What do I need to start my application for a Portuguese "D" long term residency visa? 

• 2 Passport photos
• Personal statement - explain your reason for applying for the visa, including where you plan to be, how you will source your income and your stability.
• Passport - valid for 3 months minimum but we suggest six months after the end of the requested visa (120 days).
• Proof of regular situation - for American citizens this is not applicable or you can reference your passport.
• Travel Insurance - This must be valid a minimum of 120 days but we suggest longer due to appointment delays with AIMA. It needs to include possible repatriation and have a “visa” letter as proof.
• FBI report - for Americans, criminal record certificate from home country. issued within the past three months. It needs to be Apostilled, pull your report from the FBI six weeks before your appointment to leave time for the Apostilled process.
• Proof of accommodation in Portugal - for a minimum of one year. What qualifies? Promissory Contract with the final deed date before your anticipated move date. Legal rental agreement with proof of registration. Term of Responsibility, a private citizen will need to share passport/ID, Portuguese residence, notarized authorization from landlord if necessary with all signatures duly recognized.

Proof of Financial resources/means of subsistence.

Each visa has specific requirements

• D7 - Last 3 months of bank statements showing deposits of the minimum Portuguese wage plus, showing an available bank balance equal or superior to the Portuguese minimum monthly salary, currently amounting to 870€, multiplied by the number of months the applicant intends to stay in Portugal (up to 12 months)

• * *If applying with further family members(Accompanying Family Member visa) please bear in mind that the criteria to determine means of subsistence is based on the minimum monthly salary, net of any tax and social security deductions, with a per capita increase for each family unit as follows:

• • First adult: 100%.

• • Second adult and additional adults: 50%.

• • Children and young people under 18 years of age and non-minor dependent children: 30%

• D8 - Last 3 months of bank statements showing deposits of 3,480€, showing an available bank balance equal or superior to the Portuguese minimum monthly salary currently amounting to 870€, multiplied by the number of months the applicant intends to stay in Portugal (up to 12 months)

• Term of responsibility filled and signed by sponsor/institution, which guarantees food and accommodation for the visa applicant, as well as the replacement of removal costs, in case of irregular stay. When sponsored by a private citizen, the term of responsibility must also be accompanied by a copy of the host’s passport/ID, Portuguese residence permit (if applicable), last 3 months of bank statements and latest Income Tax Return (IRS) of the subscriber (if applicable). The Term of Responsibility concerning the conditions of stay within Portuguese territory will only be accepted if the subscriber's signature is duly recognized by a Notary that serves the sponsor’s legal area of residence.

• The criteria to determine financial resources/means of subsistence for dependent applicants is based on the minimum monthly salary, currently amounting to 870€, net of any tax and social security deductions, with a per capita increase for each family unit as follows:

• • First adult: 100%.

• • Second adult and additional adults: 50%.

• • Children and young people under 18 years of age and non-minor dependent children: 30%

   Proof of Financial resources/means of subsistence. Each visa has specific requirements

  D4 - Depending on your chosen field of study and the type of institution, income requirements for the student visa may be reduced or waived. Please refer to the specific D4 student visa section for detailed eligibility criteria. Last 3 months of bank statements showing deposits of the minimum Portuguese wage plus, showing an available bank balance equal or superior to the Portuguese minimum monthly salary, currently amounting to 870€, multiplied by the number of months the applicant intends to stay in Portugal (up to 12 months)

  Term of responsibility filled and signed by sponsor/institution, which guarantees food and accommodation for the visa applicant, as well as the replacement of removal costs, in case of irregular stay. When sponsored by a private citizen, the term of responsibility must also be accompanied by a copy of the host’s passport/ID, Portuguese residence permit (if applicable), last 3 months of bank statements and latest Income Tax Return (IRS) of the subscriber (if applicable). The Term of Responsibility concerning the conditions of stay within Portuguese territory will only be accepted if the subscriber's signature is duly recognized by a Notary that serves the sponsor’s legal area of residence.

  For the purposes of proof of financial resources/means ofsubsistence, the means derived from a contract or promise of an employment contract, grants or scholarships, can be considered, but applicants must still provide an available bank balance equal to at least one Portuguese minimum monthly salary.

  Specific documents by visa

  D7

  For retirement purposes:

  • Document certifying pension amount above the Portuguese minimum wage, made available weekly, monthly or yearly (pension letter, pension statements, tax return with pension information, etc.). All income should be readily available and verifiable through tax returns and/or accountant/fiscal entity statement, and/or bank transactions.

  • Portuguese bank account Applicants must provide clear evidence regarding the stability, regularity and origins of the passive income (active income cannot be considered) and evidence the income (pension) will be available as soon as they arrive in Portugal.

  For people living out from personal revenue:

  • Document certifying passive revenue above the Portuguese minimum wage, made available weekly, monthly or yearly, from movable and immovable property, intellectual or financial assets (dividends (payment receipts), rents (property deeds and rental contracts), investment portfolio, etc.).

  All income must be readily available and verifiable through tax returns and/or accountant/fiscal entity statement, and/or bank transactions present in the bank statements.

  • Portuguese bank account Applicants must provide clear evidence regarding the stability, regularity and origins of the passive income (active income cannot be considered) and evidence that they already have access to said income, for a minimum of 3 months before submitting the visa request.

