PORTUGAL – Elena Martinez
Lawyer, Ordem dos Advogados #11847, Lisbon
Everyone quotes different numbers for the D7. I've done over 800 of these applications since 2019. Here's what actually works.
Income Requirements (2025)
Main applicant: €870/month
Add spouse: +50% (so €1,305 total)
Each child: +30% of the base
Family of four needs: €1,827/month
Income That Works:
✓ Pension payments
✓ Rental income from properties
✓ Investment dividends/returns
✓ Long-term remote employment salary
Income That Doesn't:
✗ Just having savings (even large amounts)
✗ Short-term contracts
✗ One-time bonuses
You need to show 6-12 months of bank statements with steady deposits.
Where People Mess Up
Criminal records - You need to apostille FIRST, then translate. If you translate first and then apostille, you have to redo both. This mistake costs people €200 and six weeks.
Insurance confusion - It must be HEALTH insurance, not travel insurance. Minimum €30,000 coverage for 12 months. I have clients who submitted travel insurance three times before understanding the difference.
Translation order matters - Use a certified Portuguese translator registered with the consulate. Wrong translator = rejection.
Processing Times by Consulate (based on my 2025 cases)
Miami: 60-75 days
LA: 70-85 days
London: 75-90 days
Toronto: 70-85 days
Sydney: 100-130 days (they're the slowest)
Tax Situation Changed
The famous NHR (Non-Habitual Resident) tax break ended for most new applicants in 2024. Now there's a new program called IFICI but it's only for specific research/innovation fields. Everyone else pays normal Portuguese tax rates.
This doesn't make Portugal a bad choice—the tax rates are still reasonable—but people need to stop expecting the tax holiday.
My Advice
The D7 isn't hard. It's just slow and detail-oriented. If you prepare everything correctly the first time, you'll save yourself months. If you rush it, you'll end up resubmitting and it takes twice as long.
— Elena Martinez, Lisbon