Last updated on February 14th, 2024 at 05:05 pm
As a popular tourist destination, Portugal has an appeal for aspiring digital nomads, and the Portuguese government has made it easy for those who want to remote work in the country by creating a digital nomad visa program.
In this Remitly guide, we’ll explain the visa and tell you how to get it so you can get on your way to living and working in Portugal.
What is the Portugal digital nomad visa?
Sometimes called the Portugal nomad visa or the Portugal remote work visa, the Portugal digital nomad visa is an immigration visa for people who wish to relocate to Portugal while maintaining employment with a foreign company.
The Portuguese government introduced the digital nomad visa program on October 30, 2022. In the country, the digital nomad Portugal visa is often called the D8 residence visa.
What are Portugal’s digital nomad visa requirements?
To obtain a Portugal digital nomad visa in Portugal, you’ll need to meet certain requirements. They are the same for both the temporary stay and long-term visas. Read on to explore them.
Age requirements
You must be at least 18 years old to qualify for the digital nomad visa. If you’re approved, your spouse, dependent children, and dependent parents may also qualify to relocate to Portugal through the visa program.
Citizenship and passport requirements
The digital nomad visa program is only open to citizens of countries that are not EU member states and not a part of the European Economic Area.
To verify your citizenship status, you and every member of your family relocating to Portugal will need a valid passport from your home country to apply for the Portugal digital nomad visa. The passport must stay valid for at least three months after your intended stay in Portugal.
Clean criminal history requirements
Applicants for the Portugal digital nomad visa program must have a clean criminal record with no past convictions.
To verify that you meet this requirement, you’ll need to submit a copy of your criminal record for your country of citizenship and any other country where you have lived for more than a year. These documents must be translated into Portuguese.
Employment requirements
The digital nomad visa in Portugal is available for people who are self-employed or who are employees of foreign companies.
When you complete the Portugal digital nomad visa application, you will need to show proof that one of these two situations applies to you. Acceptable proof can be a letter from your employer, federal tax returns showing your self-employment status, a work contract, or a similar document.
Financial requirements
To obtain a Portugal digital nomad visa, you must show proof that you can support yourself financially while living in the country by meeting minimum income requirements.
The amount you’ll need to earn per month depends on whether you’re relocating to Portugal alone or with your family. The Portugal Digital Nomad Visa website has a handy calculator that allows you to determine how much monthly income you’ll need to qualify for the visa program. You can find it here.
Normally, the documentation required to prove your income is three months’ worth of bank statements. Other documents, like tax returns, may be acceptable in some circumstances.
Health insurance requirements
Before applying for a digital nomad visa for Portugal, you’ll need to obtain health insurance coverage.
If you plan on applying for a short-stay visa, travel insurance that provides medical coverage in Portugal may be adequate. Consider purchasing an international health insurance policy accepted in Portugal for longer stays.
The U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Portugal has a helpful guide to health insurance in the country that you can access here.
Housing requirements
Securing accommodations is the final part of the eligibility criteria for the Portugal digital nomad visa. You’ll need to show that you have somewhere to live for at least the first six months of your stay.
One option is to rent property in Portugal and use a site like HousingAnywhere to discover rentals. However, you can also book a short-term rental or co-stay through a service like Airbnb or couch-surfing accommodations like those available through Couchsurfing.com.
How to apply for a Portugal digital nomad visa in 5 Steps
We’ve covered the eligibility requirements for the digital nomad in Portugal visa. Now, let’s learn how to apply for a Portugal digital nomad visa step-by-step.
1. Gather the required documents
Get all the required documents together to make the application process as simple as possible. To apply for a Portugal digital nomad visa, you’ll need:
- Your passport
- Two passport-sized photos
- Proof of employment, like a contract or tax return
- Criminal history certificate
- Bank statements or other documents to verify your income
- Health insurance policy
- Proof of accommodations, such as a lease or reservation confirmation
- Proof of relationship to family members who are applying for visas, such as birth and marriage certificates
2. Schedule an appointment at a Portuguese embassy or consulate
Once you have your paperwork in order, you’re ready to schedule your application appointment.
To do so, contact the Portuguese embassy or consulate closest to you in your home country. Some offices allow you to schedule appointments online, while others require you to schedule by phone.
View a complete list of embassy and consulate locations in the U.S. here and Canadian locations here.
3. Complete the Portugal digital nomad visa application
On the day of your appointment, head to the embassy or consulate with your required documentation. While you’re there, you’ll receive the visa application to complete and sign.
You can also find the form online and complete it before the appointment, but wait to sign it.
4. Pay the Portugal digital nomad visa application fee
You’ll need to pay the required fees for the Portugal remote work visa at the time of your appointment. As of November 2023, the cost was 75€ for the temporary stay visa and 90€ for the long-term visa.
5. Wait for processing
The Portuguese government may take up to 90 days to process your application.
Sometimes, the embassy or consulate may follow up with requests for additional documentation. Replying to these requests promptly will help you obtain the Portugal digital nomad visa as quickly as possible.
What are the Portugal visa types for digital nomads?
Here are two Portugal visa types available for digital nomads. They have the same basic requirements but allow for different lengths of stay.
Let’s take a look at each one.
