Portugal digital nomad visa (D8)income threshold, documents and how to apply from the UK

Checked against official sources on 1 October 2026. The document list below is the Consulate General in London’s checklist dated 6 March 2026 [8]. Visa rules change, and the income threshold moves with the minimum wage. This page shows where each number comes from so it can be re-checked. It is not legal advice.

Who this visa is for

This page is written for a British citizen with no other right to live in the EU who works remotely — employed by, or invoicing, entities outside Portugal — and wants to live in Portugal while doing so [1][5]. A British passport allows 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area as a tourist, visiting family, attending meetings or short courses; it is not a right to live or work there [10]. Living in Portugal beyond that, or on any basis other than a visit, needs a visa, and eligibility depends on the documents below, not on how long you intend to stay.

Two versions of the same visa

Portugal issues the remote-work visa in two forms, and the choice shapes everything after it [2]:

Compared	Temporary stay visa	Residence visa
For stays of	Less than a year	More than a year
Validity	Covers the whole stay, multiple entries [2]	120 days, two entries, to get you to Portugal [2][8]
What happens next	The authorised stay ends with the visa (extensions are not covered here)	Appointment with AIMA for a residence permit [2][8]
Residence permit	None	Valid 2 years, renewable for successive 3-year periods [5]
Decision deadline	30 days [4]	60 days [4][8]

On the letters and numbers. Most guides call this the “D8 visa”. The visa’s legal name is the residence visa for the exercise of a professional activity provided remotely outside national territory [16], and the MNE site lists it under that name without a code [2]. In the UK consular system, the Consulate General in London’s checklist files the residence version under D9 and uses D8 for the residence visa to accompany a family member [8][9]. Use the full name on forms; the code is a filing convention.

The income threshold in 2026

The rule is a multiple, not a number: proof of an average monthly income over the last three months of at least four times the Portuguese monthly minimum wage [1].

• The minimum wage (RMMG) is €920 from 1 January 2026, set by Decreto-Lei n.º 139/2025 of 29 December 2025 — a 5.7% rise [6].
• Four times that is €3,680 a month, averaged over the three months before you apply. The London consulate’s March 2026 checklist states this figure directly [8].
• The same checklist asks separately for an available bank balance of at least €920 [8].

A warning about numbers on other sites. The consulate’s previous combined checklist (2024 edition) is still online and prints “€3280” — four times the 2024 minimum wage of €820 — and describes the income as net of tax and social contributions; the March 2026 checklist gives €3,680 and no net/gross qualifier [8][9]. Any page quoting €3,040, €3,280 or €3,480 is quoting an earlier year. The threshold changes whenever the minimum wage changes, which in recent years has been every January.

Figures on this page are in euros. No sterling figure is given because the threshold is defined in euros and the rate moves.

Documents the consulate asks for (checklist of 6 March 2026)

The MNE lists the mandatory initial documents and notes that the consular post may request more at its discretion [1]. The London consulate’s current checklist [8] sets out the full list for the residence version:

General

1. National visa application form, fully completed and signed (for minors, by both parents or the legal guardian).
2. Two recent passport-type photos.
3. Passport valid for at least 90 days beyond the 120-day visa period, counted from the intended date of entry, plus a photocopy of the biographic page.
4. If you live in the UK but are not a British citizen: proof of UK residence status (BRP or digital share code) valid for at least 120 days beyond the intended entry date.
5. Travel insurance covering medical expenses, urgent assistance and repatriation for the full 120 days of the visa. British nationals who meet the criteria may use a certified S1 form instead — the S1 is for defined groups such as UK state pensioners and posted workers, not for every British citizen [8][12].
6. Criminal record certificate, for applicants aged 16 and over, issued within the last 90 days by the country where you lived in the past year, legalised with the Hague Apostille. For the UK that means an ACRO police certificate, apostilled through the UK Legalisation Office [8].
7. A signed personal statement explaining the reasons for the application, the full address of your accommodation in Portugal including postcode, and the conditions of the intended stay.
8. Proof of financial resources: bank statements for the last three months showing receipt of the declared income, plus the available balance of at least €920.
9. Proof of accommodation, one of: property deeds in your name; a rental agreement of at least 12 months from the intended arrival date, with proof of its registration with the Portuguese tax authorities; or a term of responsibility signed by a host in Portugal, certified by a notary, lawyer or solicitor, with the host’s ID, their deeds or lease, and the landlord’s notarised authorisation where required.

Specific to the remote-work visa 10. Employees: work contract and a declaration from the employer confirming the work can be performed remotely from Portugal, plus the last three months’ payslips, the last three months’ bank statements, and a document attesting fiscal residency (a P60). 11. Self-employed: a company contract or a contract for the provision of services, plus the last three months’ invoices, the last three months’ bank statements, and a document attesting fiscal residency (latest tax return). 12. Proof of average monthly income for the last three months of at least €3,680.

All UK public documents must be legalised via the UK Legalisation Office; certified translations are required for anything not in English or Portuguese. Incomplete applications may be refused and fees are not refunded [8].

Note the differences from the 2024 checklist still circulating: the criminal record window was four months and ACRO needed no apostille; insurance was six months from the application date; accommodation only had to cover 120 days; and an employer declaration could replace the contract. None of that applies to the current list [8][9].

