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Portugal: visas, tax & cost of living

Moving to Portugal? Estimated D8 nomad visa income, the 183-day tax rule, cost of living and money basics for remote workers and relocators.

Portugal: visas, tax & cost of living
Your passport

United KingdomPortugal

Your move to Portugal on a United Kingdom passport

  • VisitEasyVisa-free entry
  • NomadEasyNomad visa, likely eligible
  • RelocateFairly easyClear residence route

Visiting

Visa-free for up to 90 days. Travel on a passport valid for your whole stay, with a return or onward ticket and proof you can support yourself.

Passport validity: Valid at least 3 months beyond planned departure from Schengen and ideally issued within the last 10 years, with at least two blank pages.

Heads-up: EU Entry/Exit System (EES) biometric registration is now operational. ETIAS pre-authorisation has not started yet and its date has moved more than once, so treat any start date you read as provisional and budget around EUR 20 for it.

At the border: Officers may ask for proof of onward or return travel, evidence of sufficient funds, and (for visa nationals) travel medical insurance covering Schengen to at least EUR 30,000.

Working remotely

Digital Nomad Visa (D8).

Income needed: ~EUR 3,680/mo (D8 digital nomad visa, 4x the minimum wage, which is EUR 920 in 2026) (estimate)

Savings option: Consulates commonly ask for savings of about twelve times the minimum wage, roughly EUR 11,040 in 2026. Treat that as consulate practice rather than a published rule: the MNE's own document list asks for the income proof, so ask yours what it wants to see.

Duration: 12 months

Fee: EUR 110 to lodge the national visa application; the AIMA residence permit is charged separately once you arrive (estimate)

Who qualifies: The D8 digital nomad visa is open to remote employees, freelancers and business owners earning from clients or employers outside Portugal. The consulate looks at the average of your last three months and wants four times the Portuguese minimum wage, so about EUR 3,680 a month in 2026. Bringing the family runs on a separate clock: since Lei n.º 61/2025 came into force on 23 October 2025, you must have held a residence permit for at least two years before an adult relative can join you, or 15 months for a partner you had already lived with for 18 months before the move. Dependent children are exempt, and so is a partner who is co-parent of your dependent child.

Tax and residency

Tax resident once you spend more than 183 days in Portugal in any rolling 12 months, or keep a home here in conditions that show you mean to live in it. The old NHR is closed to new arrivals; its successor IFICI (NHR 2.0) is a narrow 20% regime for research, innovation and highly qualified roles. (estimate)

The UK decides residence with its Statutory Residence Test (days in the UK plus your ties). As a non-resident you are usually taxed only on UK income; where one exists, a double-tax treaty with the destination decides who taxes what.

Double-tax treaty: yes, in force since 2025

Practical

Currency: EUR. Cost of living: mid.

Healthcare: Foreigners on short visits rely on travel medical insurance or an EU GHIC/EHIC for medically necessary care, while residents register with Portugal's public health system (SNS).

Healthcare agreement: UK GHIC or valid EHIC covers medically necessary state healthcare for short visits.

Driving: Visitors can generally drive on a valid foreign licence for short stays, and an International Driving Permit is recommended (and effectively required for some nationalities such as Indian licence holders).

Sources: Portugal, MNE visa portal (Vistos): documents for a residency visa, D8 income = four times the guaranteed minimum monthly wage · Portugal, MNE visa portal (Vistos): national visa fees · AIMA, Portugal's immigration agency (successor to SEF): residence permits and the means-of-subsistence scale, Portaria n.º 1563/2007 · Decreto-Lei n.º 139/2025: the guaranteed minimum monthly wage (RMMG) is EUR 920.00 from 1 January 2026 · Lei n.º 61/2025 of 22 October (Diário da República, 1.ª série n.º 204), art. 98.º: two years of residence before adult family reunification, dependent minors exempt · Autoridade Tributária: Código do IRS art. 16.º, tax residence after more than 183 days · Autoridade Tributária: taxpayer FAQ on IFICI (art. 58.º-A EBF), the NHR successor · GOV.UK: tax on foreign income · HMRC: double-taxation treaties

Estimates, not advice. Confirm with the official sources before you act.

Should you move to Portugal?

Mild Atlantic weather, English spoken almost everywhere, and a cost of living that still undercuts most of Western Europe. That mix is why so many remote workers land here. Lisbon and Porto are the obvious hubs, though both have gotten pricey, so a comfortable single budget now runs roughly 1,500 to 2,400 euros a month. The Algarve and the inland towns stretch that a lot further. The move is well trodden, so you will rarely be the first person solving any given problem.

Portugal digital nomad visa and entry

EU and EEA citizens move freely. Everyone else usually looks at the digital nomad (D8) visa, or the older D7 for people living on passive income. The D8 wants proof of stable remote income of roughly 3,680 euros a month (four times the Portuguese minimum wage, which is 920 euros in 2026), plus some savings and health cover. One thing the brochures skip: bringing your family runs on its own clock. Since Lei n.º 61/2025 came into force on 23 October 2025, you generally need two years on a residence permit behind you before an adult relative can join you, though dependent children are exempt. As a Schengen country, short visits before you have a residence permit follow the 90-in-180-day rule, so plan your dates carefully.

Tax residency and the 183 day rule

Spend more than 183 days in Portugal across a 12-month period, or keep your main home here, and the tax office will generally treat you as resident. The old NHR scheme is closed. Its successor, IFICI (often called NHR 2.0), is narrower and aimed at specific research, innovation and high-value roles, so do not assume you qualify. Confirm eligibility before you count on any flat rate.

Figures are estimates. Always check the official source linked below.

At a glance

Currency
EUR
Cost of living
Moderate
Digital-nomad visa
Yes

Frequently asked questions

Portugal: is there a digital nomad visa?
Digital Nomad Visa (D8). The D8 digital nomad visa is open to remote employees, freelancers and business owners earning from clients or employers outside Portugal. The consulate looks at the average of your last three months and wants four times the Portuguese minimum wage, so about EUR 3,680 a month in 2026. Bringing the family runs on a separate clock: since Lei n.º 61/2025 came into force on 23 October 2025, you must have held a residence permit for at least two years before an adult relative can join you, or 15 months for a partner you had already lived with for 18 months before the move. Dependent children are exempt, and so is a partner who is co-parent of your dependent child.
Portugal: when do you become a tax resident?
Tax resident once you spend more than 183 days in Portugal in any rolling 12 months, or keep a home here in conditions that show you mean to live in it. The old NHR is closed to new arrivals; its successor IFICI (NHR 2.0) is a narrow 20% regime for research, innovation and highly qualified roles.
Portugal: what is the cost of living?
The cost of living is moderate and the local currency is the EUR. Treat any figures as estimates.
Portugal: do you need health insurance?
Foreigners on short visits rely on travel medical insurance or an EU GHIC/EHIC for medically necessary care, while residents register with Portugal's public health system (SNS).
Portugal: can you drive on a foreign licence?
Visitors can generally drive on a valid foreign licence for short stays, and an International Driving Permit is recommended (and effectively required for some nationalities such as Indian licence holders).

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