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Portugal retirement visa

Portugal has no visa literally called a retirement visa. Retirees move on the D7, and this page is the D7 read strictly from a retiree's point of view: pension income, healthcare and the paperwork that trips people up.

The short answer

There is no separate Portuguese retirement visa. Retirees apply for the D7 residence visa on passive income, which means a pension. You must show recurring income of at least the Portuguese minimum wage (EUR 870 a month in 2026) for the main applicant, plus 50% for a spouse and 30% per child, along with accommodation in Portugal, a clean criminal record and health cover. After five years of legal residence you can apply for permanent residence or citizenship.

Route retirees actually use

D7 residence visa (passive income)

Income floor, one retiree

1x minimum wage (EUR 870/month, 2026)

Extra for a spouse

+50% of the minimum wage

Consular visa fee

EUR 90 per person

Residence permit fee

EUR 170 per person

To permanent residence or citizenship

5 years of legal residence

Portugal has no "retirement visa"

Every article promising a Portuguese retirement visa is describing the D7 residence visa. The D7 is the route for people whose income arrives without them working for it this month: pensions, rent, dividends, annuities, royalties. A state or private pension is the cleanest possible D7 file, which is why retirees dominate this route.

If you are still working remotely, the D7 is the wrong route for you — that is the D8, assessed against four times the minimum wage.

What a retiree has to prove

Requirement	What the consulate wants to see
Recurring passive income	Pension statements, award letters, 6 to 12 months of bank credits
Amount	At least the minimum wage for you, +50% for a spouse, +30% per child
Accommodation	A lease, a property deed, or a long booking with an address
Criminal record	Certificate from your country of residence, apostilled and translated
Health cover	Travel/health insurance valid for the visa, then Portuguese health cover after registering
Intent	NIF (tax number), Portuguese bank account, and a coherent plan

The income test is about reliability, not wealth. A modest state pension that lands on the same day every month reads better than a large but irregular balance.

The numbers for a retired couple

Two adults on pensions need the main applicant's minimum wage plus 50% for the second adult. On the 2026 minimum wage of EUR 870 that is about EUR 1,305 a month of proven recurring income — and most consulates prefer to see headroom above the floor, plus savings.

Living costs are the other half of the decision. A retired couple lives comfortably in Braga, Viseu or Évora on noticeably less than in Lisbon or Cascais, and the gap is mostly rent. Run your own household through the cost of living tool before you fix a city.

Healthcare, which decides more retirements than visas do

On arrival you hold private or travel health insurance; budget roughly EUR 45 a month per adult for a basic policy, more with age and pre-existing conditions.
Once you hold a residence permit and register with social security, you can register at your local health centre and use the SNS, the national health service, with small user fees.
Many retirees keep a private policy alongside the SNS to shorten waiting times for specialists.
EU/EEA pensioners should ask their home system about the S1 form, which can transfer healthcare cover.

Taxes after you move

Once you spend more than 183 days a year in Portugal you are a Portuguese tax resident and declare your worldwide income there. The old NHR regime that exempted most foreign pension income is closed to new arrivals, and its successor is aimed at qualified professionals, not retirees. Plan on foreign pensions being taxable in Portugal under the normal progressive rates, subject to the double tax treaty with your country.

Retirement to citizenship

After five years of legal residence you can apply for permanent residence or for citizenship, provided you have not been outside Portugal for more than 183 days in any one year and you can show basic Portuguese (A2). Residence permits are renewed in the meantime; each renewal expects the same income and address evidence as the first file.

The order of work

Get a NIF and a Portuguese bank account.
Assemble 6 to 12 months of pension evidence.
Secure accommodation with a real address.
Order criminal record certificates, then apostille and translate them.
Buy health insurance for the visa period.
Book the consulate appointment, then the AIMA appointment in Portugal.

Questions people actually ask

Is there a Portuguese retirement visa?: No. Portugal has no visa with that name. Retirees apply for the D7 residence visa, which is designed for people living on passive income such as a pension.
How much pension income do I need for the D7?: At least the Portuguese minimum wage for the main applicant — EUR 870 a month in 2026 — plus 50% for a spouse and 30% for each child. Consulates look for headroom above that floor and for income that arrives reliably.
Do retirees get healthcare in Portugal?: You need private or travel health insurance for the visa itself. After you receive your residence permit and register with social security you can register at a local health centre and use the SNS, the national health service. Many retirees keep a private policy alongside it.
Are my foreign pensions taxed in Portugal?: Once you are a Portuguese tax resident you declare worldwide income, including foreign pensions, under the normal progressive rates. The old NHR exemption for pension income is closed to new arrivals; the applicable double tax treaty decides where each item is taxed.
Can I bring my spouse on the same application?: Yes. A spouse can be included, and the income requirement rises by 50% of the minimum wage for the second adult and 30% for each dependent child.
How long until I can apply for citizenship?: Five years of legal residence, with renewals in between, no absence longer than 183 days in a year, and A2-level Portuguese.