D7 Visa in 2026: How Much Income to Prove and How to Build the Financial File

The D7 visa is the route for people who want to live in Portugal on a retirement pension, rental income, financial investments or other income that does not depend on work in the country. Among the requirements, the financial one raises the most questions: how much must be proven, for how long, whether savings count, how to combine a couple's income and which documents the consulate expects to see.

This guide explains the official 2026 benchmark, shows the amounts for the most common family compositions and organizes the financial file in the order in which it is usually put together. For an overview of the visa, with the full list of documents, see our page on the D7 visa for retirees and people with passive income.

The official benchmark: the Portuguese minimum wage

A residence visa application requires proof of means of subsistence (Art. 52 of Law 23/2007, the Foreigners Act (Lei de Estrangeiros)). The reference amounts are set in Ministerial Order 1563/2007 (Portaria) and are published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros, MNE) on its visa portal.

According to the MNE, the benchmark is the Portuguese national minimum wage, which in 2026 is €920 per month (Art. 3 of Decree-Law 139/2025 (Decreto-Lei)), taken net of social security contributions, with a weighting for each family member:

• first adult: 100% of the minimum wage;
• each additional adult: 50%;
• each child under 18 or dependent adult child: 30%.

For those who intend to take up residence, the MNE asks that the means be secured for a period of no less than 12 months. So, in practice, the calculation is always the household's monthly amount multiplied by 12.

How much to prove in 2026: simulations

Applying the MNE percentages to the €920 minimum wage, the reference amounts are as follows:

• One person: €920 per month, or €11,040 over 12 months.
• Couple: €920 + €460 = €1,380 per month, or €16,560 over 12 months.
• Couple with one minor child: €1,380 + €276 = €1,656 per month, or €19,872 over 12 months.
• Couple with two minor children: €1,380 + €552 = €1,932 per month, or €23,184 over 12 months.
• One person with one minor child: €920 + €276 = €1,196 per month, or €14,352 over 12 months.

These figures are the reference minimum, not a target. The consulate looks at the whole picture: how regular the income is, where it comes from, how stable it is over time and whether it is consistent with the cost of living and the accommodation stated in the application. Income that barely reaches the minimum, or that depends on a single unstable source, tends to draw more questions.

What kind of income the D7 accepts

The MNE describes two profiles for the residence visa for retirees and people living on their own income (supporting documents for the residence visa):

• Retirees: a document proving the amount of the pension and that it will continue to be paid, or the availability of other income in Portuguese territory.
• People living on their own income: a document proving the existence and amount of income from movable or immovable property, intellectual property or financial investments, and its availability in Portugal.

In practice, this category includes retirement pensions from the INSS (Brazilian National Social Security Institute) or from a public-servant pension scheme, private pension plans in the payout phase, rent from properties in Brazil, dividends, interest and income from financial investments, and royalties and copyright income.

What about a salary or owner's draw (pró-labore)?

Income from active work performed remotely for companies or clients outside Portugal has its own visa, the D8 visa, with a higher requirement: an average monthly income of four minimum wages (€3,680 in 2026) over the last three months. People with both sources of income should choose the basis that most accurately describes their real situation. We compare the two routes in the article D7 or D8: which one to choose.

Are savings alone, without monthly income, enough?

This is the most common question. The MNE rules refer to income and its availability in Portugal; the official texts we reviewed contain no express rule on applications based only on a bank balance. In practice, savings are usually used to strengthen the proof, alongside a regular income, and not to replace it. Anyone planning to apply for the D7 with financial reserves only should have the case reviewed before applying, because acceptance depends on the consular post's assessment.

Availability in Portugal: bank account and NIF

Both MNE profiles require proof that the income is available in Portuguese territory. For this reason, the file usually includes:

• the NIF, the Portuguese tax identification number, needed to open a bank account and sign contracts;
• a bank account in Portugal in the applicant's name, with a statement or a letter from the bank;
• evidence that the income from Brazil will be transferred or can be accessed from Portugal.

An opening balance in the Portuguese account helps show that the move is planned. The amount that should be kept on deposit is not set on the MNE portal; the benchmark is still the 12-month calculation.

