Portugal Digital Nomad Visa (D8): Live and Work in Portugal in 2025

Those of us who have been digital nomad-ing for a while remember when Portugal used to be the soft underbelly of Western Europe. The Golden Visa, launched back in 2012, allowed investors to effectively buy their way into residency in EU.

There was a time when all you had to do was buy a house of a certain value - at one point only €350,000 - and you had the right to live and work in the country indefinitely.

Portugal's Golden Visa still exists, but the rules have been tightened quite a bit since the Portuguese government was swamped with applications from people around the world looking for the cheapest EU citizenship available.

In other words, it's not as cheap or as easy to work and stay in Portugal as it used to be. Still, this small country represents a hugely tempting offer for digital nomads who can work remotely, thanks to the Portuguese digital nomad visa known as the D8.

Aimed at remote workers and freelancers, the D8 digital nomad visa, launched in 2022, is a short-term residence visa that allows you to reside in Portugal for up to one year. You'll need to make at least €3480 in monthly income and have €36,480 in savings available to you.

If that's you, you could be sipping a coffee at a viewpoint in Lisbon or watching some of Europe's highest waves at Nazaré in no time.

What is the Portugal Digital Nomad Visa?

If you're on this site, you probably already have a good idea of what the digital nomad visa is. Like others, the D8 digital nomad visa in Portugal allows people who make money online to live and work remotely in the country for up to one year. Portugal's digital nomad visa requires a monthly income of at least €3480, but if you meet this income requirement, you can stay for up to one year.

This visa is available to anyone other than a citizen of the European Union. It's popular with Brazilians, British citizens, and United States citizens, among others.

Portugal actually has a couple of different options for the D8 visa. Let's take a look at these visa types, how you can live in Portugal as a digital nomad, how to apply for the Portugal D8 visa, and what it's like to live and work here as a nomad.

Visa options for digital nomads in Portugal

Portugal's digital nomad visa comes in two flavours, depending on how long you intend to stay in the country:

Temporary Stay Visa (D8)

The temporary stay visa is valid for one year and allows you to enter and leave the country at will within that year. However, it can't be extended, and it does not give you the right to claim a residence permit.

Long-term Residency Visa (D8)

The long-term visa is only valid for four months, and it only allows you to enter the country twice in those months. However, it does allow you to apply fora this residence permit which lets you stay for up to two years. The residence permit can be renewed once it expires, and after five years of living in Portugal, you may qualify for permanent residence or even citizenship. This visa also allows you to bring your family with you.

What kind of visa you get will depend on your goals and on what the Portuguese immigration authorities decide you qualify for.

These aren't the only ways to live in Portugal, of course. The Golden Visa still exists, although now you need to invest €500,000 in the country, and buying a house doesn't count. There is also the D7 Visa, for people who live on a pension or other passive income stream, and the D2 Startup Visa, aimed at people looking to build a viable business in the country. For digital nomads and remote workers, though, the D8 visa is the best way to work remotely in Portugal.

Eligibility and Requirements

Here are the basic Portugal digital nomad visa requirements:

• Non-EU citizen

• Over 18 years old

• Valid passport

• Clean criminal record

• Health insurance to cover your entire stay

• A minimum income of €3480 a month (€4096 if you have kids)

• Minimum savings of €36,480

• Proof of consistent, reliable work contracts or freelance clients

  
  

Required Documents

• Valid passport

• Two passport-size photographs in color

• Bank statements showing income and savings

• Work contracts  or freelance agreements

• A clean criminal record check from your home country

• Proof of adequate health insurance

• Proof of accommodation in Portugal

• NIF registration certificate (this is your Portuguese tax ID that lets digital nomads pay taxes in the country)

• A letter explaining why you want to move to Portugal

  
  

How to Apply for the Portugal Digital Nomad Visa (Step-by-Step)

1. Get your NIF. It might seem surprising, but the first step to getting a Portugal nomad visa is to register for a tax identification number and open a bank account in Portugal. If you stay in the country for more than 183 days out of the year, you will be considered a tax resident, meaning nomads pay taxes in Portugal.