Temporary stay
The Temporary Stay Digital Nomad Visa is good for up to one year. With a temporary stay visa, you receive the right to multiple entries, so you’re free to travel abroad while living and working in Portugal.
If you continue to meet the eligibility requirements for the Portugal digital nomad visa program, you can typically renew the temporary stay visa once and remain in the country for up to two years.
Long-term
The Long-Term Digital Nomad Visa allows you to enter Portugal to work for a foreign employer and obtain a residence permit.
Initially, the visa is good for four months. Once you arrive in Portugal, you must visit an Immigration and Border Services office to obtain your residence permit.
The permit is valid for two years and can be renewed once for up to three years. At the end of the renewal period, you can potentially become a Portuguese citizen or apply for a permanent residence card that doesn’t need to be renewed.
With the residence permit, you can move freely in and out of Portugal, so you can visit home or travel to other EU and Schengen area nations.
What are the benefits of getting a digital nomad visa for Portugal?
You might want to consider applying for a Portugal digital nomad visa for several reasons. Let’s look at some of the biggest benefits of living and working in the country.
Low cost of living
Despite its beautiful beaches and bustling cities, Portugal is an affordable place to live. As of November 2023, the overall cost of living was 70% lower than in the U.S. and nearly 50% cheaper than in Canada.
Since digital nomads typically maintain their current salaries while working abroad, you’ll find that your paychecks will go further while you’re living in Portugal because everything from rent to groceries to entertainment is likely to cost less.
Gorgeous weather
Thanks to its geographic location, Portugal enjoys beautiful weather all year round. Digital nomads can expect an average of 300 days of sunshine every year, with temperatures rarely getting colder than 50ºF (10ºC).
Summers are generally pleasant, too, with temperatures above 85ºF (29.4ºC) rare in most parts of the country.
Portugal’s beautiful weather makes it great for digital nomads who enjoy outdoor activities like surfing, swimming, snorkeling, hiking, and golf. Imagine being able to complete your workday and then spend the rest of a December day on the shore!
If you’re into winter sports, Portugal has you covered, too. The Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela is known for skiing, snowboarding, and other alpine activities.
Rich cultural experiences
While living and working in Portugal, there is so much to see and do. You can visit over 15 UNESCO World Heritage sites without leaving the country.
Tour museums, enjoy the bustling nightlife in Lisbon, and take in breathtaking medieval architecture in Évora. People watch at cafes in the romantic city of Porto or enjoy a relaxed seaside getaway in The Algarve.
By the time you return to your home country, you’ll have made many memories while having the chance to sample delicious Portuguese cuisine and wine and meet the locals in your neighborhood.
Opportunity for international travel
Holding a Portugal digital nomad visa allows you to do more than just explore Portugal from north to south and east to west.
Portugal is an EU member nation and a Schengen area member state. As a result, you can visit more than 20 countries with your Portuguese visa.
Spend a weekend in Paris, Munich, Amsterdam, or Barcelona, or take a week to hike the glaciers in Iceland. You can ski in Switzerland, tour ancient ruins in Rome and Greece, bask in the sun on a Croatian beach, and so much more.
Reliable Internet
As a remote worker, you know how important Internet connectivity is to getting the job done, and Portugal promises reliable Internet service throughout the country.
On mobile, the average Internet speed is 75.71 Mbps for downloads and 13.32 Mbps for uploads, ranking the country the 30th best in the world.
For broadband, connectivity is even better at an average of 150.45 Mbps for downloads and 93.34 Mbps for uploads. Those stats make Portugal home to the 24th-fastest Internet in the world.
Safety
Although you’ll still need to take basic travel precautions while visiting, you can feel safe and secure in Portugal.
The country’s crime rate is more than 80% below the rate in the U.S., and the U.S. State Department rates the country with the safest designation available for foreign travelers.
Portugal digital nomad visa considerations
Remember the following things as you prepare to complete the Portugal digital nomad visa application.
Check for the latest requirements
Immigration laws are subject to change, so eligibility requirements and other details about the Portugal digital nomad visa program may vary over time.
Contact a Portuguese embassy or consulate to ensure you have all the necessary documentation and meet all the latest requirements.
Read your employer’s handbook first
Even if your employer allows you to work remotely, not all companies permit their employees to become digital nomad visas. To avoid complications, consult your employer’s remote work policy before beginning the Portugal digital nomad visa application process.
Explore your legal and tax obligations before you go
As a Portugal digital nomad visa holder, it’s important that you comply with laws in your home country and Portugal. Consult a knowledgeable attorney to find out your legal obligations and tax responsibilities while living and working in Portugal.
Don’t forget your residence permit
If you choose the long-term digital nomad visa, you will need to obtain your residence permit within four months of your arrival in Portugal. Don’t forget this important step, or you won’t be legally permitted to stay in the country.
Take the first steps toward becoming a digital nomad
With the rise of remote work that began in the 2010s and accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic came new work-life possibilities. Now, many people are living the digital nomad life, experiencing what it’s like to live in a foreign country while continuing to work for their employers back home.
Now that you know how to apply for a digital nomad visa in Portugal, you can take the first steps. Gather the necessary documents, schedule your application appointment, and get on your way to living and working abroad.
While living the digital nomad life in Portugal, you can count on Remitly to make it easy and safe for you to send money home to your loved ones. Download the Remitly app to learn more and set up your account for online money transfers.