"How much money do I need?" is the first question almost everyone asks about moving to Portugal — and the answer depends entirely on which visa you're applying for. The thresholds range from €920 a month for a D7 or D2 to €3,680 a month for a D8, with the Tech Visa and Startup Visa working off completely different figures. This guide puts every 2026 income requirement in one place, all pegged to the two numbers the whole system runs on.
The Two Anchors: RMMG and IAS
Almost every Portuguese visa threshold is a multiple of one of two official figures for 2026:
- RMMG — the national minimum wage: €920/month (mainland, 2026).
- IAS — the Indexante dos Apoios Sociais: €537.13/month (2026).
Get these two numbers, and you can reconstruct nearly every visa's requirement. You'll find them, dated and sourced, on our verified visas dataset.
The Income-Based Visas: D1, D2, D7 (€920/month)
The D7 (passive income / retirees), D1 (subordinate employed work) and D2 (entrepreneur / self-employed) all use the same baseline: means of subsistence of at least 100% of the RMMG — €920/month for the main applicant, or roughly €11,040 a year.
- D7 — for those living on passive income (pensions, rental, dividends). Our D7 visa guide and dedicated D7 income requirements guide go deeper.
- D2 — for entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals, backed by a business plan or investment. See our D2 visa guide.
- D1 — for those with a Portuguese work contract or promise of one.
The D4 study visa uses the same €920/month reference, with the helpful twist that scholarships and grants count towards it.
The Family Scale: How Dependants Add Up
For the income-based visas, a household is assessed on a clear scale:
| Household member | Monthly means of subsistence |
|---|---|
| First adult (main applicant) | €920 (100% of RMMG) |
| Each additional adult | +€460 (50%) |
| Each minor / dependent | +€276 (30%) |
So a couple with one child would need to show roughly €920 + €460 + €276 = €1,656/month. This same household scale underlies the D6 family reunification requirement — see our family reunification guide.
The D8 Digital Nomad Visa: €3,680/month
The D8 is the outlier on the high side. It requires an average monthly income of at least 4× the RMMG — €3,680/month in 2026. That's four times the D7 baseline, reflecting that the D8 is built for remote workers earning from an employer or clients outside Portugal. If you're weighing the D8 against other routes, our digital nomad D8 visa guide and visa routes compared lay out the trade-offs.
The Employer- and Founder-Led Routes: Different Numbers
Two important programmes don't use the RMMG household scale at all — they run off the IAS:
- Tech Visa — the IAPMEI-certified company must sign a work or services contract of at least 12 months with a minimum salary of 2.5× the IAS = €1,342.83/month (2026). This is an employer-led route: the salary sits in the contract. See our Tech Visa guide.
- Startup Visa — each founder must show own financial means of 12× the IAS = €6,445.56 (2026), evidenced by a bank statement, alongside the incubator endorsement and a project with the potential to exceed €325,000 in turnover or asset value within five years. See our Startup Visa guide.
The Whole Picture in One Table (2026)
| Route | Income / funds requirement | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| D1 (employed work) | €920/month | 100% RMMG |
| D2 (entrepreneur / self-employed) | €920/month | 100% RMMG |
| D4 (study) | €920/month reference (grants count) | Portaria n.º 1563/2007 |
| D7 (passive income) | €920/month (≈ €11,040/yr) | 100% RMMG |
| D6 (family reunification) | €920 + €460/adult + €276/minor | Household scale |
| D8 (digital nomad) | €3,680/month | 4× RMMG |
| Tech Visa | €1,342.83/month salary (12-month contract) | 2.5× IAS |
| Startup Visa | €6,445.56 own funds per founder | 12× IAS |
Every one of these figures resolves to an official value on the verified visas dataset.
Beyond Income: The Other Constants
Income is the headline, but two more numbers apply across the national visas:
- Consular fee — the national ("D") visa consular emolument is €110 per application (excluding any external-service-provider charge).
- Decision deadline — AIMA's residence-permit decision deadline is 60 days, and the national visa itself is valid for 2 entries and 4 months, within which you travel to Portugal and collect your residence permit at AIMA.
Common Mistakes
- Using last year's minimum wage. The 2026 RMMG is €920/month — thresholds move when it does.
- Forgetting the family add-ons. Each extra adult adds €460/month and each minor €276/month.
- Confusing IAS-based and RMMG-based routes. The Tech and Startup visas run off the IAS (€537.13), not the minimum wage.
- Underestimating the D8. At €3,680/month it's four times the D7 baseline — plan for it.
Getting the Route Right
The cheapest income threshold isn't always the right visa — the D7, D2 and D8 suit very different people, and the Tech and Startup routes depend on an employer or an incubator rather than your own savings. Matching your situation to the route that actually fits (and getting the evidence right) is where an application succeeds or stalls.
Not sure which visa your income and plans qualify you for? Our visa application service matches you to the right route and prepares the file end to end. Check the exact 2026 figures on the verified visas dataset.
Frequently Asked Questions
The D7 requires means of subsistence of at least 100% of the minimum wage (RMMG) for the main applicant — €920 per month in 2026, roughly €11,040 a year. Add €460 per month (50%) for each additional adult and €276 per month (30%) for each minor or dependent. The same €920 baseline applies to the D1 (employed work) and D2 (self-employed / entrepreneur) visas.
The D8 requires an average monthly income of at least 4 times the minimum wage — €3,680 per month in 2026 (4 × €920). This is substantially higher than the D7's €920 baseline, reflecting that the D8 is aimed at remote workers earning from clients or employers outside Portugal.
Under the Tech Visa programme, the IAPMEI-certified company must sign a work or services contract of at least 12 months with a minimum salary of 2.5 times the IAS — €1,342.83 per month in 2026 (2.5 × €537.13).
Each Startup Visa founder must show own financial means equivalent to 12 times the IAS — €6,445.56 in 2026 (12 × €537.13) — evidenced by a bank statement, in addition to the incubator endorsement and the project's growth potential.
For income-based visas the household scale is: €920/month for the first adult, plus €460/month (50%) for each additional adult, plus €276/month (30%) for each minor or dependent. So a couple with one child would show roughly €920 + €460 + €276 = €1,656/month of means of subsistence.