Portugal's D7 visa: €920 a month gets you in. Here's the whole process.

The D7 is the visa most American and Canadian retirees use to move to Portugal. You qualify with passive income — a pension, Social Security, rents, dividends — equal to Portugal's minimum wage. The paperwork is real but manageable. The timelines are the hard part.

Who the D7 is for

The D7 is a residency visa for people with stable passive income. Qualifying income includes pensions (including US Social Security, CPP and OAS), rental income, dividends, interest, royalties, and income from financial investments. It is not a work visa — though D7 holders may work once resident — and it's not for remote workers living off a salary; that's the D8.

If your retirement income clears about €1,380/month as a couple, you clear the financial bar. Most consulates want to see the income is durable — a pension award letter beats a broker statement.

The income requirement, precisely

The requirement tracks Portugal's national minimum wage, which is €920/month in 2026 (it was €870 in 2025 and is set to rise to €970 in 2027 — so expect the visa threshold to rise too).

*At €1 = $1.14 (1 July 2026). The consulate assesses in euros.

Step by step, from the US or Canada

1. Get a NIF (Portuguese tax number). Free at any Finanças office in Portugal, or remotely through a lawyer or online service under power of attorney. You need it for everything that follows.
2. Open a Portuguese bank account and move your savings buffer into it. Several banks open accounts for non-residents; some allow remote opening with a NIF.
3. Secure accommodation. A 12-month lease or property deed. Short-term bookings are increasingly rejected.
4. Gather documents (see the list below), including an FBI background check (US) or RCMP check (Canada), apostilled.
5. Apply at the Portuguese consulate or VFS Global centre covering your state or province. You must apply from your country of legal residence — you can't convert a tourist stay into residency inside Portugal (that route was abolished in October 2025).
6. Receive the D7 visa: valid 4 months, two entries.
7. Travel to Portugal and attend your AIMA appointment (biometrics). Since April 2025, AIMA rejects incomplete files outright — triple-check everything.
8. Receive your first residence permit, valid 2 years. Renewal adds 3 more.

The document checklist

The official list from Portugal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, plus standard consular additions:

• National visa application form
• Passport valid 3+ months beyond your intended stay
• Two passport photos
• Proof of passive income (pension/Social Security award letters, rental contracts, dividend statements)
• Portuguese bank account statement showing your savings
• Proof of accommodation in Portugal
• Criminal record certificate (FBI or RCMP), apostilled, plus consent for a Portuguese record check
• Travel medical insurance with at least €30,000 coverage including repatriation — some consulates now ask for 12-month validity
• Personal statement explaining your move and means

How long it really takes

The statutory consular decision window is 60 days. In practice, plan for 2–6 months at the consulate, then 1–3 months (sometimes 6) waiting for the AIMA appointment in Portugal. End to end, most applicants hold a residence card 4–7+ months after applying. AIMA is still working through a large backlog; timelines are volatile, so don't book one-way flights around a best case.

After you arrive: the long game

• Year 0: 2-year residence permit. Register with the SNS (public health service) once resident — legal residents qualify, and most care is free at point of use in 2026.
• Year 2: renew for 3 years.
• Year 5: permanent residency — a 5-year renewable card. Requires basic (A2) Portuguese.
• Year 10: citizenship eligibility. This changed on 19 May 2026 — Organic Law 1/2026 doubled the requirement for non-EU nationals from 5 to 10 years, counted from the date your first residence permit was issued (not your arrival). It also added a civics test. Applications filed before 19 May 2026 keep the old 5-year rules.

The tax question you should ask before applying

Spend more than 183 days a year in Portugal (or keep your habitual home there) and you become Portuguese tax resident, taxed on worldwide income at progressive rates of 12.5% to 48% (2026), plus a 2.5–5% solidarity surcharge on taxable income above €80,000. The old NHR regime that taxed foreign pensions at 10% is closed to new applicants; its successor (IFICI) excludes pension income entirely. US citizens also keep filing US returns wherever they live. The US–Portugal tax treaty (in force since 1996) and foreign tax credits prevent most double taxation, but pension, IRA, and Social Security treatment has traps — get advice from a cross-border tax professional before you trigger residency, not after.

D7 vs the alternatives

Working remotely for a US or Canadian employer? That's the D8 (€3,680/month income requirement). Want residency without living in Portugal full-time? The Golden Visa (€500,000 fund investment, 7 days/year average presence) — accepting the same new 10-year citizenship clock. Starting a business? The D2. Compare all four →