Start with the working relationship
Remote work is not one single factual scenario. An employee working for a foreign employer, a contractor with several clients and a business owner can all work remotely while presenting different evidence.
Before gathering documents, it is useful to establish who pays the applicant, where the professional relationship is based and whether the intended stay is temporary or a genuine move of residence.
For the residence-visa route, the statutory income test is linked to four times the Portuguese minimum monthly wage. With the 2026 wage reference of €920, that produces a €3,680 monthly reference, assessed through the applicable recent income period.
Temporary stay and residence are different paths
Portugal’s national-visa framework distinguishes between temporary-stay visas and residence visas for remote professional activity. The appropriate path depends on the intended move.
For applicants using the residence route, AIMA provides a residence-permit procedure for remote professional activity after entry with the corresponding residence visa.
Keep the wider move in view
Immigration status is only one part of a remote-work relocation. Tax residence, social-security treatment, employer considerations and family planning may need separate specialist advice.
Those questions should be identified early even where Chapter Europe is coordinating them with the relevant local professionals rather than advising on every area directly.
