Moving to Portugal: the 2026 relocation & visa guide

Do you need a visa?

If you hold an EU/EEA or Swiss passport, you don't need a visa. You can move freely and simply register as a resident at your local council (câmara municipal) once you've been in the country for more than three months, receiving a registration certificate (CRUE).

Everyone else — including UK citizens since Brexit — needs a residence visa to stay longer than 90 days in any 180. Portugal offers several routes; the right one depends on how you'll fund your life there.

The main residence visa routes

Portugal's residence visas each suit a different situation. The most common for relocating non-EU buyers are:

• D7 (passive income / retirement visa) — for people with stable recurring income from pensions, rental, dividends or investments. The most popular route for retirees and the financially independent.
• D8 (digital nomad visa, introduced 2022) — for remote workers and freelancers earning from outside Portugal, above a monthly income threshold (roughly four times the Portuguese minimum wage).
• Golden Visa (ARI) — residency by investment. Note: the property-purchase route was removed in October 2023, so you can no longer qualify by buying a home. It now runs through qualifying investment funds, capital transfer, research, cultural donations or job creation.
• D2 (entrepreneur / self-employment) — for those starting a business or working as a self-employed professional in Portugal.
• Study and work visas — for students and people with a Portuguese employment contract.

From visa to residency to citizenship

A residence visa gets you into the country; once there you exchange it for a residence permit through AIMA (the agency that replaced SEF in 2023). Permits are renewed periodically.

After five years of legal residence you can apply for permanent residency or for Portuguese citizenship, provided you meet the requirements — including an A2-level Portuguese language test. Portugal allows dual citizenship, so you generally won't need to give up your existing nationality.

First practical steps: NIF and a bank account

Two things unlock almost everything else in Portugal: a NIF (número de identificação fiscal — your tax number) and a Portuguese bank account. You'll need the NIF to sign a lease, buy property, set up utilities or get a phone contract, and most buyers arrange one early, often through a lawyer or a fiscal representative.

With a NIF and proof of address you can open a local bank account, which makes paying deposits, taxes and bills far simpler than relying on a foreign card.

Tax: residency and the IFICI regime

You become a Portuguese tax resident if you spend more than 183 days a year in the country, or have your habitual home there. Tax residents are taxed on worldwide income, so it's worth taking advice before you move.

The well-known Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) scheme closed to new entrants at the end of 2023. It has been replaced by a narrower incentive, IFICI (informally 'NHR 2.0'), aimed at qualifying highly-skilled, scientific and innovation roles. Whether you qualify is specific to your circumstances — this is the area where professional advice pays for itself.

Healthcare

Portugal has a public health service, the SNS, which residents can use at low cost once registered. Many newcomers also take out private health insurance, which is inexpensive by UK/US standards and gives faster access to English-speaking doctors and private hospitals.

EU citizens can use an EHIC/GHIC card for short stays before they register as residents.

Schools for families

State schools are free and teach in Portuguese — younger children often settle quickly. Families who want an English-language or international curriculum will find a good choice of private international schools clustered around Lisbon, Cascais, the Algarve and Porto, with British, American and IB programmes.

Each Habio location guide lists how many schools sit within a short distance of the area, which helps when you're narrowing down where to live.

Cost of living

Portugal is generally cheaper than the UK, Ireland or the US, though the gap has narrowed in the cities. Lisbon and Cascais are the most expensive places to live and buy; the Silver Coast, the interior and parts of the Algarve offer much better value.

Use the price figures on each Habio location guide — typical asking price, price per square metre and the range of homes for sale — to compare areas realistically before you visit.

A realistic timeline

Most non-EU relocations follow a similar shape, and it pays to start the paperwork early:

• Months 1–2: get a NIF, open a bank account, decide on a visa route and gather documents (income proof, criminal record check, accommodation).
• Months 2–4: submit the visa application at the Portuguese consulate in your home country.
• After arrival: attend your AIMA appointment to collect your residence permit, register with the SNS and the local council.
• In parallel: rent first to get to know an area before buying — then use a local lawyer for the purchase itself.