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Portugal Retirement Visa 2026: retiring to Portugal on the D7

Portugal has no visa called a retirement visa. Retirees use the D7 passive income visa, which turns into a residence permit and counts towards permanent residence after five years. Here is what a retiree's file has to show.

The short answer

A single retiree needs a regular pension or other passive income of at least €870 a month; a couple needs €1,305. Consulates also expect about twelve months of that amount in savings, health insurance for the first months, accommodation in Portugal and a clean criminal record.

Pension needed for your household

Minimum monthly income
€870
Per year
€10,440
Savings commonly expected (12 months)
€10,440

Built from a minimum wage of €870, verified 8 September 2026.

Check your own income against it

What a retiree's D7 file contains

  1. Proof of pension

    Award or entitlement letter plus recent statements showing the payments land in your account.

  2. Savings

    Bank statements showing accessible funds; around twelve months of the threshold is the common expectation.

  3. NIF and Portuguese bank account

    The tax number comes first; many consulates want to see funds in a Portuguese account.

  4. Accommodation

    A lease, a promissory lease or a hosting declaration covering your first months in Portugal.

  5. Health insurance

    Travel and health cover valid in Portugal until you are registered with the national health service.

  6. Criminal record

    From every country you lived in recently, apostilled and translated, and still valid on appointment day.

Where retiree files go wrong

  • ◆ The pension starts after the appointment, so there is no payment history yet.
  • ◆ Savings sit in an account that is not in the applicant's name.
  • ◆ The criminal record certificate expires while waiting for the appointment.
  • ◆ The spouse is added without the uplifted threshold being met.
The ten most common D7 refusal reasons

After you arrive

  • ◆ Attend the AIMA appointment to receive the residence permit.
  • ◆ Register with your parish council and the national health service.
  • ◆ Stay within the absence limits so the five years keep counting.
  • ◆ Check how your pension is taxed under the relevant tax treaty.

Ready to build the file

Every letter a retiree's D7 needs, already written

The Consulate Application Pack drafts the means-of-subsistence declaration, the accommodation statement and the cover letter in English and Portuguese with your pension and household, and adds your consulate's own rules.

See the Pack — €29 onceEstimate tax on your pension

Questions people actually ask

Is there a separate retirement visa in Portugal?
No. Retirees apply for the D7, the national residence visa for people living on passive income. A pension is the clearest example of the income the D7 was written for.
Is there an age limit?
No. The D7 has no minimum or maximum age. What matters is that the income is regular, continues without you working, and reaches the threshold for everyone in your household.
Does Social Security or a private pension count?
Both count as passive income when you can show the entitlement letter and the payments arriving in your account. Several sources, such as a state pension plus an annuity or rent, make the file stronger than one source alone.
Can I retire in Portugal before my pension starts?
Yes, if other passive income — rent, dividends, interest — covers the threshold, or if consulates accept savings to cover a shortfall. Savings alone are judged case by case, so a regular income stream is the safer basis.
How is my pension taxed once I live in Portugal?
Once you are tax resident, foreign pensions are generally taxed under Portuguese rules, subject to the tax treaty between Portugal and the paying country. The IFICI incentive does not cover pensions, so check the treaty and your own case before you move.
Can I bring my spouse?
Yes. A spouse can be included in the same application or join through family reunification. The income threshold rises by half for each additional adult.

Official sources

Criteria last updated 8 September 2026

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