How to build the financial file, step by step

1. Map every source of income of the applicant and the spouse: gross amount, net amount, frequency and the document that proves each one.
2. Calculate the household minimum using the MNE percentages and compare it with the net monthly income.
3. Gather proof of each income: the pension award letter and payment statement; lease agreements and statements showing the rent received; investment statements showing the income paid; copyright agreements.
4. Add the most recent Brazilian income tax return and its filing receipt, which make the whole file consistent.
5. Open the account in Portugal and get the statement or the bank letter.
6. Organize the presentation: a summary of the income sources, with the monthly total and the household calculation, makes the file easier for the consular post to read.
7. Arrange translations and apostilles when a document is not in Portuguese or needs international recognition. We explain the rules on the page about apostille and translation.

The other requirements that weigh alongside income

Income is not assessed on its own. The D7 application also requires, among other documents, a valid passport, an apostilled criminal record certificate, travel insurance, proof of accommodation in Portugal and, depending on the case, health insurance or the certificate of entitlement to medical care issued under the Brazil–Portugal social security agreement (the MNE cites the PB4 certificate as an example that waives the travel insurance).

Accommodation deserves special attention because it also counts toward the cost of living. A lease agreement, a purchase deed, a free loan for use (comodato) or a statement of responsibility (termo de responsabilidade) are the most common forms of proof. Rent that is high compared with the proven income may raise doubts about whether the plan is sustainable.

Family: how to combine a couple's income

When the family moves together, each family member can apply for a residence visa to accompany the main applicant at the same time (Art. 58(5) of the Foreigners Act). In this case, the MNE asks for proof of the family ties and of sufficient resources for the whole household, for the period of stay or for 12 months, whichever is shorter.

The spouse's income can count toward the total when the documents show that it is available to the family, for example, through a joint account. If the family moves later, the route is family reunification, which since Law 61/2025 generally requires the resident to have held residence for two years, with exceptions for minor children. See the page on the D6 family reunification visa.

After the visa: income is still checked

The D7 visa is valid for four months and two entries (Art. 58(1) and (2) of the Foreigners Act). In Portugal, the residence permit application at AIMA (Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum) also requires means of subsistence (Art. 77(1)(d)). The temporary permit is valid for two years and can be renewed for three-year periods (Art. 75(1)), and the requirements are checked again at each renewal. The details are on the page about the residence permit.

Two points often come as a surprise:

• Absences: the temporary permit may be canceled if the holder, without good reason, stays outside Portugal for six consecutive months or eight non-consecutive months during its validity (Art. 85(2)).
• Taxes: people who live in Portugal tend to become tax residents there and to be taxed on their worldwide income. The Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) regime was repealed for new residents, and IFICI (Portugal's tax incentive for scientific research and innovation), which replaced it, generally does not cover retirees. See the page on tax residence between Brazil and Portugal and, if you receive an INSS pension, the article on income tax for retirees in Portugal in 2026.

Mistakes that most often delay the application

• Calculating the minimum for the applicant only and forgetting the accompanying family members.
• Presenting gross income without explaining the deductions and the amount that actually reaches the account.
• Proving rental income with the lease agreement only, without statements showing that the rent was received.
• Submitting statements with no link to Portugal, without a Portuguese account or a transfer plan.
• Brazilian documents without an apostille, or certificates issued a long time ago.
• Choosing the D7 when the main income is actually active remote work, which may lead to questions at renewal.

How Sene & Araújo supports your application

Sene & Araújo has lawyers admitted to the OAB and to the Portuguese Bar Association, with offices in São Paulo and Albufeira, and acts directly in the procedures in Portugal. We review the family's income sources, calculate the household minimum, organize the financial file and the other documents, handle the NIF and follow the residence permit at AIMA and the renewals. The decision on the visa rests with the consulate; our role is to submit a complete and consistent application. Talk to our team to review your case.

• Law 23/2007 — Foreigners Act (Lei de Estrangeiros), consolidated version
• Ministerial Order 1563/2007 (Portaria), of December 11 (means of subsistence)
• Decree-Law 139/2025, of December 29 (2026 minimum wage, Art. 3)
• MNE — Means of subsistence (national visas)
• MNE — Supporting documents: residence visa
• Law 61/2025, of October 22 (family reunification, Art. 98)

Sene & Araújo Sociedade de Advogados team. Content prepared and reviewed by the firm's lawyers, admitted to the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) and the Portuguese Bar Association (Ordem dos Advogados), with offices in São Paulo and Albufeira. The provisions cited were checked against the official sources listed above. Meet the team.