Last verified: October 2026. Rules change — always confirm current figures with your nearest Portuguese consulate or a licensed immigration advisor before applying.
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If you're a British citizen planning to move to Portugal on the D7 visa, the financial requirements are the part that trips up the most applicants — not because they're complicated, but because the numbers change every year and half the guides online are quoting last year's figures. Here's exactly what you need for 2026, laid out as a checklist you can work through.
Quick answer: how much money do you need?
For 2026, the baseline requirements are tied to Portugal's minimum wage, which rose to €920/month this year. That gives you:
- Single applicant: €920/month in passive income, or €11,040/year
- Applicant + spouse: an additional 50% for the second adult — roughly €460/month extra, so about €1,380/month combined
- Each dependent child: an additional 30% per child — roughly €276/month extra
On top of the income requirement, consulates generally expect to see savings in a Portuguese bank account equivalent to at least a full year of your required income — so €11,040 for a single applicant, held as a buffer rather than spent.
Worth noting: these are the minimum thresholds. Immigration officers have real discretion on D7 approvals, and applicants who show meaningfully higher income than the bare minimum tend to have smoother applications. If you're close to the line, it's worth padding your numbers rather than applying with the exact minimum.
What counts as "passive income" for the D7
The D7 was originally built around retirement income, but it accepts a broader range of sources than people expect:
- Pensions (state or private)
- Rental income from property you own
- Dividends from investments
- Interest on savings or bonds
- Royalties (intellectual property, book/music royalties)
- Remote employment or freelance income, in many cases, though this sits closer to D8 (Digital Nomad) territory — if this is your main income source, it's worth comparing both visas before choosing
What generally does not count: irregular one-off income, gifts, or funds without a documented recurring source.
The full document checklist
Work through this in order — each item tends to unlock the next.
1. Get your NIF (Portuguese tax number) firstYou cannot open a Portuguese bank account or do much of anything else without this. Non-EU nationals need to appoint a fiscal representative in Portugal to obtain one, but this can be done remotely via power of attorney — you don't need to be in the country yet.
2. Open a Portuguese bank account Once you have your NIF, several banks allow non-residents to open accounts online, including Millennium BCP, ActivoBank, and Caixa Geral de Depósitos. Do this early — it's the account your income and savings proof will reference.
3. Gather proof of passive income
- Pension statements (official, dated within the last few months)
- Dividend or investment statements
- Signed rental agreements if using rental income
- A letter from your accountant or financial institution summarising your annual income, if your income comes from multiple sources
4. Gather proof of savings
