Non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens who want to live in Portugal generally need a Portuguese national ("D") visa issued by a Portuguese consulate before travel, which is then converted into a residence permit ("título de residência") at an AIMA appointment after arrival. The main routes are: D7 (passive income/retirement), D2 (entrepreneur/self-employment), D8 (digital nomad/remote work), D3 (highly qualified activity), D4 (study), the EU Blue Card (highly qualified employment, including transfer from another EU state), family reunification with a resident already in Portugal, and the investment-based residence permit (ARI, popularly "Golden Visa"). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and their family members do not need a visa at all — they use a simpler "free movement" registration process. Applicants of any route with 5 years of legal residence can generally apply for permanent residence or citizenship.
Portugal has no single "immigration visa" — the correct pathway depends entirely on the applicant's income source, work situation, and family ties, and each has different minimum-income rules, processing routes, and conversion outcomes. Picking the wrong pathway wastes months given AIMA's backlog (see aima-process.md).
Key Facts
Portugal's immigration and asylum agency is AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo), which replaced SEF (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras) in October 2023.
Most non-EU pathways follow the same two-stage structure: (1) apply for a national ("D") visa at a Portuguese consulate abroad, valid for 2 entries and 4 months, then (2) attend an in-person AIMA appointment in Portugal to be issued the actual residence permit/card.
The Golden Visa (ARI) real-estate investment route was abolished for new applicants in October 2023. As of 2026 the remaining qualifying routes are non-property-based: job creation (10+ jobs), capital transfer of at least €500,000 into qualifying scientific-research or non-real-estate investment funds, or at least €250,000 into artistic production/cultural heritage support. (Source: vistos.mne.gov.pt/pt/ari-autorizacao-de-residencia-para-actividade-de-investimento)
ARI/Golden Visa holders only need to spend a minimum of 7 days in Portugal in the first year and 14 days in each subsequent 2-year period — much lower than other residency routes, which is the route's main remaining appeal.
EU/EEA/Swiss citizens staying more than 3 months must request a Certificado de Registo (registration certificate) from their local Câmara Municipal within 30 days after the 3-month mark; this is not a visa and does not go through AIMA consular channels. (Source: aima.gov.pt/pt/nacionais-ue-e-familiares/nacionais-ue/certificado-de-registo-para-nacionais-ue)
Family reunification, D7, D2, D3, D8 and student (D4) visas all convert into a temporary residence permit after the AIMA appointment; permits are renewable and lead toward permanent residence/citizenship eligibility after 5 years of legal residence.
As of Lei n.º 61/2025 (in force 22 October 2025), a resident must hold their own residence authorization for at least 2 years before they can sponsor most family reunification cases — a new restriction not present in earlier guidance. (Source: diariodarepublica.pt/dr/detalhe/lei/61-2025-941547426)
Steps
Identify the right pathway — Match your situation to a route: stable foreign passive income/pension → D7; running a business or freelancing in Portugal → D2; remote employment/freelance income for a foreign employer above the income threshold → D8; a job offer for highly qualified work → D3 or EU Blue Card; enrollment at a Portuguese higher-education institution → D4; joining a family member already legally resident → family reunification; qualifying investment → ARI.
Apply for the national visa (non-EU applicants) — Apply at the Portuguese consulate with jurisdiction over your place of legal residence, providing proof of means of subsistence, accommodation in Portugal, criminal record certificate, and route-specific documents (see visa-types.md).
Travel and attend the AIMA appointment — Once granted the D visa (valid 4 months, 2 entries), travel to Portugal and complete the AIMA in-person appointment to receive the actual residence permit (see aima-process.md for current wait times).
Renew and progress toward permanent status — Residence permits are issued for an initial period and renewed at AIMA; after 5 cumulative years of legal residence, holders can generally apply for permanent residence or Portuguese citizenship, subject to other requirements (e.g. language, tax/social security compliance).