Moving to Portugal 2026: D7 Visa, Taxes, Costs & Where

Short answer: For non-EU movers, two routes lead to Portugal in 2026: the D7 visa for passive income from around 920 euro a month (great for retirees) and the D8 digital nomad visa for remote work from about 3,680 euro a month. The old NHR tax regime closed to newcomers at the end of 2024 and was replaced by the narrower IFICI. If you hold an EU passport you need no visa at all.

Portugal keeps topping the list for Americans and Brits who want a calmer, cheaper base in Europe. Mild weather, safe cities, good food, an easy Atlantic pace. But the rules in 2026 are not the rules from two years ago. Two of the things people counted on, a tax break and a property route, are gone. Here is the current picture without the sales pitch.

For US and UK citizens this matters directly. After Brexit, British passport holders are third-country nationals, so the D7 and D8 apply to them just like Americans. Both need a visa to stay beyond the 90 days in 180 that the Schengen rule allows.

Which visa fits you: D7 or digital nomad visa?

It comes down to where your money comes from.

The D7 visa is built for passive income: pensions, rental income, dividends, interest. The benchmark is roughly 920 euro a month for a single applicant, tied to the Portuguese minimum wage. Add about 50 percent for a spouse and 30 percent for each child, so a couple should show around 1,380 euro a month. You also need savings equal to about twelve months of that income in a Portuguese bank. The D7 is the classic retiree route.

The D8 digital nomad visa is for people working remotely for clients or employers outside Portugal. The bar is higher: four times the minimum wage, about 3,680 euro a month, plus savings of roughly 11,000 euro. Your income has to clearly come from outside Portugal. There is a temporary-stay version (up to a year) and a residence version that leads to long-term settlement.

If you are still weighing countries, our roundup of the best countries for expat quality of life helps you frame the choice.

How much income do you really need?

The official numbers are floors, not comfort levels. 920 euro clears the D7 on paper, but nobody lives easily on that in Lisbon. Add rent, health cover and a buffer.

Realistically a couple outside the pricey centers lives well on 2,000 to 2,500 euro a month. In Lisbon or the popular Algarve coast, plan for 3,000 euro and up. The authorities mainly want to see that you support yourself and will not lean on the state. Show a little more than the minimum.

What about taxes? NHR is gone, IFICI is here

This is where most old guides mislead you. Many still advertise the NHR regime (Non-Habitual Resident), which gave ten years of generous breaks, including on foreign pensions. That NHR closed to newcomers on 1 January 2025.

Its replacement is IFICI, often called NHR 2.0. It still offers a flat 20 percent rate on certain Portuguese income and exemptions on much foreign income, again for up to ten years. But the door is narrower. IFICI targets high-value work: research, engineering, tech, startups, usually tied to certified Portuguese companies or export businesses. You must not have been a Portuguese tax resident in the previous five years.

The honest catch for retirees: IFICI does not carry over the old foreign-pension perk the way NHR did. If your whole plan hinged on that pension break, run the numbers again. Americans also carry US worldwide taxation with them, so speak to a cross-border accountant before you assume a low bill. For remote professionals in in-demand fields, IFICI can still be strong. Our piece on workation in Portugal and Spain shows how to make remote work fit.

Golden Visa 2026: what still works

The Golden Visa still exists, but the famous route is closed. Since October 2023 no property purchase qualifies anymore, in cities or low-density areas, a response to rising housing costs.

What remains: investing at least 500,000 euro in a qualifying Portuguese fund (venture capital or private equity, but no real estate funds), donations to culture and heritage, research funding, or investment that creates jobs. Funds are the most popular path in 2026. For the background, see the Wikipedia entry on the Golden Visa. For most movers the Golden Visa is overkill though. If you actually want to live there, D7 or D8 are cheaper and fit better.

Decision grid: which route for whom?

Retirees with a pension or rental income: D7 visa. Passive income from about 920 euro, but no old-style pension tax break.
Remote employees or freelancers with clients outside Portugal: D8 digital nomad visa from about 3,680 euro.
High-value professionals in research, tech or startups: D8 or a work visa plus an IFICI tax check.
Investors with no need to live there: Golden Visa through funds from 500,000 euro.
EU and EEA citizens: no visa, just register locally.

Where in Portugal should you live?

Lisbon has gone expensive. A one-bedroom in the center runs 1,400 to 2,000 euro a month, and 1,050 to 1,400 outside the center, plus about 750 euro for the rest of life. In return you get a real capital with a large international community. To test the city first, our guide on where to stay in Lisbon covers the neighborhoods.

Porto is the smarter pick for many. Rents often sit 30 to 40 percent below Lisbon, the city is more compact, and the coast and the Douro are right there.

The Algarve in the south draws retirees: sunshine, a big English-speaking community, but seasonal price swings. Simple rentals start around 700 euro, far more in peak season and for villas.

The interior is the budget secret. In villages in the Centro or Alentejo regions you can find furnished rentals from around 450 to 700 euro. You will want a car and some Portuguese. Less convenience, a lot more quiet.

The paperwork: NIF, AIMA and healthcare

Order is everything here.

First the NIF, your tax number. Nothing moves without it: no lease, no bank account, no phone contract. Then the bank account, then the residence permit. Since 2023 the agency in charge is AIMA, the successor to the former SEF. Appointments are the bottleneck, so build in waiting time.

For healthcare you register with your NIF and residence permit at the local Centro de Saúde to join the SNS, the public system. It is cheap, with only small user fees. Many top it up with private insurance at about 30 to 150 euro a month to cut waiting times.

Two practical things for the move itself. For your first days on the ground, before you get a Portuguese SIM, an Airalo eSIM keeps you online the moment you land, no airport kiosk hunt. And if you want to fly over and scout first, you can find flexible routings on Aviasales to hit Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve on one trip.

Portugal and Spain often come up together. If you are comparing the two, read moving to Spain as well.

Before you commit, run the whole plan once: visa, region, flight, first place to stay. With Zercy you compare flights and stays at live prices and save the best options in your Zercy Logbook, so everything is handy when you book.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to get a residence permit?

Count several months from the consulate visa application to the residence card. The consulate stage often takes weeks to months, then you attend an AIMA appointment in Portugal. AIMA appointment availability is currently the biggest delay.

What does it cost to live in Portugal each month?

A couple outside the pricey centers lives well on 2,000 to 2,500 euro. Lisbon or the Algarve push that toward 3,000 euro and up. In the interior many manage on 1,500 to 2,000 euro.

When should you apply for a NIF?

As early as possible, ideally before the move through a tax representative. The NIF underpins your lease, bank account and phone contract. Every later step stalls without it.

Which part of Portugal is the most affordable?

The interior, in the Centro and Alentejo regions, is cheapest, with rents from around 450 to 700 euro. Porto is the best balance of city life and price, while Lisbon and the Algarve are the most expensive.

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Moving to Portugal 2026: D7, Digital Nomad Visa, Taxes and Costs