Why the D7's income rule trips people up
The D7 sounds simple: show passive income, get a residence visa, retire or live in Portugal without working locally. In practice, most refusals or delays we see aren't about the headline number — they're about how that number is documented, timed and held. Consulates and AIMA aren't looking for a lump sum sitting in an account; they want proof of a recurring, stable, verifiable income stream that will still be there next year.
This guide walks through the actual 2026 thresholds, what counts as passive income, how much you need in savings, and the paperwork mistakes that cause the most friction.
Who the D7 is for
The D7 — sometimes called the Passive Income Visa or Retirement Visa — is aimed at non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens who can support themselves from income earned outside Portugal: pensions, dividends, rental income, royalties, interest, or similar recurring sources. It's a residency visa, not a work visa — you're not meant to be employed by a Portuguese company under this route. If your income instead comes from remote employment or freelancing for foreign clients, the D8 Digital Nomad Visa is usually the better fit, since it has its own (higher) income bracket built around 4x the minimum wage.
The 2026 numbers
Portugal indexes the D7's minimum income requirement to the national minimum wage, which rose to €920/month in 2026. That single figure drives everything else.
All residence visas in Portugal require proof of "meios de subsistência adequados" (sufficient means of subsistence), and the Ministry of Internal Affairs updates this benchmark every time the national minimum wage changes. That's important: AIMA assesses your financial means based on the minimum wage in force at the time of your appointment, not at the time you started the process — so if your consulate visa was approved under an older figure but your AIMA residence appointment lands later in the year, be ready to show the current threshold, not the one you calculated a year ago.
Here's how the family scaling works in practice:
| Applicant | Monthly income needed | Annual income (÷12) | Typical savings benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single applicant | €920 | €11,040 | ~€11,040 |
| + Spouse/partner (+50%) | €1,380 combined | €16,560 | ~€16,560 |
| + 1 child (+30%) | €1,656 | €19,872 | ~€19,872 |
| + 2 children | €1,932 | €23,184 | ~€23,184 |
The sum must be increased by 50% if the foreigner includes a spouse or a parent in the application and by 30% for each child. Many applicants use a practical benchmark of 12 months of the required income, which means about €11,040 for a single applicant, with higher amounts for dependents.
Treat these as floors, not targets. This is the minimum benchmark, not necessarily the ideal level for a strong application — in practice, applicants with clearer and higher recurring income often present a more convincing file.
What counts as passive income (and what doesn't)
Accepted sources typically include pensions, rental income from property (anywhere, not just Portugal), dividends, interest on deposits, royalties, and returns from investment portfolios. Proof of a passive monthly income is required, with acceptable sources including rental income, dividends, royalties, pensions, or interest from deposits.
What generally doesn't count as passive: active salary from ongoing employment, invoicing for freelance work, or day-trading gains — these read as active income and can push you toward the D8 or a different route instead. Crypto gains can be tricky too: short-term trading profits are taxed as capital gains and rarely satisfy the "stable and recurring" test consulates apply, whereas long-term holdings don't generate the recurring cash flow the D7 wants to see.
Proof of funds: what to actually gather
Consulates and AIMA typically want to see:
- Recent bank statements — usually the last 3–6 months, showing the income landing regularly, not just a single transfer engineered to look consistent.
- Source documentation — pension award letters, rental/lease agreements with the tenant, dividend statements, or a letter from your investment manager.
- A Portuguese bank account holding the savings buffer. A foreign account rarely satisfies the requirement on its own, and most consulates want the money genuinely reachable in Portugal, not just declared.
- Latest tax return from your home country, cross-referencing the declared income against what the bank statements show.
- Proof of accommodation in Portugal — a 12-month rental contract or property deed, since AIMA needs an address tied to your residence permit.
A NIF (Portuguese tax number) and a Portuguese bank account are prerequisites before most of this documentation makes sense — you'll need the NIF just to open the account. If you haven't sorted that yet, it's worth doing first; our visa application service can help sequence the NIF, bank account and document package correctly rather than gathering everything and discovering the order was wrong.
Common mistakes that cause delays or refusals
Treating the threshold as a one-off deposit. A single large transfer into a Portuguese account right before the appointment doesn't demonstrate a recurring income stream — it demonstrates a transfer. Build a documented history over several months.
Ignoring the family multiplier. Couples routinely undercalculate: it's not €920 total, it's €920 plus 50% for the second adult, and the child percentage stacks on top of that.
Assuming the visa-stage threshold locks in. Because the wage-linked figure updates annually, and AIMA applies the rate current at your residence appointment, a gap between your consulate interview and your AIMA appointment can mean requalifying at a higher number.
Using an EMI instead of a real bank. Wise or Revolut balances are frequently not accepted as the qualifying Portuguese account; a traditional bank account is the safer route. See our banking guide for which banks handle non-resident and D7 applicant accounts well.
Missing the accommodation proof. Financial sufficiency and housing are assessed together — a strong bank balance doesn't compensate for a missing lease or deed.
D7 vs D8 at a glance
| D7 (Passive Income) | D8 (Digital Nomad) | |
|---|---|---|
| Core requirement | Passive income ≥ €920/month | Income ≈ €3,680/month (4× minimum wage) |
| Typical applicant | Retirees, rental/dividend income holders | Remote employees, freelancers |
| Savings buffer | ~€11,040 (single) | ~€11,040 (single), scaling similarly |
| Income source | Must be passive, outside Portugal | Must come from outside Portugal |
Both fall under the same visas framework administered by AIMA, and both feed into the same broader relocation planning around tax residency and healthcare once you land.
Tax implications once you're resident
Spending 183+ days a year in Portugal (or establishing habitual residence) triggers Portuguese tax residency, meaning worldwide income generally becomes reportable here. With NHR closed to new applicants since 31 March 2025, most new D7 holders fall under standard IRS rates rather than a special regime — the newer IFICI ("NHR 2.0") scheme is aimed at innovation and skilled-role income, not passive retirement income, so it rarely applies to typical D7 profiles. It's worth running numbers through our net salary calculator or getting a proper read on your situation via our tax residency guide before you commit to the move.
Frequently asked questions
A single applicant is generally expected to show recurring passive income of at least €920/month and hold savings of roughly €11,040, though many advisors recommend keeping a higher cushion since the figures are treated as minimums, not targets.
Yes — rental income is one of the standard accepted passive income sources, alongside pensions, dividends, royalties and interest, provided it's stable and properly documented with lease agreements or statements.
AIMA assesses your financial means using the threshold in force at the time of your actual appointment, not when you first applied, so a gap between your consulate visa and your residence appointment can mean requalifying at the newer, higher figure.
Generally no — most consulates and AIMA offices expect the qualifying savings to sit in a traditional Portuguese bank account, and EMIs like Wise or Revolut are commonly not accepted as a substitute.
The D7 can lead toward permanent residency and eventually citizenship, but timelines and language requirements depend on current nationality law — always verify the latest rules with IRN before assuming an old five-year figure still applies.
Getting the income calculation, documentation and timing right is where most D7 applications succeed or stall. If you'd rather have a professional review your file before you submit it, get in touch about our visa application service — we'll tell you plainly where your case stands, no guarantees, just a clear read on what AIMA and the consulate will actually want to see.