Before you move
Time
2 to 6 months at the consulate
Cost
€75 to 180 (visa fee, varies by route)
Difficulty
Hard
EU vs non-EU
EU/EEA: You don't need this. EU/EEA citizens can arrive, live, and work freely with no visa, your only paperwork is the CRUE certificate after 90 days. See "Register as an EU resident".
Non-EU: This is your starting line. Apply at the Portuguese consulate in your home country before you fly, it's the slowest part of the whole move. Once you're in Portugal on this visa, AIMA converts it into your residence card.
What to bring
Passport valid 6+ months beyond your stay
NIF (get this first, can be done remotely)
Proof of income or means
Criminal record certificate (apostilled)
Proof of accommodation in Portugal
Health insurance valid in Portugal
Not needed: This step entirely, if you hold an EU/EEA or Swiss passport
Your options
Portuguese consulate (home country)
Where the visa is actually issued
€75 to 180
D7 (passive income) or D8 (remote work) covers most people. Appointment availability, not processing, is usually the real bottleneck.
Immigration lawyer
For complex cases or peace of mind
€800 to 2000
Worth it for mixed income sources, family reunification, or a criminal record asterisk. They also chase consulate and AIMA slots.
Relocation agency
End-to-end handholding
€1500+
Bundles the NIF, bank account, and visa paperwork. Convenient but the priciest route.
Prices checked August 2026
Do it
- 1
Pick your route
D8 for remote income (~€3,500/month), D7 for passive income (~€900/month). Work, student, and entrepreneur visas exist too, see the visas guide for the full picture.
- 2
Get a NIF and Portuguese bank account first
Both can be done remotely through a fiscal representative, and consulates increasingly expect them in the application file.
- 3
Book your consulate appointment early
Slot availability is the real bottleneck, in some countries longer than the processing itself. Book the moment you know your move date.
- 4
Assemble the file
Passport, proof of income or means, apostilled criminal record, proof of Portuguese accommodation, and valid health insurance. Order the criminal record certificate once your appointment date is set, not before: consulates want a recent one, and an apostille on a certificate issued months earlier is wasted money.
- 5
Fly once the visa's issued
The visa is a sticker, not the residence card. Book your AIMA appointment as soon as you land to convert it.
Words you'll hear
AIMAEYE-mah
The immigration agency (replaced SEF). Issues residence cards; appointments are the bottleneck.
Common questions
How far ahead should I start?
Six months before your intended move. Six weeks before and you'll likely arrive on a tourist stamp with a problem.
Can I apply for residency once I'm already in Portugal on a tourist stay?
Generally no, the visa must come from a Portuguese consulate abroad. Narrow exceptions exist; don't plan around them.
Which visa is right for me?
Remote salary or freelance income from outside Portugal points to D8. Pensions, rents, or dividends point to D7. See the visas guide for work, student, and entrepreneur routes.
Read more
Which visa do you actually need?
Full guide · 6 min read
Full checklist tracking and task completion live in the Ternli app for Lisbon.