movetoportugal.app Start my residency file
Residency pathway · Portugal

Move to Portugal.
EU residency.
A 20% flat rate if you qualify.

Portugal grants residency on the strength of passive income, remote work, a business or a €500,000 fund investment — and the IFICI regime taxes qualifying professionals at a flat 20% for ten years. MoveToPortugal walks you through the visa categories that actually exist in the Lei de Estrangeiros, the official thresholds, the 2026 nationality-law changes and the filing sequence — so you arrive with a plan, not a rumour. Exit Global is independent and is not a government body; residency is granted only by AIMA and the Portuguese consulates.

Start my residency file — $497 →See the pathways ↓
Official thresholds / Vetted local lawyers / Exit Global review
Your residency file, organisedExample
My residency file🔒
🌍 Home country🇵🇹 Portugal

One destination. One organised file.

Every document the authority will ask for, in order.
Example checklist3 of 4 added
🛂
Passport + photosValidity checked against the rule
✓
📜
Police clearance, apostilledFrom every country of recent residence
✓
🏦
Proof of funds / incomeMatched to the category threshold
✓
🩺
Health coverAdd it when available
PENDING
Know what you have. See what's next.Less guesswork. Fewer rejected files.
At a glance

Portugal in four numbers

Figures are quoted from the official pages linked on each card. Checked 8 September 2026.

Tax system
Worldwide, with IFICI carve-out

Residents are taxed on worldwide income at 12.5%–48%; qualifying new residents get 20% flat on Portuguese work income and exemption on most foreign income for 10 years.

Official source ↗
Presence to keep residency
No 6-month gap

A temporary permit can be cancelled after 6 consecutive or 8 non-consecutive months of absence; Golden Visa holders need only 7 days in year one, 14 days per two-year period after that.

Official source ↗
Time to first card
60-day visa decision

Statutory deadline for the consulate; the visa is valid 4 months / two entries, then AIMA issues a 2-year residence permit. Real timelines run longer.

Official source ↗
Citizenship
10 years

Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026 (in force 19 May 2026): 10 years' legal residence for most nationals, 7 for EU and CPLP nationals. Files lodged before that date keep the old 5-year rule.

Official source ↗
Why people choose Portugal

The honest case.
And who it isn't for.

No destination is right for everyone. These are the reasons people actually choose Portugal — and the situations where we would tell you to look elsewhere.

A real EU residence card on modest income

The D7 route needs no investment — only stable passive income at or above the Portuguese minimum wage (€920 a month in 2026) for the main applicant. The D8 route needs four times that from remote work. Both lead to a renewable permit and, in time, permanent residence.

IFICI: 20% flat, foreign income exempt

If you have not been Portuguese-resident in the past five years and work in a qualifying activity, Portuguese employment or self-employment income is taxed at a flat 20% and most foreign-source income (salary, business, capital, rental, gains) is exempt for 10 years. Foreign pensions are not covered.

Schengen, the euro and a Western legal system

Portugal is in the EU, Schengen and the eurozone. Crypto held 365 days or more is exempt from capital-gains tax, there is no wealth tax, and inheritance between spouses, children and parents is exempt from stamp duty.

Probably not the right fit if…
  • Anyone counting on the old NHR regime or on a property-based Golden Visa — both are closed; property no longer qualifies and IFICI has a professions test.
  • Retirees hoping to shelter a foreign pension: pensions are taxed at ordinary progressive rates (up to 48%) even under IFICI.
  • People who want a second passport quickly — naturalisation now takes 10 years of legal residence (7 for EU/CPLP nationals) plus language and civic tests.
An independent preparation tool. Not a government body. Residency is granted only by AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo). Private beta.
01 / The routes that exist

The residency pathways

These are the categories that actually exist in Lei n.º 23/2007 (Lei de Estrangeiros) and its regulation today. Figures are the official thresholds; income tests are pegged to the 2026 minimum wage of €920 a month.

D7 — passive income / retirees

Pensioners and people living on rental, dividend, interest or royalty income who will actually live in Portugal.

  • Stable passive income of at least 100% of the minimum monthly wage (€920 in 2026) for the main applicant, +50% for each additional adult, +30% for each child — net of social-security deductions
  • Criminal-record certificate from your country of origin or any country you have lived in for more than a year, plus consent for a Portuguese criminal-record check
  • Travel/health insurance covering medical emergencies and repatriation, proof of accommodation in Portugal, passport valid 3 months beyond the stay
  • You must intend to live in Portugal — absences over 6 consecutive months can cancel the permit
Timeline / validity: Visa decision within 60 days; visa valid 4 months / two entries; then a 2-year residence permit renewable for 3-year periods
Official source ↗

D8 — remote work (digital nomad)

Employees or freelancers working remotely for clients or employers outside Portugal.