  Specific documents by visa

  D4 - student visa

  Research purposes:

  • Employment contract or hosting agreement with the research centre or university; or,

  • Letter of acceptance from the research centre or the higher education institution and proof of scholarship or research grant; or,

  • Sponsorship letter signed by the research centre or higher education institution guaranteeing their admission and living expenses. Researchers admitted to a research centre or higher education institution officially recognized under the terms of the legislation in force (Article 91-B of Law 23/2007) are exempt from presenting health insurance or equivalent, employment contract or convention, travel insurance and means of subsistence. Whenever the applicant is the beneficiary of a study or research grant, he is exempt from presenting the document proving admission, as well as proof of sufficient means of subsistence, provided he informs the Consular Post of this fact.

  Higher education purposes (University or College):

  • Proof of fulfilment of admission criteria or acceptance to a higher education institution for a study program and proof of sufficient means of support to attend the study program. Higher education students admitted to a higher education institution officially recognized under the terms of the legislation in force (Article 91-B of Law 23/2007) are exempt from presenting health insurance or equivalent, from proving admission conditions or how they were accepted in a higher education institution, travel insurance or financial resources/means of subsistence.

  D visa Family members are defined as the following:

  • The spouse;

  • The partner, with whom main applicant has a civil partnership, duly proven under the law, either through a registered partnership or by providing evidence of cohabitation for over two years (council tax and utility bills, bank statements, rental contracts, owned property, etc.),

  • Minors or disabled children dependent on the couple or one of the spouses;

  • Minors adopted by the applicant (when single), by the applicant or by the spouse, as per decision of the competent authority of the country of origin, provided that the law of that country recognizes adopted children with rights and duties identical to those of natural filiation and that decision is recognized by Portugal;

  • Children of legal age, dependent on the couple or one of the spouses, who are single and studying at an educational establishment in Portugal;

  • Children of legal age, dependent on the couple or one of the spouses, who are single and studying, whenever the holder of the right to family reunification has a residence permit issued under Article 90.º-A; • First-degree relatives in the ascending line of the resident or their spouse, provided they are dependent on them;

  • Minor siblings, provided they are under the guardianship of the resident, in accordance with a decision issued by the competent authority of the country of origin and that decision is recognised by Portugal.

  • Single minors or disabled children, including adopted children of the partner of the civil partnership, provided they are legally under the protection of the partner. The following documents must be provided:

  • Proof of family relationship: birth certificate, marriage certificate, registered partnership – original or certified copy. Unregistered partnerships must provide evidence of cohabitation as a couple for over two years (council tax and utility bills, bank statements, rental contracts, owned property, etc.), All civil registry certificates must be certified/apostilled per procedures in place.

  • Identification document of main applicant - original or certified copy

  • Proof of availability of stable and regular means, enough to cover the needs of the main visa applicant and the accompanying relatives during the required period of stay or for the period of 12 months, whatever is lesser

  • Proof of main applicant’s National visa request (if applicable): proof of appointment/visa request submission ADITIONAL DOCUMENTS FOR MINORS

  • Unabridged birth certificate showing biological parents names; if the birth certificate is not in English or Portuguese, then a translation by a certified translator is also required.

  • Original passports of both parents or certified copy of the biodata page of the passports.

  • Letter of consent of parental authority or legal guardian In the case of sole custody, the following documents must be submitted:

  • birth certificate mentioning one parent in English or Portuguese; or • death certificate of absent parent in English or Portuguese; or

  • court ruling in English or Portuguese. Application forms should be signed by the parent holding parental responsibility or legal guardian. When minors are not travelling with both parents, or are traveling with a third person, a travel authorization, with legalized signature, of one or both parents respectively, or a court order, is required.

  Notes:

  • A Residence Visa is for applicants that wish to stay in Portugal for more than 1 year. The applicant will initially be granted a visa valid for 120 days with up to two entrances into Portugal, followed by an appointment with AIMA in Portugal, to acquire a Residence Permit. More information regarding Residence Permits can be found in the following link: AIMA Portal (The Consulate has no say or control over AIMA appointments for Residence Permit, and for more information regarding the required documents or rescheduling, applicants should reach out to AIMA directly.)

  • A Residence visa application can take 90 to 120 days for a decision, but an extended period of analysis may be requested in justified circumstances:

  • All work contracts or promissory work contracts should be duly registered with the relevant authorities and include: the identification, signatures and domicile of both parties; worker's activity and corresponding remuneration, place and normal working period; work start date and end date (if applicable); mention of vacation days and food allowance (if applicable); Christmas and holiday allowance (if applicable).

  • All public documents must be legalized per conventions in place, including, but not limited to, Civil Registry documentation, such as marriage and birth certificates, Criminal Record Certificates, professional certificates and diplomas. This legalization can be made through the Apostille (if applicable) or by utilizing the relevant Portuguese Consulate/service that serves the place of origin of the document in question: Certified translations are also required for documents not written in English or Portuguese.

  • The Term of Responsibility concerning the conditions of stay within Portuguese territory will only be accepted if the subscriber's signature is duly recognized by a Notary that serves the sponsor’s legal area of residence.

  • Failure to submit all the necessary documents may lead to the rejection of the visa application.

  • The Consular Post reserves the right to request documents other than those mentioned above whenever deemed convenient.

  • Even if all the requested documents are presented, it doesn’t imply the automatic granting of the visa.

  • Refusal of the visa application shall not entitle to a reimbursement of the visa fee.