How to Get a Portuguese Residence Permit with the D7 Visa: A Guide for Us Retirees

Migration to Portugal from the US is becoming increasingly popular due to its mild climate, high-quality and affordable healthcare, and lower cost of living. For those considering this step, a popular legal path to residency in Portugal for US citizens is the D7 visa Portugal.

The D7 visa – often reffered to as the “Pensioner Visa”, “Retiree Visa Portugal” or “Retiring in Portugal Visa” is particularly popular among potential migrants due to its low financial requirements for applicants.

In this article, we will look at the reasons for the popularity of retiring in Portugal from US, explain the basic requirements, and provide some practical advice.

 

Other sources of passive income include funds received from:

• Renting out personal property;
• Investments;
• Deposits or other profitable financial transactions;
• Sale of copyrights, etc.

As you can see, the list is quite extensive and is not limited to people of a certain age.

While the visa D7 is especially popular among retirees – hence the nickname “Pensioner Visa” - younger and middle-aged individuals seeking residency in Portugal can also take advantage of it.

Moreover, candidates are not prohibited from working and having income other than passive income, if the latter is sufficient.

There are no restrictions on where the income is earned. That is, the income does not have to be earned in the US, or not all of it has to be earned in the US.

2. How much money does a pensioner need in their account for a visa?

We mentioned above that D7 visa applicants can work and receive non-passive income if the level of passive income is sufficient. While applicants are not prohibited from working, insufficient passive income cannot be offset by employment income or revenue from unidentified sources.

So, how do you determine if your income is sufficient to obtain a D7 visa?

The main requirements for passive income are:

• Its regularity;
• A sufficient level;
• The ability to identify the source of origin.

Let's look at these criteria in more detail.

Regularity of income. The most acceptable period for receiving income is monthly. This frequency means that the applicant will receive a sufficient amount to live on each month, i.e., they will have a steady income to cover their needs. However, quarterly payments may also be considered, especially if they are backed by contracts. Dividends and other similar annual income are also accepted.

Sufficient level. Applicants must demonstrate a monthly passive income qual to at least the Portuguese minimum wage, i.e., €870 per month, which is quite affordable for the vast majority of applicants. If you want to obtain a visa for your spouse, you will need to show an additional 50% of this amount for their maintenance, and 30% for each child in your care (this includes minor children, as well as adult children who are students and others who are considered dependents due to health or other reasons). Most Portuguese lawyers, based on their experience with applications, advise not only confirming the amount of annual income, but also having savings. For the main applicant, it is desirable to have 10-12 thousand euros, for spouses and children, the required amount increases by 50% for a spouse and 30% for each dependent child.

Ability to identify the source of origin. To put it simply, it must be clear and obvious that your income is passive, i.e., the source of its origin must be documented. The simplest option is to provide a bank statement showing what the funds were received for. If this is not obvious from the bank documents, we recommend that you obtain documents from the source of payment.

Important note: income does not necessarily have to come from a single source. You can combine several sources if they add up to the required amount.

3. How to prepare documents for applying for a D7 visa

The best solution would be to obtain a comprehensive and up-to-date list of required documents from the relevant consular section of the Portuguese Embassy immediately before submitting your application.

US citizens can apply for a visa at the Portuguese consulate not only in the US, but in any country where they are legal residents. However, in this case, the same requirements will apply to them as to other residents of that country, and the list of such requirements may differ from that of the US.

Nevertheless, there are a number of documents that are essential and are always included in the list. These include:

1. A valid passport (you should also pay attention to its validity period – it must exceed the period of consideration of the visa application; we recommend at least 1 year)
2. Documents confirming the source and amount of your passive income;
3. Bank statement;
4. Police clearence certificate (certificate of no criminal record) – issued by US authorities and by any countre where you have resided for over 1 year;
5. Confirmation of permanent residence in Portugal (confirmation from hotels, Airbnb, and similar rentals are generally not accepted by the consulate);
6. Travel insurance;
7. Photograph (document format);
8. Portuguese tax number NIF – it may not be on the list, but you will need this number to sign a lease or purchase a home, and to open an account with a Portuguese bank.

We also recommend that you pay special attention to the requirements for the translation of documents — which ones must be translated into Portuguese and which ones must also be apostilled.

If you want to immigrate to Portugal from US and have any doubts or special circumstances, it is highly advisable to consult with immigration lawyers in Portugal to ensure your application meets all the requirements.

4. How the consulate handles applications

Although the application is submitted online in advance, the request is always considered only if the applicant visits the consulate in person for an interview.

You must bring the original copies of the documents you submitted online, as well as any others that may be required.

It is advisable to always have up-to-date documents. If several weeks have passed between the submission of the application and the interview, it is advisable to update the bank statement. It is also very important to have an up-to-date certificate of no criminal record (valid for no more than three months).

If there are documents among your documents that you are not ready to give to the consulate, make sure to prepare a notarized copy that you can leave with the other documents.

If your package of documents is carefully prepared and complete, your application will be accepted and you will be notified of the next steps — when you can expect a decision (in other words, a visa). This usually takes 2-3 months.

Check your email regularly — the consulate may request updated or supplementary documents, which can be sent online or by mail. You will also be notified of a positive decision by email.

5. How to obtain a residence permit in Portugal after a D7 visa

Congratulations, you have received your dream D7 visa!

What to do next?

Along with your visa, you will be given a date for a visit to AIMA, the Portuguese authority responsible for migration issues. AIMA will be responsible for issuing your residence permit. 

So, it's time for your trip to Portugal.

On the scheduled day and time, you must attend your AIMA appointment in person and bring the same supporting documents used during your visa application. We recommend that you update your documents, such as bank statements, criminal record certificate, etc. It is quite possible that the documents you submitted for your visa will be sufficient. However, the absence of up-to-date documents may be a formal reason for refusal.

At your appointment, your fingerprints will be collected and your photo will be taken for the residence card.

Under favorable conditions, in 2-3 months you will receive your Portuguese residence card at the address you specified as your address of residence in Portugal.

Please note the validity period of your residence card. Usually, residence cards are issued for 2 years, after which they must be renewed. To renew your residence card, you do not need to repeat the entire procedure — you can do it in Portugal by providing the necessary documents, either online or in person, depending on the conditions in effect at the time of renewal.

We hope our tips will help you decide to move to Portugal and simplify the preparation process!

However, if you want to be as prepared as possible for your visa application and go through the entire process with reliable support, we advise you not to rule out the possibility of assistance from a highly qualified immigration lawyers in Portugal.