In this developing world, interest in traveling abroad has increased due to many factors.
Traveling! That’s some job – Money withdrawing.
But while traveling, you indeed wish to carry on or further create job opportunities – Money Generating.
Well, that’s necessary to keep earning while spending your time out on other luxuries. That’s why digital nomad visas are gaining steam.
Portugal, a land with an amazing climate, Haute cuisines, amazing infrastructure, and a low cost of living, is indeed a dream place for digital nomads to access.
Besides all these, accessing Portugal’s Digital Nomads Visa is relatively simple compared to many other countries.
Keep scrolling down here to gain knowledge on how to obtain a Digital Nomad Visa. We’ll guide you with all the relevant details and processes.
Digital Nomad. What is it?
Digital Nomadism is eventually evolving as an interesting profession for many.
Digital nomads are people who spend their life in a nomadic way, working remotely with the aid of advanced technology. They mostly link with their organizations through an internet connection on their smartphones, pads, and laptops.
Those who look forward to migrating to Portugal must know how to make it their newer homeland.
One way to establish yourself in Portugal is to invest in a residency program under Portugal’s Golden Visa. a minimum investment of 30,00 euros is required to attain a residency for as long as the investment is applicable for.
On the other hand, there’s a permanent residency route that isn’t as much money-withdrawing as Portugal’s Golden Visa. But it is a more complex method, which is why many people prefer a Digital Nomad visa – Portugal D7 visa.
Differences Between Portugal Digital Nomad Visa and Tourist Visa.
Those who travel to different countries to work as freelancers, remotely, or operate businesses are given digital Nomad visas.
Basically, the most noticeable difference between Tourist and Portugal Nomad Visa is the time allowed for a person to stay in the country. Under a tourist visa, you are restricted to living only for a few months. However, you can live in a country under a Digital Nomad visa for a few years.
A Portugal D7 visa extends the period of your stay within a country. It is completely based upon you which one you prefer.
Who Is Obliged To Have Visa To Enter Portugal?
Whether you have to apply for a visa or not is based on the nationality of your country.
If you are an EU citizen, you can enter Portugal without a visa. That’s because Portugal is a part of the European Union and the Schengen area. Any European citizen can access the facilities available in Portugal without all visa complications.
A person with a United states nationality can reach out to Portugal without a visa. But it is only restricted to only 90 days. The agreement between Portugal and the United States is applied every six months and is, therefore, necessary for the US national to leave Portugal within three months. Those who want to extend this period must apply for a Portugal Digital Nomad Visa.
On the other side, US green card holders can either be able to reach Portugal without Visa or may not be. This is country dependent. A country with visa-free agreements with Portugal can only lessen out your burden.
If you are from New Zealand, Australia, or Canada, you can enjoy the same perks as those applicable to the people of the United States.
And if you are somewhere from any country apart from the ones mentioned above, you’ll have to opt for the right Visa option.
Different Types of Portugal Digital Nomad Visa
There are only a couple of Visa options for those who want to travel to Portugal as a Digital Nomad.
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Temporary Stay National Visas:
A temporary Visa is for those who want to visit Portugal and has no intentions of settling there. But for this, a nomad must have the ability to earn at least 705 euros so as not to burden the Portugal nation.
During their stay, Nomads can access different areas of European countries and can exit or enter Portugal as per their wishes.
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Residency Visa:
It’s a D7 visa for digital nomads who will live in Portugal for a considerable period. This Visa is only for four months; therefore, a Digital nomad must apply for a residency permit.
D7 Visa – The Best For Digital nomads
The D7 Visa gives you excess to the 26 EU countries. You can enter the Schengen area and travel around these countries freely.
D7 Visa also helps you reunite with your family within the Schengen area as equal residency rights are awarded to each family member.
Furthermore, a D7 visa grants you permanent residency. You apply for the residency permit within the first year and then successfully renew it for the upcoming 2 years. Eventually, after 5 years, you can gain permanent residency.
Additionally, you can get Portuguese citizenship after six years of residency. But for this to happen, you must have to appear for the A2 Portuguese language exam. Only after showing this certificate you can gain citizenship in Portugal.
