How much income do you need?
Your monthly remote income must be at or above four times the Portuguese minimum wage, averaged across the last three months: EUR 3,680 a month in 2026. The figure moves every January when the minimum wage is set, so we confirm the threshold for your application month rather than quote a stale one. If family members will come with you, check with us how it applies to your household; dependants are quoted after the case check.
The income has to be earned outside Portugal, from an employer, clients or a company registered somewhere else. Three months of bank statements is the official minimum; we assemble twelve where you have them, because a longer record is harder to argue with.
What counts as proof of remote work?
If you are employed, a remote employment contract. If you work for yourself, your freelance and client contracts, or recurring invoices. If you run a company registered abroad, the contracts behind its income. What matters is that the pattern is legible: contracts or invoices, bank statements that match them, and an average that clears the threshold across the period the consulate looks at.
Freelance income from several clients works, and it is common. Add tax residency or tax return evidence from your current country, which shows where your income is declared. Present it the way the consulate expects to read it: one clear line from contract to invoice to statement, translated where needed. Translations are included in our price.
What else goes in the file?
Beyond the income evidence, the file needs:
- A passport valid for the full application period
- A criminal record certificate, apostilled or consular-legalised
- Accommodation in Portugal; a twelve-month lease is the strongest evidence
- Health cover valid from the day you arrive
- Your NIF and a Portuguese bank account, which we obtain for you
Why do D8 applications fail?
Most D8 problems come from the evidence, not from eligibility. These are the ones to check before you file:
None of these is about who you are; they are about how the file reads. That is why we check your evidence against the current threshold before you pay for anything.
- An average below the threshold: one strong month does not make up for two weak ones
- Income that cannot be traced to work outside Portugal, with statements that do not match the contracts or invoices
- A criminal record certificate without its apostille or consular legalisation
- Weak accommodation evidence where a twelve-month lease would have been the strongest proof
- Health cover that does not start on the day you arrive
- Trying to apply from inside Portugal on a tourist stay, when the visa is filed at the consulate covering your legal residence
How does the application work, step by step?
The D8 is a two-stage route. First you apply for the D8 visa at the consulate covering your residence, before you travel. Once you are in Portugal with the visa, it is converted into a residence permit at AIMA.
Before that come three Portuguese essentials, which we handle remotely: your NIF, the tax representation that comes with it, and a Portuguese bank account. Our preparation, from the income assessment to the consulate submission, takes 5 to 9 weeks. Decision times at the consulate and at AIMA vary by route and season, and we tell you the current expectation before you commit.
What does it cost with e-expat?
EUR 5,000, all-inclusive, delivered by e-expat and our partner law firm: the income assessment, the document checklist, contract and statement review, file assembly, the consulate submission and the AIMA permit. It starts with a free case check, where we read your income evidence against the current threshold.
Questions people also ask
Can I apply while I am already in Portugal on a tourist stamp?
No. The D8 visa is filed at the consulate covering your legal residence, not from inside Portugal on a short stay, so plan the filing before you travel. The AIMA permit conversion happens after you arrive with the visa.
Do I need a Portuguese address before applying?
You need accommodation evidence for the file. A twelve-month lease is strongest, and we can arrange the rental search and the lease review as part of the same path if you have not signed anything yet.
Freelance income from several clients: does that work?
Yes, and it is common. What matters is that the pattern is legible: contracts or recurring invoices, statements that match them, and an average that clears the threshold across the period the consulate looks at.
Is the income threshold the same every year?
No. It is four times the Portuguese minimum wage, EUR 3,680 a month in 2026, and it moves every January when the minimum wage is set. We confirm the figure for the month you apply in.
Sources
The official pages behind this guide. Rules change, so we confirm the current position on every case.
