Portugal · Digital nomad
D8 Residence Visa (Digital Nomad / Remote Work Visa)
Open
Last verified July 2026
Open. The income threshold is 4x the national minimum wage. That minimum wage rose to EUR 920/month in January 2026, which puts the requirement at EUR 3,680/month.
The D8 is the only Portuguese route where IFICI genuinely applies, because it presupposes active professional income. But that only works if the income is restructured through a qualifying Portuguese activity. A D8 holder who simply bills foreign clients as a foreign freelancer typically does not qualify for the 20% rate.
Qualifying routes
€44.2k
Remote employment or freelance income from non-Portuguese clients
EUR 3,680/month (4x minimum wage). Add 50% of minimum wage for a spouse, which brings it to roughly EUR 4,140/month, and 30% per child. Expect a savings buffer of roughly EUR 11,040, higher if you have dependants.
The facts
- Minimum
- €44.2k
- Total landed cost
- EUR 3–8k in consular, AIMA and legal fees for a family
- Route type
- Income requirement
- Timeline
- 4–14 months (The consular stage takes 2–6 months, plus an AIMA residence appointment)
- Physical presence
- Substantive. The same absence limits apply as with the D7. This is a residence visa, not a nomad permit.
- Family
- Spouse or de facto partnerChildren under 18Dependent children under 26 in educationDependent parents
- Permanent residency
- 5 years
- Citizenship
- 10 years for non-EU/non-CPLP nationals (7 for EU/CPLP), from first residence permit issuance
- Language test
- Portuguese language and culture test. Historically this has meant A2 CIPLE, though the exact level is pending re-regulation.
- Dual citizenship
- Permitted
- Requirements
- You must not be a national of an EU, EEA or Swiss country.A remote employment contract or freelance contracts with non-Portuguese entities.Income at or above 4x minimum wage for the 3 months before applying.Proof of accommodation in Portugal.A Portuguese NIF and bank account.A clean criminal record.Health insurance.
What can go wrong
- IFICI eligibility is not automatic, and for a high earner that is the whole point. It requires a qualifying activity, a qualifying employer category, EQF level 6+ or a PhD, and registration by 15 January of the year following your first year of residence. Miss that date, and you lose the regime.
- AIMA applies the minimum-wage threshold in force on your appointment date, not your filing date. That threshold ratchets up every January.
- Full Portuguese tax residency comes with the territory, including CFC rules and worldwide reporting requirements.
- The same AIMA scheduling backlog that affects the Golden Visa applies here too.