Visas for Portugal

The Foreigners Act (Lei de Estrangeiros), Law 23/2007, distinguishes stays in Portugal by duration and purpose. Knowing which one your plans fit into is the first step in choosing the visa.

• Residence visa: used to enter Portugal and, once in the country, apply to AIMA for a residence permit. It is valid for two entries and allows a stay of four months (Art. 58(1) and (2) of Law 23/2007). It comes with a residence pre-authorization, with provisional allocation of the tax, social security and national health service numbers (paragraph 6). These are the visas known as D1 to D8.
• Temporary stay visa: intended for stays of less than one year, such as a short course, seasonal work of more than 90 days or a period of remote work, and does not, by itself, lead to a residence permit (Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MNE), types of visa).
• Short stay: Brazilians do not need a visa to stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen area (MNE list of visa-exempt nationalities). This entry is for tourism, visits and business, not for living in the country.

Why the visa must be obtained in Brazil

In recent years, Portugal has closed the routes that allowed people to enter as tourists and regularize their status afterwards:

• Decree-Law 37-A/2024 (Decreto-Lei), in force since June 4, 2024, abolished the expression of interest (manifestação de interesse) for work, subject to the transitional regime;
• Law 61/2025, in force since October 23, 2025, made a residence visa a requirement for the CPLP (Community of Portuguese Language Countries) residence permit;
• Law 62/2026, in force since September 11, 2026, repealed the provisions that allowed higher education students and trainees who entered without a residence visa to apply for the permit directly in Portugal.

The exception is the residence permit for investment (Golden Visa), applied for in Portugal without a residence visa, as explained below. For an overview of the permits, see the page on residence permits in Portugal.

The table summarizes the purpose and the core requirement of each route. The articles cited are from Law 23/2007; the documents for each application are listed on each visa's page.

All residence visas also require the general conditions set by law, such as a valid passport, insurance, a criminal record certificate and means of subsistence (MNE, documents for the residence visa). For means of subsistence, the 2026 benchmark is the minimum wage of €920 per month: 100% for the first adult, 50% for each additional adult and 30% for each minor or dependent adult child (MNE, means of subsistence).

D1: employment with a Portuguese company

The D1 visa is for those who will work as employees. The law accepts an employment contract or promise of employment contract, as well as an individualized expression of interest from the employer, when the applicant has recognized qualifications suited to the position (Art. 59(5)). In Portugal, the residence permit requires an employment contract and registration with Social Security (Art. 88(1)).

D3: highly qualified activity

The D3 visa covers higher education teaching, research and highly qualified activities, with a contract, promise of contract, service agreement or letter of invitation (Art. 61). For highly qualified employed work, the contract must last at least six months, with annual pay of at least 1.5 times the national average gross annual salary or three times the IAS (Social Support Index) (Art. 61-A). The decision period for the Art. 61 visa is 30 days (paragraph 3), and family members do not need to wait two years for reunification (Art. 98(3)).

D8: remote work for employers or clients outside Portugal

The D8 visa, known as the digital nomad visa, is granted to employees and independent professionals who work remotely for individuals or companies domiciled or headquartered outside Portugal (Art. 61-B). According to the MNE, applicants must prove the employment relationship or the provision of services, their tax residence and average monthly income over the last three months of at least four times the minimum wage (MNE, documents for the residence visa). With the 2026 minimum wage of €920, this corresponds to €3,680 per month. For stays of less than one year, there is a temporary stay version.

D2: independent professional or entrepreneur

The D2 visa is for independent professionals with a written contract or proposal for the provision of services and qualifications for the activity, and for entrepreneurs who have already made an investment, have financial means in Portugal and the intention to invest, or are developing a project in a certified incubator, the so-called Startup Visa (Art. 60).

D7: retirees and own income

The D7 visa is for those who live on a retirement pension or on income from assets, intellectual property or financial investments. The MNE requires proof of the amount of this income and of its availability in Portugal (MNE, means of subsistence). The visa does not require the holder to work in Portugal, but the residence permit may be canceled for absences of six consecutive months or eight non-consecutive months during its period of validity (Art. 85(2)).

Golden Visa: residence permit for investment

The Golden Visa is not a consular visa: it is a residence permit applied for directly before AIMA. The law requires a valid Schengen visa and regularization of the stay within 90 days of the first entry into Portugal, with a waiver of the residence visa (Art. 90-A(1)). Since Law 56/2023, buying real estate no longer qualifies for the ARI. The options currently available start at €250,000 (artistic production or cultural heritage), and the minimum stay is 7 days in the first year and 14 days in each subsequent two-year period (AIMA, ARI).

Those torn between the D7 and the Golden Visa usually compare how much time they intend to spend in Portugal: the D7 assumes living in the country, while the ARI has a reduced minimum stay. The tax effects of each choice should be reviewed before the move; see the page on tax residence between Brazil and Portugal.

D4: study, research, traineeship and volunteering

The D4 visa requires admission to an educational institution, a research center or a traineeship or volunteer program (Art. 62). According to the MNE, Brazilians admitted to a higher education institution are exempt from proving means of subsistence (MNE, documents for the residence visa). For courses of up to one year, the route is the temporary stay visa.