Conditions To Apply For D7 Visa For Digital Nomads
You must fulfill specific requirements before applying for a D7 Visa.
These are as follows:
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Get a Portuguese NIF number:
If you have decided to carry out activities that bring revenue and taxation into play, you must get yourself a NIF number. NIF number is a standard tax number for Portugal.
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Open up a Portuguese Bank account:
As a Digital Nomad, you’ll be carrying out activities involving money deposits and money transfers. Thus, a bank account is necessary for this purpose. Create yours as soon as you get your NIF number.
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Earn the minimum of the exact amount required for the stay:
To live in Portugal, you must prove that you’ll be able to bear your expenses with ease. This can be done through your bank statements or any other relevant financial documents. Obviously, you yourself can better assess whether your financial position is well stable for Portugal or not.
Moreover, you should also prove your ability to earn during your stay in Portugal.
As an applicant, you are obliged to make at least 8460 euros. If you are with a spouse, you must be able to earn an additional amount of 4230 euros, and if you have children with you, then an additional 2538 euros must be added to the previous amounts for each child.
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Get yourself a Proof of Accommodation:
Before traveling to Portugal, you must arrange the right place to live in. It’s not necessary to purchase a property; a rented house with a long-term agreement is highly recommended.
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You’ll need Health Insurance!
Make sure you complete your and your family’s health insurance. Health insurance for each applicant must value at least 30000 euros.
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No Criminal Records to be found!
Before applying for Portugal, you must have you undergo a criminal background check. And that needs to be transparent – no criminal activity to be spotted. Else, your application won’t be accepted.
Other than these required documents, you must have your valid passport and 2 passport-sized photographs. Moreover, a cover letter for the reason of your request is also a need.
How to Apply Apply for Portugal D7 Visa – Complete Guide
There are seven simple steps that can ease your Visa process. Let’s head towards these steps:
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Gather Together all the Documents:
We have already mentioned all the documents and requirements within the last subheading. Therefore, you must have copies of all these documents while filling out the form for Portugal’s Digital Nomad Visa.
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Start Filing up Application Process:
Start filling up your application form, attach all the required documents, and submit it. Be careful to enter all the correct details and refrain from making any mistakes as it can result in rejection.
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Submit all the Documents:
You can either submit your documents alongside the application online or in through the embassy. You’ll have to pay over 75 euros for D7 Visa and 90 euros for a residency permit.
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Pick up your Residency Visa:
Your Visa is ten being processed. If it is approved, you go to the embassy and collect your passport with an approved visa.
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Attend meeting with SEF:
After having your new Visa, please book an appointment with SEF by contacting them directly. At this stage, you should also apply for Residency Permit.
It is preferred to book SEF appointments in smaller cities to save time.
To attend the meeting, you’ll have to travel to Portugal. You must take all the documents with you to avoid any inconvenience.
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Get your Residency Permit:
After a successful interview, your application will be reprocessed. Within 2 weeks, Portugal’s authorities will contact you to collect your Residency Permit.
Now you can enjoy your life in Portugal as a Digital Nomad.
Where to Work in Portugal?
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Ponta does sol, Madeira:
This is a sort of village in Portugal that was specifically designed for Digital Nomads. The purpose behind it is to foster a community of Digital Nomads that can be effective for society.
The infrastructure of the area provides an impressive working environment. Other recreational activities make interactions with different people of the same type highly probable. This results in the growth of a good social and economic environment in this part of Portugal.
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Lisbon:
Lisbon is a place full of thrill and fun. Apart from tasty foods, an amazing lifestyle, and a cozy environment, it has a lot to offer for Digital Nomads. Lisbon is a blossoming hub for online businesses and co-working facilities. Thus, a creative Digital Nomad will always find Lisbon a Lively place to visit and work.
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Ericeira:
Ericeira and Lisbon are connected well together, so it becomes quite dexter for the Digital Nomad to access both regions; therefore, this is one of the advantages a digital Nomad may look for.