Applying from the UK

All Portuguese national visa applications from the UK go through VFS Global [7]:

• Where. Applicants living in counties under the Consulate General in London apply at the VFS centre in London; those under the Consulate in Manchester apply in Manchester or at the Edinburgh satellite centre, which adds two days because applications are forwarded via Manchester [7].
• How. In person, by appointment booked online, and every applicant including children attends [7].
• Fees. The national visa fee is €110 for both the temporary stay and the residence version [3][7], charged in sterling at VFS’s current exchange rate, plus a VFS service fee of £32.85 including VAT per application. Card everywhere; cash accepted only in London [7].
• Timing. The legal decision deadline is 60 days for a residence visa and 30 for a temporary stay [4]. VFS states a minimum processing time of one month for national visas, in some cases three, and accepts applications up to three months before the intended travel date; appointments around Easter, July–August and Christmas go quickly [7].
• What you get. A residence visa valid for 120 days with up to two entries; you then attend an appointment with AIMA in Portugal to obtain the residence permit. The consulate does not book AIMA appointments for you [8].

After you land: AIMA

The residence permit for remote work is issued by AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo). You present a valid passport and the valid residence visa; the permit is valid for two years from issue and renewable for successive three-year periods [5]. AIMA publishes a fee table for the permit [5]; the amount is not reproduced here because the table was not read in full for this draft.

Registering with the health service and the tax office are separate steps after arrival. GOV.UK’s guides cover the UK-specific side: to use state healthcare you must be registered as a resident in Portugal; a GHIC or EHIC covers temporary stays, not a move; S1 forms apply to defined groups [12][13].

Partners and children

Two different mechanisms, and the difference matters for families:

1. Applying together. The London consulate publishes a separate residence visa checklist for accompanying a family member who is applying for a residence visa (its code D8) [9]. Its current conditions after the October 2025 law were not re-checked for this draft.
2. Joining later (family reunification). This was rewritten by Lei n.º 61/2025, in force from 23 October 2025 [14][15]. Article 98 as amended sets a default two-year wait after the sponsor receives a residence permit; 15 months for a spouse or equivalent partner who cohabited with the sponsor for at least 18 months immediately before the sponsor entered Portugal; and no such wait for dependent minors or incapacitated family members, or a spouse or equivalent partner who is their co-parent or adoptive parent [17]. The correct route depends on the family’s circumstances; confirm it with the consulate or a qualified adviser before planning a staggered move.

The law’s own text was not read for this draft, and the summary above rests on commentary, not on official sources. Treat it as a pointer to a real change and confirm it with a lawyer before planning a staggered move.

What changed in 2025–2026

Only changes with a source and a date are listed.

• 6 March 2026 — the London consulate’s checklist was reissued with the €3,680 figure, a 90-day apostilled ACRO certificate, a 12-month registered lease and the €920 balance requirement [8].
• 1 January 2026 — income threshold rose to €3,680. The minimum wage rose 5.7% to €920 (Decreto-Lei n.º 139/2025, 29 December 2025) [6].
• 23 October 2025 — Lei n.º 61/2025. A broad amendment of the foreigners’ law (Lei n.º 23/2007), with family reunification among the areas most changed [14][15].
• 10 April 2026 — EU Entry/Exit System fully operational. Biometric registration at Schengen borders applies to short-stay travellers; holders of a long-stay visa or a residence permit are not recorded in the system and show their visa or permit as before [11]. For a visa applicant this matters only for tourist visits before the visa is issued.

What this page does not cover

Tax residence, social security contributions and the end of the old NHR regime all have real consequences and all need a professional; residence rights and tax residence are decided by different rules in each country. GOV.UK’s Living in Portugal guide is the right starting point for a British reader [13]. Nothing on this page should be read as advice on any of them.

Sources

1. MNE Vistos: Residency visas: necessary documentation (EN), accessed 1 October 2026.
2. MNE Vistos: National visas: type of visa (EN), accessed 1 October 2026.
3. MNE Vistos: National visas: fees (EN), accessed 1 October 2026.
4. MNE Vistos: National visas: deadlines (EN), accessed 1 October 2026.
5. AIMA: Autorização de residência, atividade profissional prestada de forma remota (PT), accessed 1 October 2026.
6. DGERT: Retribuição mínima mensal garantida para 2026, accessed 1 October 2026.
7. VFS Global UK: Portugal visa information, accessed 1 October 2026.
8. Consulate General of Portugal in London via VFS: D9 residence visa checklist, digital nomads (PDF dated 6 March 2026), accessed 1 October 2026.
9. VFS Global UK: Portuguese National Visa combined checklist (PDF, 2024 edition, superseded), accessed 1 October 2026.
10. GOV.UK: Portugal: entry requirements, accessed 1 October 2026.
11. European Commission: Entry/Exit System fully operational since 10 April 2026: who is exempt, accessed 1 October 2026.
12. GOV.UK: Healthcare in Portugal, accessed 1 October 2026.
13. GOV.UK: Living in Portugal, accessed 1 October 2026.
14. Access Portugal: Family reunification after Lei n.º 61/2025 (secondary commentary), accessed 1 October 2026.
15. GrowIN Portugal: Family reunification waits under Lei n.º 61/2025, 9 September 2026 (secondary commentary), accessed 1 October 2026.
16. MNE Vistos: Vistos de residência: documentação instrutória (PT), accessed 1 October 2026.
17. Diário da República: Lei n.º 61/2025, Article 98 family reunification rules (PDF), accessed 14 October 2026.