Residency & Golden Visas / Portugal / Route
Portugal · Residency route
Residence in Portugal for people who can support themselves from income they already have — pensions, rent, dividends or royalties.
Last updated: 2026-10-01
Programme overviewنظرة عامة
Advising UAE residents on Portuguese residency from our Dubai office.
Who the D7 suits
The D7 works for a retiree with a pension, a landlord with rental income, a shareholder living on dividends, or anyone whose money arrives without them needing to be at a desk. It is the quiet route into Portugal: no investment to place, no business plan to defend, no capital at risk.
What it does ask is that Portugal genuinely becomes home. The 16-month presence requirement in the first two years is real and is checked at renewal.
The income test
The threshold is arithmetic, not judgement: twelve times the Portuguese national minimum wage for the main applicant, plus 50% of that for a second adult and 30% for each child (Portaria 1563/2007).
For 2026, with the minimum wage at €920 a month, that is €11,040 for the main applicant, €5,520 for a second adult and €3,312 for each child — €16,560 for a couple, and €19,872 for a couple with one child.
Two practical points. First, the figure moves every January with the minimum wage, so XIPHIAS confirms the threshold in force before filing and again before your AIMA appointment. Second, consular officers have discretion, and a file that clears the floor by a euro is a file that invites questions. We build applications with a margin.
The citizenship timeline
Portugal changed its nationality law on 19 May 2026 (Lei Orgânica 1/2026). Naturalisation now requires seven years of legal residence for nationals of EU member states and Portuguese-speaking countries, and ten years for everyone else — including Indian nationals. It was five years for everyone before that date. Applications already pending on 19 May 2026 keep the old five-year rule.
Permanent residence is unaffected and remains five years (Lei 23/2007, art. 80.º).
If Portuguese citizenship on a five-year horizon is the reason you are considering this, plan on ten years instead, and weigh that before you commit.
Note also that India does not permit dual citizenship: acquiring Portuguese citizenship would end your Indian citizenship under Section 9(1) of the Citizenship Act 1955. Portuguese residency does not.
Talk to a Portugal immigration consultant in Dubai
XIPHIAS Immigration has guided families into Portugal since 2009, and our Dubai team works with UAE residents applying from the Emirates. We were named Best Immigration Consultant by The Times of India in 2022. Our immigration consultants in Dubai will take you through the full timeline to permanent residence and citizenship in Portugal.
Sources
- Portaria 1563/2007 — meios de subsistência
- DGERT — retribuição mínima mensal garantida para 2026 (Decreto-Lei 139/2025)
- Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026 — Diário da República
Verified against Diário da República and DGERT on 30 September 2026.
What you getالمزايا
Live in Portugal with full access to public healthcare and state education.
Schengen travel on your Portuguese residence card.
Spouse and dependent children included in the same application.
The right to work or run a business in Portugal, despite the passive-income basis.
Permanent residence after five years.
Eligibilityالأهلية
Requirements
Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationality.
Eighteen years of age or older.
Regular passive income at or above the threshold, evidenced over a sustained period.
Portuguese tax number (NIF) and a Portuguese bank account.
Accommodation in Portugal — a lease or proof of ownership.
Clean criminal record certificate.
Private health insurance covering the initial stay.
Commitment to spend at least 16 months in Portugal in the first two years.
Proof of funds
Who cannot apply
Income that is irregular, unevidenced, or falls below the annual threshold.
Serious criminal convictions or ongoing proceedings.
Inability to evidence lawful source of funds.
Unwillingness to meet the physical presence requirement.
The processكيف نعمل
Obtain a Portuguese tax number (NIF) and open a Portuguese bank account.
Secure accommodation in Portugal and assemble evidence of income.
File the D7 application at the Portuguese consulate for your jurisdiction.
Travel to Portugal on the four-month entry visa once approved.
Attend the AIMA appointment and collect the two-year residence card.
Risk notes
The income threshold is reset each January with the Portuguese minimum wage.
Residence permits are issued by AIMA at its discretion.
This page is general information and not immigration or tax advice.
Compliance
Consular visa fees and AIMA residence-permit fees are charged at the official rates in force; XIPHIAS confirms the current amounts with the consulate and AIMA before filing.
Questionsأسئلة شائعة
This route, answered.
€11,040 a year for a single applicant in 2026, rising to €16,560 with a spouse and €19,872 with a spouse and one child. Consular officers have discretion, so a comfortable margin above the floor — and savings alongside the income — makes for a stronger file.
Start the Portugal route.
A senior advisor will confirm the exact costs, timeline and documents for your case — privately, and entirely off the record.