  • Average monthly income over the last three months of at least four times the minimum monthly wage — €3,680 a month in 2026 (Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007, art. 31.º-A)
  • Employment contract or employer declaration, or service contracts if self-employed, plus proof of tax residence and three months of bank statements
  • Criminal-record certificate, health/travel insurance, accommodation
  • Available as a one-year temporary-stay visa or as a residence visa leading to a permit
Timeline / validity: Visa decision within 60 days; residence visa valid 4 months / two entries; then a 2-year residence permit
Official source ↗

D2 — entrepreneur / independent professional

Founders who will invest in a Portuguese business, and self-employed professionals with Portuguese contracts.

  • Entrepreneurs: an investment already made in Portugal, or funds available in Portugal (bank financing counts) with a demonstrated intention to invest, or admission to a certified incubator (Startup Visa)
  • Independent professionals: a services contract or written proposal, and proof of qualification for any regulated profession
  • Standard file: criminal record, insurance, accommodation, means of subsistence
Timeline / validity: Visa decision within 60 days; 2-year residence permit, renewable
Official source ↗

Golden Visa (ARI, art. 90.º-A)

Investors who want EU residency with minimal physical presence.

  • Transfer of at least €500,000 into non-real-estate Portuguese investment or venture-capital funds with a 5-year maturity and at least 60% invested in Portuguese companies
  • Or €500,000 in scientific research, or €250,000 in cultural heritage, or €500,000 into a Portuguese company creating 5 jobs, or creation of 10 jobs
  • Real-estate purchase and plain capital deposits no longer qualify (removed by Lei n.º 56/2023, 6 October 2023)
  • Minimum stay of 7 days in the first year and 14 days in each subsequent two-year period; investment held for 5 years
Timeline / validity: AIMA processing has a multi-year backlog; permit renewable while the investment is held
Official source ↗
The $497 residency-file review

Build the file once.
Pay a lawyer to file — not to chase paper.

You gather the documents; we check the file against the current consular and AIMA requirements, flag the tax traps (IFICI deadline, the 183-day and habitual-home tests), and hand you to a vetted Portuguese lawyer for filing.

$497one-time, per applicant file
Start the process →
What the $497 covers.

A category check against the current official requirements, a document-by-document review of your file, and a warm handover to a vetted local lawyer or licensed agent who files it. Their fees and government fees are separate and quoted up front.

Your information is sensitive. We treat it that way.

Documents are stored privately when you explicitly save them. We use restricted access and do not sell or share your information.

Your tax position once resident

Worldwide taxation, a 20% regime for qualifying professionals, and how residency is triggered.

Portugal taxes residents on worldwide income under the Código do IRS. You become tax resident (art. 16.º CIRS) if you spend more than 183 days, consecutive or not, in Portugal in any 12-month period — or, with fewer days, if on any day of that period you have a home in Portugal in conditions suggesting you intend to keep it as your habitual residence. Residency starts from the first day of presence, and ends on the last day you are in Portugal. The old Non-Habitual Resident regime is closed to new entrants; its replacement is the IFICI (Incentivo Fiscal à Investigação Científica e Inovação, art. 58.º-A EBF).

Official source ↗
  • Progressive IRS rates for 2026 run from 12.5% (up to €8,342) to 48% (above €86,634), applied to worldwide income — salaries, pensions, business profits.
  • IFICI ("NHR 2.0"): flat 20% on Portuguese employment/self-employment income from a qualifying activity, and exemption on foreign-source employment, business, capital, rental and capital-gain income, for 10 consecutive years. Conditions: not Portuguese-resident in the previous 5 years, never on NHR, a listed activity (research, higher education, startups, EQF level-5+ roles in exporting companies, listed highly-qualified professions), and an application on the Portal das Finanças by 15 January of the year after you become resident.
  • Foreign pensions are outside the IFICI exemption (category H) and are taxed at the progressive rates.
  • Capital income and gains: interest, dividends and securities gains are taxed at a flat 28% (aggregation optional); residential rental income at 25%; income paid from listed tax havens at 35%. Crypto held 365 days or more is exempt; shorter holdings are taxed as capital gains.
  • No wealth tax, no inheritance tax as such: gratuitous transfers carry 10% stamp duty but spouses, descendants and ascendants are exempt. Residential property above €600,000 per person attracts AIMI at 0.7% (1% above €1m, 1.5% above €2m) on top of IMI at 0.3%–0.45%.
  • Social security applies to Portuguese employment and self-employment; remote employees of foreign employers may stay in their home scheme under EU rules or a bilateral agreement. A tax-residency certificate is issued by the AT on the Portal das Finanças once you are registered as resident.

Residency here is only half the move. Your old country has to agree you left.