D5: mobility for those already studying in the EU

The D5 visa serves higher education students who already reside in another Member State and will complete part of their program in Portugal. In EU, multilateral or inter-institutional mobility programs, the law waives the residence visa and it is sufficient to notify AIMA of the mobility (Arts. 63 and 91-A).

D6: family reunification

For the D6 visa, the first application is filed with AIMA by the family member who already resides in Portugal. Since Law 61/2025, the resident generally needs a residence permit that has been valid for at least two years (15 months for a spouse or equivalent partner with 18 months of cohabitation before entry). This period does not apply to minor children or dependent children lacking legal capacity, to a spouse who is the parent or adoptive parent of a dependent minor, or to family members of holders of a permit for highly qualified activity, an ARI or an EU Blue Card (Art. 98). Once reunification is approved, the family member has 90 days to apply for the visa at the consulate (MNE).

Families traveling together

When the whole family moves at the same time, family members may apply, simultaneously with the main applicant, for a residence visa to accompany a family member, without going through reunification (Art. 58(5)). The MNE requires proof of family ties and of sufficient resources for the entire household.

The CPLP route after Law 61/2025

The CPLP Mobility Agreement still applies to Brazilians, but it is no longer a visa-free way in. As worded by Law 61/2025, a national of a country party to the Agreement who holds a residence visa may apply to AIMA for the CPLP residence permit (Arts. 75(2) and 87-A(1)). The new rules apply to procedures started after October 23, 2025. At the consulate, the CPLP regime allows proof of means of subsistence to be replaced by a statement of responsibility (termo de responsabilidade), in the cases indicated by the MNE (MNE, CPLP regime). The details, including on the paper CPLP card, are on the page on residence permits.

Visa for qualified job seekers

Law 61/2025 restricted the former job-seeker visa to those with the technical skills to be defined by ministerial order. The visa is valid for 120 days, extendable by a further 60, allows one entry and, if the holder starts working within that period, entitles them to apply for a residence permit (Art. 57-A). In September 2026, the MNE stated that this visa is not yet available at consular posts, pending implementing regulations (MNE, qualified job seekers).

Short stay: the 90 days for Brazilians

Brazilians enter the Schengen area without a visa for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period (MNE, Schengen visas; Art. 6 of the Schengen Borders Code). At the border, proof of means, accommodation and return may be requested. This entry does not allow the holder to work or apply for a residence permit in Portugal, except for the Golden Visa.

Answer the questions in order. The first "yes" usually points to the route to review.

1. Will you stay less than 90 days? You do not need a visa: a passport is enough, within the 90-in-180-day rule. If you will stay more than 90 days but less than one year, consider the temporary stay visa.
2. Will you make a qualifying investment and do not intend to live in Portugal year-round? Look into the Golden Visa.
3. Do you have a family member with a residence permit in Portugal? See family reunification (D6). If the whole family is moving together, family members can accompany the main applicant's application.
4. Do you have a contract, a promise of contract or an expression of interest from a Portuguese employer? If the position involves teaching, research or highly qualified work, see the D3; otherwise, the D1.
5. Will you keep working for companies or clients outside Portugal? See the D8, which requires average income of four times the minimum wage.
6. Will you provide services as a self-employed worker for clients in Portugal or open a company there? See the D2.
7. Do you live on a retirement pension, rental income or investments? See the D7.
8. Will you study, do research, a traineeship or volunteer work for more than one year? See the D4; if you are already in higher education in another EU country, the D5.
9. None of the above? For now, the qualified job-seeker visa is not available at consulates. An individual review before traveling is advisable.

Some situations allow more than one visa, such as a retiree who also provides consulting services remotely, or a couple in which each spouse has a different source of income. In these cases, the choice also takes into account taxes in both countries, family reunification and the plan for citizenship.

1. Visa at the consulate: the statutory decision period for the residence visa is 60 days, unless the law provides for shorter periods (Art. 58(4); MNE, time frames).
2. Residence permit before AIMA: as a rule, it is valid for two years and renewable for three-year periods (Art. 75(1)). The ARI is renewed for two-year periods (Art. 90-A(2)).
3. Permanent residence: after five years of temporary residence, with means of subsistence, accommodation and basic knowledge of Portuguese (Art. 80).
4. Citizenship: under Organic Law 1/2026 (Lei Orgânica), in force since May 19, 2026, Brazilians need seven years of legal residence, and the time spent waiting for the decision on the residence permit no longer counts for new applications. See the page on citizenship by length of residence.

Permanent residence is not a requirement for naturalization. What counts is the length of legal residence, so renewals and the limits on absences from the country should be planned from the first visa.

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.

1. Initial review: purpose of the move, sources of income, professional relationships, family and history of entries into Portugal, to identify the visa or visas that fit the case.
2. Documents: list of Brazilian and Portuguese documents, apostille, translation where necessary, NIF (Portuguese tax identification number) and proof of means and accommodation.
3. Application at the consulate: preparation of the residence visa application and of the applications of accompanying family members.
4. Residence permit: follow-up of the application before AIMA, of renewals and of the monitoring of deadlines and absences from the country.
5. Delay or refusal: administrative complaint and, where appropriate, legal action in the Portuguese administrative courts.
6. Next steps: family reunification, permanent residence and the citizenship application.

The decision on the visa rests with the consulate, and the decision on residence with AIMA. Our role is to organize the case, meet the deadlines and present the appropriate grounds.