Who this route is for
The route commonly referred to as the D7 is a residence-visa route for people who intend to establish residence in Portugal and can support themselves through retirement income or other qualifying own sources of income.
“Passive income” is a useful shorthand, not the legal name of the route. The official framework refers to retirees and people living from their own income, and the application is not designed around active employment or remote-work earnings as its main basis.
Where salary or active remote-work income is the principal source supporting the move, the D8 route should generally be assessed instead. In either case, the application should make sense as a complete residence plan, including resources, accommodation and the intended move to Portugal.
For 2026, Portugal’s general means-of-subsistence framework uses €920 per month as the first-adult reference, with household percentages for additional adults and dependent children. That figure should not be read as a universal required bank balance: the type, continuity and availability of the resources still matter.
Visa first, residence after arrival
A residence visa is the entry stage. After arrival in Portugal, the applicant proceeds to the residence-permit stage with the competent immigration authority.
The documents requested at consular level and the practical way an appointment is handled can depend on the consular post and the applicant’s circumstances, so the current requirements should be checked where the application will actually be filed.
What to prepare early
Income evidence, accommodation, criminal-record documentation and civil-status documents are common workstreams in residence planning. Family composition can also change the documentation and financial analysis.
Preparing these streams together is usually more useful than collecting documents before the route and filing strategy are clear.
