Find the Right Route to Live Here
Portugal Visa
Choosing the right Portugal country visa depends on your income, your work situation, and your family, not on which one you've heard of first. Here's how to tell them apart, and which one fits your case.
THE BASICS
Types of Visa Portugal Offers
Short-Stay, Temporary Stay and Residence Visas
A Schengen short-stay visa covers up to 90 days in any 180-day period, fine for tourism or business, not for moving here. A temporary stay visa runs under a year, for short courses, temporary work, or medical treatment. If you're planning to live in Portugal for more than a year, you need a residence visa, officially classified as a Visto Nacional, which is where D1, D2, D7, D8, and the other routes below come in.
Portugal Entry Visa vs Residence Permit
These are two different things, and mixing them up causes real confusion. The entry visa is what gets you into Portugal and lets you apply for residency once you arrive. The residence permit is what AIMA issues once you're here, the document that actually lets you stay. Your visa gets you through the door. AIMA is who decides you can stay.
COMPARE
Compare Portugal Visa Types Side by Side
D7 — Passive Income
For pensions, dividends, rental income, or other passive income from abroad. No active work required, no company to set up.
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D8 — Digital Nomad
For remote workers and freelancers earning active income from clients or an employer outside Portugal.
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D2 — Entrepreneur
For starting or relocating a business in Portugal. If you want to live here and run the business day to day, this is your route, not just company formation on its own.
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D1 — Subordinate Work
For those who already have a signed employment contract with a Portuguese company.
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D6 - Family Reunification
For joining a spouse, partner, parent, or child who already holds residency in Portugal.
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Job Seeker
For coming to Portugal to look for work, before you have a contract in hand.
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INVESTMENT ROUTE
The Golden Visa is technically a type of residence authorisation, not a separate immigration category, but it works on a different logic from the six visas above: it's based on investment, not income or employment. We coordinate Golden Visa applications through our trusted partners, guiding you on the route that fits your investment goals.
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LUSOPHONE ROUTE
If you're a national of a CPLP country (Brazil, Cape Verde, Angola, and others), you have a dedicated route with its own eligibility rules, separate from the income or employment tests above. Worth knowing if this applies to you before assuming you need D7 or D8.
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Not Sure Which Route Fits?
WHAT'S NEXT
Portuguese Citizenship — What Comes After Your Visa
Your visa is the starting point, not the destination for most of our clients. Under Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026, in force since 19 May 2026, naturalisation now requires seven years of legal residence for EU and CPLP nationals, and ten years for everyone else, counted from your residence permit. Applications submitted before this law took effect generally follow the previous rules. We'll confirm exactly where your case stands when the time comes.
WHY PONTE
Why Choose Ponte for Your Portugal Visa Application
We Help You Choose, Not Just File
Most firms wait for you to tell them which visa you want. We start by checking whether that's actually the right one for your situation, before any paperwork begins.
24-Hour Quote Guarantee
Send us your situation and we'll come back with a clear quote within 24 business hours.
Free Exploratory Consultation
Not sure which visa fits? Book a free consultation and we'll help you work it out.
Frequently Asked Questions about Portuguese Visas
Which visa do I need to live in Portugal?
It depends on your income and situation. The right Portugal country visa isn't the same for everyone: passive income points to D7, active remote work to D8, starting a business to D2, an existing job offer to D1, and joining family already here to family reunification. If none of these fit cleanly, book a free consultation and we'll work it out with you.
Do I need a lawyer to apply for a Portugal visa?
It's not legally required, but a lawyer reduces the risk of refusal, prepares your file correctly the first time, and deals with AIMA and the consulate on your behalf. Submitting an incomplete or incorrect application is one of the most common reasons for delay.
How long does a Portugal visa application take?
It varies by visa type and by your consulate or VFS Global appointment availability, then again by AIMA's current processing backlog once you're in Portugal. We give you a realistic estimate for your specific case rather than a generic figure.
When can I apply for Portuguese citizenship after my visa?
Under the law in force since 19 May 2026, it's generally seven years of legal residence for EU and CPLP nationals, and ten years for everyone else, counted from your residence permit. If you applied before this change, different rules may apply to you.
Not Sure Which Visa Fits Your Case? Book a Free Strategy Session
Send us your situation and we'll tell you honestly which route makes sense, not just the one you asked about.