What documents do I need for Portugal's digital nomad visa?

Checked on 2026-10-25

You need the general visa documents: application form, two photos, a passport valid three months beyond your stay, travel insurance covering medical care and repatriation, a criminal record certificate and proof of means of subsistence. For the remote work visa you add proof of your job or freelance services, three months of income records and a tax residence document.

Key facts

What	The law says	Source
Application form	The official form, on paper or electronically	Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007, art. 10.1
Photos	Two identical, recent passport-type colour photos, or a digitally captured facial image	Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007, art. 12.1(a)
Passport	A valid passport or travel document; the consulate checks it is valid at least 3 months beyond the end of the stay	Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007, arts. 12.1(b) and 13.1(c)
Criminal record	Certificate from your country of nationality or the country you have lived in for more than a year; under-16s exempt	Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007, art. 12.1(c) and 12.7
Travel insurance	Covers medical expenses, including urgent care and repatriation	Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007, art. 12.1(e)
Means of subsistence	Proof of means of subsistence	Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007, art. 12.1(f)
Return ticket	Not required for a residence visa	Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007, art. 12.1(g)
Proof of work (employee)	Employment contract, or employer declaration confirming the employment relationship	Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007, art. 31-A.1(a)
Proof of work (freelancer)	Company contract, services contract, or a document showing services provided to one or more entities	Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007, art. 31-A.1(b)
Income	Proof of average monthly income over the last 3 months of at least 4 guaranteed minimum monthly wages	Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007, art. 31-A.1(c)
Tax residence	A document attesting your tax residence	Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007, art. 31-A.1(d)

General documents for every residence visa

The regulation, Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007, sets a base list for all visa applications in article 12. For a residence visa that means the application form, two photos, your passport, a criminal record certificate, travel insurance and proof of means of subsistence. A return ticket is required for other visa types but not for a residence visa.

The Foreign Ministry’s checklist for residence visas adds practical details: a copy of the passport’s biographical page; proof of legal status if you apply in a country that is not your country of nationality; and an apostille or legalisation on the criminal record certificate where applicable. It also says the travel insurance requirement may be waived under bilateral health agreements, giving Brazil (PB4) and the United Kingdom (S1) as examples.

Documents specific to the remote work visa

Article 31-A of the regulation, added in 2022, lists what the remote work residence visa needs on top of the base list:

Employees: an employment contract, or an employer declaration confirming the employment relationship.
Freelancers: a company contract, a services contract, or a document showing services provided to one or more entities.
Income: proof of average monthly income from that work over the last three months of at least four guaranteed minimum monthly wages.
Tax residence: a document attesting your tax residence.

The ministry’s guidance repeats this list and says these are the basic documents: the consulate may ask for more.

Where to apply

The regulation says that, unless there are valid reasons, you apply in the country where you habitually live or at the consulate whose area covers it (Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007, art. 10.2).

Temporary-stay version: the list in article 18-B is the same, except employees can also use a promise of an employment contract and freelancers a written proposal for a services contract.

Sources

Change history

2026-10-25: Page created

This is general information, not legal advice, and Lumen is not a law firm. Rules change and offices differ: check the official sources above before you act. Found something wrong or out of date? Write to support@lumen.observer.