As of December 2023, Portugal ranks sixth among the best countries for freelancers to live and work.
The Digital Nomad Visa program in Portugal, operational since October 2022, allows digital nomads to apply for a residence permit in the country. Residents of non-EU countries can apply for the freelancer residence permit.
The Portuguese Digital Nomad Visa is a type D state visa. After obtaining such a visa, a freelancer receives a residence permit valid for up to two years, with the possibility of further extension.
Specifics of Portugal’s Freelance Visa
Remote workers can apply for one of the forms of Digital Nomad Visa:
- Long-term. Valid for 4 months. Allows for a two-year residence permit with the requirement of continuous residence.
- Temporary. Valid for 1 year. Allows for multiple exits from the country. Does not grant the right to a residence permit.
Obtaining a freelancer visa involves confirming a monthly income of at least 3280 euros, as well as owning or renting property in the country. The applicant must be of legal age and have a contract for remote or freelance work with a local employer.
Relatives of remote workers (children under 18 and parents over 65) can also apply for a visa for temporary stay or residence. It is permissible to include children aged 18-30, if they are unmarried and financially dependent on the applicant parent.
Taxes for Freelancers
The type of digital nomad visa received is not a criterion for the formation of tax obligations. Taxes depend on the status of the tax resident. A foreigner is assigned the status of a “Portuguese tax resident” with permanent residence for more than 183 days per year. Depending on the status of a freelancer (self-employed or sole proprietor), the rate varies in the range of 14-48%.
By settling in Portugal, a freelancer can obtain the status of a non–permanent resident – NHR (non-habitual resident). This gives him several advantages at once:
- Digital nomad is not required to pay taxes on income from abroad;
- A foreigner is obliged to pay personal income tax on income earned in Portugal – 20% (against the standard income tax of up to 48%);
- Taxes to the pension fund are 10%, which is also significantly lower than the usual tax.
Currently, a digital nomad can only avoid paying tax on income earned abroad if he stays in Portugal for less than 183 days a year (less than six months). But at the same time, he loses the opportunity to apply for permanent residence and citizenship.
Cost of the Visa
The cost of Portugal’s Digital Nomad is determined by the number of applicants and the type of real estate (rental or property). If you have your own home, you will also need to pay stamp duty (0.8% of the cost) and annual tax (0.3-0.8% of the cost).
Other expenses accompanying the process of obtaining a nomad visa will be the payment of life and health insurance (from 20 to 100 euros /month, depending on the package).
Below, for convenience, we have collected all the expenses for a digital nomad visa in 2025 in Portugal in one table.
| Fees, duties and other expenses for obtaining a visa | Cost |
| Savings in a bank account (if the submission takes place before the conclusion of a contract with a Portuguese company) | 9840 € per main applicant
+50% per spouse +25% per child |
| D visa fee | 90 € |
| Document translations | from 200 € |
| Real estate expenses | there are no requirements for the cost of the property or the amount of rent (the average cost of renting a house is 500-850 €) |
| Travel insurance when applying for a visa | from 14 € per month |
| Medical insurance for obtaining a residence permit in Portugal | from 20 € |
| Fee for processing an application for the production of a residence permit card | 85,05 € |
| Production of a residence permit card | 73,10 € |
| Full support of visa processing | from 4700 € |
| Residence permit for financially independent | from 1150 € |
| Student residence permit | from 1450 € |
| Residence permit through business registration in Portugal | from 2790 € |
Necessary Documents and Requirements
The requirements for documents to obtain a digital nomad visa include:
- Valid passport.
- Two photographs (size 4.5×3.5).
- Bank statement confirming a minimum monthly income and balance of no less than 36,480 euros.
- Proof of remote work – employment contract or partnership agreement.
- Letter explaining the reasons for coming.
- Valid medical insurance.
- Translated police clearance certificate to confirm no criminal record.
- Rental contract or property ownership certificate in Portugal.
- Documents proving family relationships (if relocating with family members).
Recent Changes in Visa Matters in Portugal
A major change in civil legislation, significantly affecting remote workers residing in the country, was the cancellation of tax incentives effective from 01.01.2024. The Portuguese government has excluded freelancers from the NHR program. The program has ended, and remote workers no longer have the right to tax benefits (0% on foreign income and 20% on local income for 10 years).
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However, individuals already participating in the NHR program will not lose their tax benefits. Additionally, applicants who can prove that they began planning their move (for example, by applying for a freelancer visa) before 01.01.2024 can still receive these favorable tax rates.
Popularity statistics for Digital Nomad Visa to Portugal
Freelancers planning to move to Portugal now will not have the benefit of the NHR program and will be subject to standard tax rates. Because of this, demand for the program sank by June 2024, according to Google Trends. However, despite the lack of tax advantages, by the beginning of July interest in a visa to Portugal began to grow again.
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