Find your Exit site →

Exit Global's review is an advisory opinion, not a determination by any tax authority.

02 / Step by step

From decision to residency card

The order matters: apostilles and police certificates expire, and most authorities want everything dated within a few months of filing.

01

Choose the category and get a NIF

Match income, remote work, business or investment to D7, D8, D2 or ARI. Apply for a NIF (tax number) at a Serviço de Finanças, Loja do Cidadão, consulate or online; non-EU residents must appoint a fiscal representative within 15 days of any Portuguese tax relationship such as buying property.

02

Collect and legalise documents

Criminal-record certificate (apostilled, translated), proof of income or contracts, three months of bank statements, health/travel insurance with repatriation cover, and proof of accommodation in Portugal.

03

Lodge the national visa at the consulate

Apply at the Portuguese consulate (or its outsourced visa centre) for your country of residence. Statutory decision deadline is 60 days; the visa is valid for 4 months and two entries.

04

Enter Portugal and attend AIMA

Book the AIMA appointment, give biometrics and receive the temporary residence permit — valid 2 years, renewable for 3-year periods. Golden Visa applicants file directly with AIMA's ARI portal instead.

05

Register as tax resident and file for IFICI

Update your address on the Portal das Finanças to become resident, register with Segurança Social if working, register at the local health centre for an SNS user number, and — if you qualify — submit the IFICI application by 15 January.

06

Close the loop at home

Obtain a Portuguese tax-residency certificate and finish your old-country exit file (see the Exit sites at exitglobal.app).

03 / Living there

Living there: the practical facts

The things people ask us after the paperwork: money, health, language and a roof.

Banking

A NIF is needed before any account can be opened. Banks apply source-of-funds checks and usually want proof of address and, for non-residents, a fiscal representative. Open the account before the visa application — consulates ask for a Portuguese account or transferred funds in most categories.

Healthcare

Visa applicants must show travel/health insurance including repatriation. Once you hold a valid residence permit you register at the local centro de saúde and receive an SNS user number, with care funded by the SNS; many residents keep private cover for speed.

Language

Official processes run in Portuguese and documents must be translated. English is widely spoken in Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve. Naturalisation now requires proof of sufficient Portuguese language and culture, so start early.

Property

Foreigners may buy freely, but buying no longer earns a Golden Visa. Budget for IMT transfer tax and stamp duty on purchase, annual IMI at 0.3%–0.45%, and AIMI on holdings above €600,000 per person. Long leases attract reduced rental-income rates.

Where are you leaving from?

Each departure has
its own rules.

Getting a card in Portugal does not end tax residency where you came from. Pick your departure country to see its residency test, exit tax and departure filings.

🇨🇦 Exit Canada🇺🇸 Exit USA🐻 Exit California🗽 Exit New York🇬🇧 Exit the UK🇮🇪 Exit Ireland🇫🇷 Exit France🇧🇪 Exit Belgium🇳🇱 Exit Netherlands🇪🇸 Exit Spain🇮🇹 Exit Italy🇩🇰 Exit Denmark🇳🇴 Exit Norway🇸🇪 Exit Sweden🇦🇺 Exit Australia🇿🇦 Exit South Africa🇩🇪 Exit Germany🇦🇹 Exit Austria🇫🇮 Exit Finland🇧🇷 Exit Brazil🇯🇵 Exit Japan🇮🇱 Exit Israel🇳🇿 Exit New Zealand🇵🇹 Exit Portugal🇰🇷 Exit South Korea🇦🇷 Exit Argentina🇮🇳 Exit India🇨🇭 Exit Switzerland
Good questions. Clear answers.

Before you
get started.

Answers reflect the official rules as checked on 8 September 2026.

Do I have to live in Portugal full-time?

Not full-time, but a temporary residence permit can be cancelled if you are away more than 6 consecutive months or 8 months in total during its validity, unless you justify the absence to AIMA. Permanent permits allow 24 consecutive months away. Golden Visa holders need only 7 days in the first year and 14 days in each later two-year period. Note that staying under 183 days may also mean you never become tax resident — which defeats the purpose for most people.

How is Portuguese tax residency triggered?

Under art. 16.º CIRS you are resident if you spend more than 183 days in Portugal in any 12-month period, or if — with fewer days — you have a home there on any day in conditions suggesting you intend to keep it as your habitual residence. Residency runs from your first day of presence; you can be resident for part of a year.

Can my family come?

Yes, through family reunification. Since Lei n.º 61/2025 the sponsor generally needs to have held a residence permit for two years first, but that wait does not apply to minor children, to spouses who are joint parents of minor children, or to families of Golden Visa and highly-qualified-worker permit holders. Spouses who lived with you for 18 months before you moved qualify after 15 months. Dependants can also be included in the original visa application in most categories.