Besides easy access to Lisbon, Ericeira is a city that promotes relationships between different communities, further strengthens interactions among people, and boosts business-related deals and social life.
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Coimbra:
Coimbra is quite a popular place for Digital Nomads visiting Portugal. Here you’ll get mesmerized by beautiful scenery and historical sights. Alongside the beauty, Coimbra has a relaxing effect, with minimal buzz all around.
Work in Portugal. Why?
1 – Low-cost, Good Lifestyle:
There is a wide range of activities to get involved in Portugal, and that too at a meager cost. Therefore, it’s quite affordable to spend your life as an entrepreneur, freelancer, or remote worker.
It’s sad to be about 50% cheaper than what it would take to live in the United States.
2 – Portugal’s Historical Resorts and its Culture:
Portuguese are generous people who are always welcoming their guests. Their open-mindedness is highly praised. Apart from their culture, their history is reflected in their historical spots and resorts.
3 – Perfect Environmental Conditions:
The weather throughout the year remains pleasant. Even the sunshine offers more of a soothing effect than a scorching one.
4 – Accessing Other EU Countries:
You can certainly access the countries within the Schengen area on your residency visa. This will help you further explore the European countries, and indeed that’s something exciting.
5 – Wi-Fi Facilities:
More importantly, a Digital Nomad looks for a working space and good internet connectivity. Portugal has these both, eliminating all the worries of a Digital Nomad.
Where to Live in Portugal?
Accommodation is never a problem in Portugal.
But why isn’t it a problem?
That’s because Portugal has a lot of places for you to stay. These includes:
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Hotels:
A lot of people prefer hotels over other options. Well, it may be costly, but if you wish to live there, then that’s certain that you won’t have any complaints about the services offered.
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Rental Property:
If you are looking to stay for a longer time, then you better rent a house or a flat. Well, there are more options available. But in all this, you’ll be bounded to an agreement that may be at least a year long. So, consider your financial position before agreeing on any deal.
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Co-working Spaces:
In a co-working space, you live with a group of people with the same profession or those having the same objectives and aims. The space is shared by a lot many people reducing the cost per person.
Furthermore, the co-working spaces lead to more productivity for a digital nomad, with everyone sharing their views and ideas. Thus it’s more worthwhile to opt for co-working spaces instead of others.
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Airbnb:
Airbnb is a renowned option for accommodations in Portugal. You can easily rent an apartment at a lower rate through Airbnb rather than renting a random hotel room. Moreover, their service is entirely satisfactory, and their policies aren’t rigid to cause issues for their clients.
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Hostels:
Hostels compromise on privacy, but for those Nomads who still love to live there, then there’s no harm. Digital nomads who are enthusiastic about interacting with others must opt for hostels. Additionally, it’s the cheapest option among all the five options.
FAQs:
Qs: How Much Money Do I Need Per Month?
It depends on your expenditure. What accommodation space you love to stay in, and what are the others you may require. But on average it takes about 1700 to 2000 euros to live in Lisbon and between 100-1500 to live in other cities.
Qs: Is Portugal Safe?
Portugal is one of the safest countries in the world. It ranks number 3 in all 163 countries for the lowest crime rate.
Qs: Which Countries Come under the Schengen Area?
There are 26 countries in Schengen Area. Some of the most famous ones are Austria, Belgium, France, Finland, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Italy, and Switzerland.
Qs: Is D7 Visa only for retirees?
No, there isn’t aren’t any such restrictions. Anyone who meets the requirements can apply for a D7 visa.
Qs: How long does it take for the Process to Complete?
It takes about 4-5 months for the process to complete entirely and for you to receive your Residency permit.
Qs: What is the Difference Between D7 Visa and Schengen Visa?
The difference is in time. Portugal Schengen Visa is just limited to 90 days. However, with a Portugal D7 Visa, you can spend more time in Portugal, which is more expensive than Schengen Visa.
Qs: When to Visit Portugal?
The Spring season between March and May is the best season to visit Portugal. You’ll even love the atmosphere and the climate during September and October as at that time of the year the sun isn’t a lot hot and there isn’t a lot of overseas touring the country.