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How much money do you need to move to Portugal?

The two numbers that matter: the recurring income your visa route requires, and the one-off cash the move itself consumes.

The short answer

You need two separate sums: recurring monthly income at or above your route's threshold (the minimum wage for D7, four times it for D8, plus uplifts for family), and a one-off budget for the move itself — typically several thousand euros per person once fees, flights, deposits, insurance and document costs are added up.

Two budgets needed

Recurring monthly income + one-off move costs

Income basis

Multiples of the national minimum wage

Statements usually requested

6-12 months

Buffer we recommend

Beyond the minimum threshold, not exactly at it

The recurring number

Income requirements in Portugal are usually expressed as multiples of the national minimum wage, which is why they move every time that figure is updated. A household is assessed as a whole: a second adult and each dependent child add a percentage on top of the main applicant''s threshold.

Use the income requirement calculator rather than a figure you read on a forum — the calculator reads from a single dated table of reference values, so it reflects the last time we verified them.

The one-off number

This is the part people forget. A realistic per-person move budget includes:

the consular visa fee, and later the residence permit issue fee;
criminal record certificates, apostilles and certified translations;
travel and health insurance for the initial period;
flights and excess baggage or shipping;
a rental deposit, usually two months plus the first month;
furniture and appliances if the place is unfurnished;
a buffer for the weeks before your income settles into a Portuguese account.

Savings on top of income

Consulates look for stability, not just a single good month. Twelve months of statements showing the income actually arriving is far more persuasive than a large one-off balance, and a visible savings buffer beyond the minimum threshold does real work in a borderline file.

Then there is the monthly cost of living

Meeting the visa threshold is not the same as living comfortably. Lisbon rents in particular can consume a D7-level income entirely. Run the cost of living calculator for the city you are actually considering before you conclude the numbers work.

Questions people actually ask

Can savings replace monthly income?: Some routes accept savings as supporting evidence, but the assessment centres on stable recurring means. A large balance with no incoming income is a weak file on the passive income route.
Does the requirement rise for children?: Yes. A second adult and each dependent child add a percentage of the main threshold. The calculator applies those uplifts.