How to Move to Portugal As an American

This guide on how to move to Portugal is authored by James Cave.

Portugal has become the destination for Americans looking to move to Europe – and honestly, it makes sense.

Great weather, affordable cost of living (at least outside Lisbon), universal healthcare, and one of the easiest paths to EU residency? Yeah, it’s popular for a reason.

Whether you’re a retiree dreaming of coastal living, a remote worker who’s done with US corporate life, or someone who just wants a backup plan in Europe without fully committing, Portugal has a visa for you. 

I have been running Portugalist since 2016, and during that time, thousands of people have used the website (and book – Moving to Portugal Made Simple) to make the move to Portugal. 

Let’s break down your options using 2026 figures, starting with the “easiest” options. 

1. D7 Visa – The Passive Income Visa

Best for: Retirees, landlords, investors, anyone with recurring passive income 

Income required: €920/month (~$1,000) 

Savings required: Around 12 months of savings in a Portuguese bank account 

This is the American favorite, and for good reason.

If you receive retirement income like Social Security, a pension, or other forms of passive income like rental income or dividends from investments, you likely qualify. The income threshold is low, the paperwork is manageable, and it’s one of the easiest paths to residency in Portugal. 

Want to bring a spouse or partner? Add 50% (or €460). Want to bring dependent children? Add 30% (or €276) per dependent child. 

For the savings requirement, take the monthly requirement (e.g. €920+€460 for a couple) and multiply it by 12 as a minimum. 

This is the most popular residency visa with readers, particularly Americans. The requirements are doable, especially for retirees, and the visa process itself is straightforward. It isn’t without its complications (nothing in Portugal is) but given you don’t need a job, to start a business, or ask your boss for permission to work here, it’s definitely one of the easier options. 

Things to know: Like most visas (with the possible exception of the Golden Visa), you will most likely be a tax resident in Portugal, and even retirement income that isn’t taxed in the US may be taxed in Portugal.

Thankfully, there are dual-tax agreements to prevent double taxation, and the lower cost of living can often make up for any higher tax burden. 

RELATED: How to Move to Europe as An American

2. Digital Nomad Visa – For Remote Workers & Freelancers

Best for: Remote employees, freelancers, contractors 

Income required: €3,680/month (~$4,000)

Savings required: Around 12 months of savings in a Portuguese bank account 

Portugal’s Digital Nomad Visa lets you live and work remotely as long as your income comes from outside Portugal. This could be as a freelancer or remotely, if your employer allows it. 

The catch? At four times the Portuguese minimum wage, the income requirement is steep. It’s actually higher than Spain’s equivalent, which surprises a lot of people. But if you’re a freelancer earning good money or a remote employee with a flexible company, this could be your ticket.

Want to bring a spouse or partner? Add 50% (€1,840). Want to bring dependent children? Add 30% (€1,104). 

Thankfully the savings requirement is based on the minimum wage and not the income requirements. For an individual, that would be 12 times €920 (rather than 12 times €3,680) and for a couple it would be €1,380 (€920+€460) times 12. 

This is the second most popular visa for Portugalist readers. However, even though American wages are comparatively high, the income requirements are often too high for many Americans – particularly couples and families.

In the case of some families, some couples submit two separate applications in order to reduce the income requirements, or look at renting their property and applying for the D7 instead.  

Things to know: Getting your employer to agree to you working from Europe permanently can be tricky. Freelancers have an easier time here.

RELATED: 10 BEST Digital Nomad Jobs For Beginners

3. Golden Visa – The Backup Plan

Best for: Investors who want EU access without relocating 

Investment required: €250,000–€500,000 (depending on the route) 

Time in Portugal required: ~7 days per year

Not ready to leave the US just yet? The Golden Visa is the “keep your options open” visa.

You invest €500k in Portugal (most people invest in a qualifying fund) or donate €250k (though this is less popular), and in return, you get residency. 

The big bonus: you only need to spend about a week per year in the country on average. This allows you to continue living elsewhere or traveling the world while maintaining legal residency in Portugal.

If you decide to move in the future, you are free to move here full-time. Otherwise, you can essentially spend as little or as much time as you like. 

As most Americans want to move to Portugal within the next year or two, this visa isn’t as popular. Given the higher fees, it typically doesn’t make sense to go for the Golden Visa if you can apply for the D7 or Digital Nomad Visa instead. 

That said, there are plenty of Americans who simply want a “Plan B” or to avoid tax residency in Portugal and, for them, this visa can make perfect sense. It’s also worth considering if you have significant savings (€500k or more) but they don’t generate an income that would qualify you for the D7. 

Although this visa offers a lot of perks, it is more expensive and you really have to do your own research and due diligence. Golden Visa funds are supervised and regulated by the Portuguese government authority, the Comissão do Mercado de Valores Mobiliários (CMVM), but most are only a few years old.  

