Portugal Digital Nomad Visa D8 The latest changes (Sep 2025)

Updated on August 22, 2025. This guide focuses on Americans and Canadians and is useful for other non EU and non EEA nationals as well.

Portugal D8 Guide

What the D8 is and how it works

Portugal’s Digital Nomad visa allows non EU and non EEA citizens to live in Portugal while working remotely for employers or clients based abroad. The law created a specific residence pathway for remote workers, now referenced in Article 61 B of the Foreigners Law and its regulation. Proof of a real employment or service relationship outside Portugal is required.

There are two pathways. A temporary stay visa aimed at stays under one year, and a residence visa that lets you apply for a residence permit after arrival. A temporary stay visa remains valid for the entire period you request, generally up to twelve months, with multiple entries. A residence visa is valid for four months with two entries, during which you must apply for your residence permit at AIMA.

Income Requirement

The income threshold you must hit in 2025

Portugal requires D8 applicants to show average monthly income equal to four times the national minimum wage for the three months before application. In 2025 the minimum wage is 870 euros, which sets the D8 bar at 3,480 euros per month. This figure is gross income and must come from outside Portugal.

If you apply with family, expect the consulate to ask for higher income to reflect dependents. The exact increments can vary by post and are grounded in the means of subsistence rules, so check the checklist for your location before you submit.

Required Documents

Documents you can expect to provide

Consulates and VFS centers follow the Foreigners Law and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs document lists. You should be ready with a passport, clean criminal record certificates, proof that you work remotely for an employer or clients outside Portugal, bank statements and or pay stubs for the last three months that meet the income rule, proof of accommodation in Portugal, and health coverage that fills any gaps before you join the national system. Many posts ask for accommodation that covers a longer initial period and for financial resources that cover at least twelve months. Requirements are harmonized by law, yet presentation standards differ by post, so always check the checklist that applies to you.

On health coverage, national visa applicants are expected to hold travel medical insurance that is valid in Portugal and includes urgent treatment and repatriation. Schengen short stay guidance sets a familiar floor of thirty thousand euros, and many national visa checklists mirror that practice for the initial period.

Fees And Timing

Fees and timing in 2025

Portugal’s national visa fee is now 110 euros per applicant. Where VFS Global collects your file, a separate service fee applies and is paid in local currency.

By law, the decision time for a temporary stay visa is up to thirty days after the file is considered complete. The general decision time for residence visas is up to sixty days. Real processing can be faster or slower depending on the post and season.

After You Land

Getting from visa to residence card

After landing with a residence visa, you must apply for your residence permit with AIMA. AIMA’s page for remote workers explains that the first residence card is valid for two years and renews in three year increments as long as you still qualify. In 2025 AIMA introduced online self scheduling for people who arrive with a residence visa issued by a Portuguese consulate, a change that removes much of the uncertainty around first appointments.

Renewals moved online in mid 2025

AIMA launched a renewals portal in July 2025. At first it opened for residence titles expiring in July with a phased expansion planned to August and beyond. The Justice Ministry also confirmed the rollout and reminded residents that documents remained valid through October 15 2025 as part of the transition.

AIMA communications state that renewals handled in the portal require your Portuguese tax number and your social security number to be on file for titles that expire after June 30 2025. If either number is missing, AIMA directs residents to submit corrections using its contact form before attempting the online renewal. This is very relevant to remote workers who never needed a NISS previously. Plan ahead and get both numbers in place before your renewal month.

For Americans and Canadians

Americans and Canadians, read this before you file

Background checks and apostilles are often the items that delay a strong application. FBI Identity History Summary results must be apostilled by the US Department of State for use in Portugal. Canada joined the Hague Apostille Convention on January 11 2024, which means Canadian public documents now receive an apostille rather than traditional legalization. These changes make document preparation clearer, but you should still budget time for federal processing.

Tax and banking setups in Portugal are separate from immigration. You will need a Portuguese tax number early in your move and, if you will work as an independent contractor, you will eventually register for Portuguese tax activity. None of that changes the core D8 rule that your income source must be outside Portugal.

Travel Updates

Travel planning around the ninety day rule, EES and ETIAS

Non EU and non EEA nationals from visa exempt countries such as the United States and Canada can still spend up to ninety days in any one hundred eighty day period in the Schengen Area for tourism or business without a visa. Two European systems are about to change how you cross the border. The Entry Exit System starts on October 12 2025 and will phase in fingerprint and facial image capture on first entry, replacing passport stamps. ETIAS, a low cost electronic travel authorization for short visits, is planned for late 2026. Neither system replaces the D8. They matter if you scout neighborhoods before you file or if a spouse travels separately for short stays.

Temporary stay or residence visa, which one fits

Choose the temporary stay version if you want to live in Portugal for up to a year without becoming a resident card holder. Choose the residence visa if you intend to settle, enroll kids in school, or sign a longer lease, since it leads straight to a residence card and later renewals. In both cases, the work must remain outside Portugal.

Common reasons D8 files get stuck

Income proof that does not clearly meet the four times rule is the first reason. Inconsistent bank statements or a mismatch between contracts and deposits leads to requests for more evidence. Accommodation proof that does not match the intended length of stay also creates delays. Finally, background check timing often causes scramble, so plan that step first if you have moved around in the last five years.

Step By Step

What to do after approval

Secure a tax number if you have not done so already, open a Portuguese bank account if your personal setup requires one, register your address with the local parish when you move in, and enroll in health coverage as soon as you have your residence card. Keep income flowing from outside Portugal and retain documentation in case AIMA requests updated materials at renewal time.

Bottom line for September 2025

The D8 is stable and fully defined in law. The big updates this season relate to the income floor that rose with the 2025 minimum wage, the national visa fee increase, AIMA’s new online tools for first appointments and renewals, and the approaching launch of the Entry Exit System. If you can document stable remote income at or above 3,480 euros per month and you prepare your records with apostilles and clear contracts, Portugal remains accessible for North American remote workers.