Is there a path to citizenship?

Yes, but it is longer than it was. Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026, in force since 19 May 2026, requires 10 years of legal residence for most nationals and 7 years for EU and CPLP nationals, plus proof of sufficient Portuguese language and culture and knowledge of civic rights and duties. Applications lodged before that date are decided under the old 5-year rule. Portugal allows dual nationality.

What are the government fees?

You pay a national visa fee at the consulate, then AIMA fees for analysis and issue of the residence permit and for each renewal; Golden Visa applications carry separate, much higher ARI analysis and issue fees. The AIMA fee table was revised in 2026 — we quote the current figures in your file rather than reproduce a table that changes.

Do I need a lawyer?

Not legally for D7, D8 or D2 — the consular and AIMA steps can be done in person. In practice a Portuguese lawyer or solicitador speeds up the NIF, bank account, lease and AIMA booking, and is close to essential for Golden Visa files and for company set-up under D2. Our review checks the file first so you pay a lawyer for filing, not for guessing.

Can I keep working remotely for a foreign employer?

Yes — that is exactly what the D8 route is for, and D7 holders may also work. Once you are tax resident the salary is taxable in Portugal (worldwide basis); under IFICI, foreign-source employment income is exempt if you also carry on a qualifying activity, otherwise it is taxed at the progressive rates. Check whether your employer must register for Portuguese social security or whether a certificate of coverage keeps you in your home scheme.

What about my old country's tax residency?

Getting residency here does not end tax residency where you came from. Use the relevant Exit site — see exitglobal.app.

The next chapter starts with a plan

Arrive in Portugal with a file
the authority will accept.

Start my residency file — $497 →

MoveToPortugal · part of the Exit Global network

The Exit network

One process. Every country.

Each site covers one departure, in that country's own rules. The destination sites cover where you're going. All reviewed by the same team at Exit Global.

Leaving
🌐Exit GlobalPortfolio home🇨🇦Exit CanadaNR73 + departure file🇺🇸Exit USAExpatriation + Form 8854🐻Exit CaliforniaFTB residency🗽Exit New YorkDomicile + statutory residency🇬🇧Exit the UKStatutory Residence Test🇮🇪Exit IrelandOrdinary residence tail🇫🇷Exit FranceArt. 167 bis exit tax🇧🇪Exit BelgiumSpecial departure return🇳🇱Exit NetherlandsM-form + conserverende aanslag🇪🇸Exit SpainArt. 95 bis + quarantine rule🇮🇹Exit ItalyAIRE + black-list presumption🇩🇰Exit DenmarkFraflytterskat🇳🇴Exit NorwayUtflyttingsskatt🇸🇪Exit SwedenTen-year share rule🇦🇺Exit AustraliaCGT event I1🇿🇦Exit South AfricaSection 9H exit charge🇩🇪Exit Germany§ 6 AStG Wegzugsbesteuerung🇦🇹Exit Austria§ 27 (6) Wegzugsbesteuerung🇫🇮Exit FinlandThree-year rule🇧🇷Exit BrazilSaída definitiva🇯🇵Exit JapanExit tax on ¥100m+ assets🇮🇱Exit IsraelCentre of life + s.100A🇳🇿Exit New Zealand325-day rule + IR886🇵🇹Exit PortugalArt. 16 CIRS residency🇰🇷Exit South KoreaExit tax on large shareholders🇦🇷Exit ArgentinaPérdida de residencia + baja🇮🇳Exit IndiaSection 6 residency + RNOR🇨🇭Exit SwitzerlandWegzug + pension withholding
Arriving
🇵🇦Move to PanamaTerritorial tax, Friendly Nations🇦🇪Move to DubaiNo personal income tax🇲🇹Move to MaltaRemittance basis, EU🇨🇾Move to Cyprus60-day rule, non-dom🇵🇾Move to ParaguayTerritorial tax, fast residency🇺🇾Move to UruguayTax holiday for new residents🇨🇷Move to Costa RicaTerritorial tax🇧🇸Move to BahamasNo income tax🇵🇹Move to PortugalD7, D8, Golden Visa, IFICI🇹🇭Move to ThailandLTR visa, remittance basis🇲🇾Move to MalaysiaMM2H, territorial tax🇮🇩Move to IndonesiaSecond Home visa, Bali🇬🇪Move to GeorgiaForeign income exempt, 1% SBS🇵🇷Move to Puerto RicoAct 60 for US citizens🇮🇹Move to ItalyFlat tax, 7% pensioner regime🇬🇷Move to GreeceGolden Visa, non-dom flat tax🇭🇰Move to Hong KongTerritorial, no CGT🇸🇬Move to SingaporeForeign income exempt, no CGT