal rather than at application. Confirm the current absence limits with a lawyer before you build a life around a travel pattern.
What do I need to apply?
- Proof of stable passive income, and savings covering roughly 12 months of it;
- Portuguese tax number (NIF) and a Portuguese bank account;
- Proof of accommodation in Portugal;
- Health insurance and a clean criminal record certificate.
What are the steps?
- Apply for the D7 visa at the Portuguese consulate in your country of residence;
- Enter Portugal on that visa and attend your AIMA residence-permit appointment;
- Receive the residence permit and renew it on schedule;
- Maintain genuine residence — this is what gets checked at renewal.
Budget generously for timing. AIMA, the agency that replaced SEF, has been working through a large backlog, and residence-permit appointments and cards have run long. The visa is the fast part; the permit is where people wait.
Does the D7 lead to citizenship?
It leads to renewable residence and, in time, permanent residence or citizenship — but the timeline changed in 2026 and most older guides are now wrong about it. Portugal's revised Nationality Law came into force on 19 May 2026 and extends the residency required to naturalise to 10 years for most applicants, and 7 years for EU nationals and citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries. There is also a basic Portuguese language requirement. Permanent residence remains available earlier, at five years, which for many people is the practical goal.
Figures last verified July 2026 against the sources listed at the end of this guide. The D7 threshold moves with Portugal's minimum wage and is reset annually — confirm the current figure and the absence limits with AIMA or a Portuguese lawyer before you apply.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the D7 and the golden visa?
The D7 is built for people with stable passive income who want to genuinely live in Portugal and make it their home, and it is a lower-cost alternative to investment routes. The golden visa is a residency-by-investment route with much lighter stay requirements. The key trade-off is that the D7 expects real, meaningful residence, with stricter minimum-stay rules than the golden visa.
What kinds of income count for the D7?
The D7 is aimed at stable, recurring passive income — pensions, rental income, dividends and similar sources are the classic examples. Authorities look for reliable, regular income and savings rather than a single lump-sum balance, so it helps to document the regularity of your income clearly. The exact benchmark is tied to Portugal's minimum-income reference and rises for each dependant, so confirm the current figure with a lawyer.
Where and how do I actually apply?
You apply for the D7 visa at the Portuguese consulate in your home country first. Once granted, you enter Portugal, attend your residence-permit appointment, and receive a residence permit that you then renew on schedule while maintaining genuine residence. Typical supporting documents include proof of income and savings, a NIF and bank account, proof of accommodation, health insurance and a clean criminal record.
Can the D7 eventually lead to permanent residence or citizenship?
Yes. The D7 gives renewable residence and, after the required years and conditions — which include a basic language requirement — can open the path to permanent residence or citizenship. Because it requires you to spend meaningful time in Portugal, it also builds the kind of genuine presence those later applications look for. Confirm the current qualifying period and conditions with a lawyer, as they can change.
Can I work on a D7?
The D7 is based on passive income, but holders can generally also undertake activity in Portugal; confirm the current scope for your situation.
How much income do I need?
It is tied to Portugal's reference minimum income and rises with dependants — confirm the current figure with a lawyer.
Do I really have to live there?
Yes — the D7 expects genuine residence, with minimum-stay rules stricter than the golden visa.
Official sources
Rules, fees and thresholds change. Confirm anything in this guide with the official source before you act.
- Portal das Finançastax authority
- AIMAimmigration authority
- Ordem dos Advogadosbar association — verify a lawyer