Things to know: Buying property no longer qualifies you for the Golden Visa. You can still buy property; it just won’t allow you to obtain residency. 

READ MORE: Guides to Traveling in Portugal

4. D2 Visa – Start or Transfer a Business

Best for: Entrepreneurs, small business owners, consultants 

Income required: €920/month

Savings required: Around 12 months of savings in a Portuguese bank account 

Want to launch a business in Portugal or relocate one you already run? The D2 is your route.

Unlike many European countries, Portugal doesn’t require a minimum investment or even job creation. That’s the good news.

The less good news is that this visa is subject to a lot of scrutiny. We all know that most new businesses go bust within a few years, and the goal of the person reviewing your application is to make sure that you’re not one of those businesses. They want you to succeed and not to become a burden on the Portuguese state. 

This visa is quite possible, as everyone has a business idea floating around. However, you need more than just an idea, but a solid business plan – one that shows that your business has the potential to keep you afloat in Portugal and, ideally, benefit the economy or locality in some way. 

Things to know: Approval is subjective. What works for one reviewer may not work for another, so be aware there is a lot of subjectivity. 

RELATED: 39 EPIC Things to Do in Europe THIS Summer

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5. D3 Visa – Highly Qualified Workers

Best for: Skilled professionals (IT, healthcare, engineering, finance) 

Salary required: €1,380/month minimum

If you’ve got specialized skills and a Portuguese employer willing to sponsor you, the D3 is designed for you. This comes with several advantages over the more general D1 visa, particularly that it can pave the way to getting the EU Blue Card.

This potentially allows you to leave Portugal sooner and move to another (potentially higher-paying) EU country. 

Things to know: The hard part isn’t the visa – it’s landing the job. Employers in Portugal have access to the Portuguese market and the whole of the EU market, so there needs to be a good reason for them to hire someone from outside the EU. 

6. D1 Visa – General Work Visa

Best for: Anyone with a job offer in Portugal 

Salary required: €920/month (minimum wage)

Got a job offer? The D1 covers everything that doesn’t fall under “highly qualified.” Teachers, hospitality workers, tradespeople: this is the catch-all employment visa.

Unlike the D3, this doesn’t come with perks like priority processing and eligibility for the EU Blue Card, but it does allow you to live and work in Portugal. 

Things to know: Same challenge as the D3. Finding a Portuguese employer willing to sponsor a non-EU worker takes effort and, sometimes, being fluent in Portuguese. The employer also needs to show that they weren’t able to find a suitable candidate in Portugal or the EU. 

7. D4 Visa – Student Visa

Best for: Students pursuing a degree or long-term study program 

Requirements: Acceptance into a Portuguese university + proof of funds

Portugal has solid universities, affordable tuition, and your time as a student counts toward permanent residency. In fact, Coimbra University is one of the oldest universities in the world. Fees are also a fraction of what they typically are in the US.   

Things to know: Most programs are taught in Portuguese, though English-taught bachelor’s and master’s programs exist.

The bigger issue? Degree programs often aren’t long enough to hit the 5-year mark for permanent residency, so you’ll need to think about a second degree or switching to an employment visa. 

Half-in, Half-Out 

Not ready for a full visa commitment? 

The 90-day rule – Americans can stay in the Schengen Zone (which includes Portugal) for 90 days out of every 180. Great for testing the waters, and this potentially allows several trips to Portugal per year.

This is a popular choice for digital nomads and long-term travelers, but the time spent in Portugal as a tourist obviously doesn’t count towards permanent residency or citizenship. On the plus side, it does mean you don’t have to change your residency, tax residency, or anything else. 

RELATED: Countries Where You Can Stay Long-Term on a Tourist Visa

Where Do You Start?

Portugal isn’t the only option for Americans who want to move to Europe but it’s one of the most accessible. While there are slightly easier digital nomad visas, it’s hard to find a passive income visa that’s more attainable than the D7.

And given that Spain has ended its golden visa and most others require you to spend considerable time there to get citizenship, Portugal still has one of the most enticing “residency by investment” visas. 

The best place to start is by working out which visa you qualify for, and then sense-checking your plans with a lawyer or immigration advisor. 

It’s worth noting that finding a visa you could qualify for is just the beginning. Most visas, like the D7 or Digital Nomad Visa, require you to jump through a number of hoops – like get a Portuguese bank account and an address in Portugal before you move here.

Then there are all the documents to gather, like FBI background checks, financial documents, and everything else. 

It’s a lot of work, but in just a few months’ time, you could be sipping wine on a balcony in Lisbon or getting ready to go surfing in the Algarve. More importantly, it means getting a place in Europe with a path to permanent residency and Portuguese citizenship. 

READ MORE: Guides to Traveling in Portugal

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