Also, because you need the NIF to apply for the visa, you'll want to get it from outside Portugal.

Luckily, it's not that hard. There are lots of companies that can help you do this from abroad. You can also approach the Portuguese government through the ePortugal platform, which helps you establish digital residency before you apply for a Portugal national visa.

2. Get your paperwork together. Go through the checklist above and make sure you have all the paperwork you need. It's quite extensive, but it's better to bring too much than not enough.

 3. Submit your application. You can submit through AIMA online, or go to your nearest Portuguese consulate or embassy in your home country. There is a €90 application fee.

4.  Wait for approval.  Approval times vary depending on where you are applying from and the complexity of your application, but it may take as much as 3 to 6 months to get approved.

5. Travel to Portugal. With your new visa, you can enter Portugal. Make sure to schedule an appointment with immigration within 120 days to get your residence permit.

Benefits of the Portugal Digital Nomad Visa

When it comes to visa applications, details are important. But now we can get to the fun stuff. What can moving to Portugal offer you?

• Sunshine, history, and culture. Portugal is a country with a warm and sunny climate, nearly 2000 km of coastline, and a language and culture that make it unique. This is a fantastic place to experience a different way of life.

  
  

• Access to Europe. Portugal is in the EU  and the Schengen area.  That means that digital nomad visa holders can travel across most of Europe without having to apply for another visa or even show a passport.

  
  

• Affordability.  Portugal isn't the bargain it once was, but it's still the cheapest country in Western Europe for things like food, rent, and entertainment. The minimum requirement for your visa is set at four times minimum wage in Portugal, which means you'll have a high standard of life here.

  
  

• Startup culture.  Portugal has really embraced the idea of digital nomads and entrepreneurs coming here from around the world. Last time I was in Lisbon, I couldn't help noticing how many offices, co-working spaces,  and even the odd digital nomad village was springing up around the city, often advertising in English. You'll find lots of foreigners working remotely and building companies here.

  
  

• English widely spoken. Portugal is such a tourism hub that you'll find English spoken in lots of places, at least in the major cities. Of course, the further you go out into the countryside, the less true that becomes.

  
  

• Great healthcare. As a digital nomad, you will need to have insurance to cover the cost of your healthcare. But if you do need to use the health system, it's good to know that it is routinely ranked as one of the best in the world.

  
  

Live and work remotely with Portugal's digital nomad visa

Portugal is a great place to visit and to live. And since the D8 visa allows you to travel across Europe, Portugal makes a great base for nomads. Combine that with a relatively low cost of living and the possibility of long-term residence, and you can see why this is one of the most popular countries in the world for nomads to make a new home.

If you make enough money from remote work to qualify for the digital nomad visa, it's well worth considering this beautiful place as your next home. Of course, if you qualify for the Portugal Golden Visa or the passive income visa, you can also enjoy what the country has to offer with those.

For something not far away but completely different, check out our guide to Spain's digital nomad visa.

FAQs

Can a US citizen work remotely in Portugal?

Yes, if they make €3480 a month.  The Portuguese digital nomad visa is designed to allow foreigners to live and work in the country for up to one year. 

Do digital nomads pay taxes in Portugal?

Yes. If you live in the country for more than 183 days, you will need to pay tax.  Portugal has a special tax rate of a flat 20% for digital nomads. 

What is the minimum investment for a D2 visa Portugal?

There is no published minimum investment to get a D2 to start a business in Portugal. Instead, applications are judged on a case-by-case basis.

 What is the minimum income for a digital nomad in Portugal?

You'll need to make four times the Portuguese minimum wage, which amounts to around €3480 a year. You also need €36,480 in the bank to qualify for the digital nomad visa.

Can I bring family to Portugal on a digital nomad visa?

It is possible to bring a spouse and dependent children to Portugal on a D8 visa, but only on the long-stay type of visa. You will need a higher minimum income – €4096 a month – and your spouse will not be allowed to work.