Digital Nomad Visa in Portugal: how to get it?

Last October 2022, Portugal launched the Digital Nomad Visa, created by the Portuguese government to help foreign citizens who want to live and work remotely in the country for some a certain period of time.

So, if you are planning to get this visa, keep reading this article. Here we are going to tell you everything about it, how it works, the main requirements to get it, its advantages, and how to apply for it.

What is the Digital Nomad Visa?

This visa is a permit for temporary stay and residence so that Digital Nomads can work remotely and live in different cities on their own, for a maximum period of one year. An exciting opportunities.

Who can get this visa?

Foreign citizens must have a long-stay permit to enter and stay in Portugal for more than 90 days. So, if you are a foreign citizen and want to live and work in Portugal with this visa, you must meet the following requirements:

Requisites to acquire the Digital Nomad Visa in Portugal

This visa has a particularity and it is that it is designed for two types of digital nomads. One for people who have an employment contract; and the second option for independent workers. Both share general terms and conditions, except for some documents that vary depending on their professional activity.

Requirements for people with an employment contract

• Work contract.
• Contract promise.
• Statement from the employer, verifying the employment relationship.
• Prove a monthly income of more than €2,800.

Requirements for freelancers

• Partnership contract.
• Contract of service.
• Written proposal for the provision of services.
• Certification that demonstrates the provision of services to one or more companies.

General documentation to apply for the visa

• Completed and signed temporary visa application form.
• Passport or travel document valid for more than three months upon request.
• Two passport-type photographs with the same identifying characteristics.
• Travel insurance, valid in Portugal for the duration of the visa, including medical assistance in case of emergencies or eventual repatriation.
• Document that proves fiscal residence.
• Signed authorization for the criminal record check.
• Criminal record certificate issued by authorities of the country of origin or current temporary residence, with The Hague apostille (if applicable).
• Physical or electronic ticket that proves the return to the country of origin or residence.
• Proof of monthly income received in the last three months of work, with a value equivalent to four minimum guaranteed monthly wages (the value established for 2023 is €886.7).
• Bank statements that prove financial income, by the competent authorities or institutions.

To take into account:

These are the base documents for the application. However, the consulate reserves the right to request additional documentation.

This information was consulted on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Business of Portugal, related to the processing of visas for digital nomads.

Methods to apply for the Digital Nomad Visa in Portugal

Since 2020, the Ministry of Foreign Business has made the e-Visa web portal available to people who want to apply for all types of requests related to national visas. These applications are available in Portuguese, English, French, Russian, and Ukrainian.

Users can register their requests, attach the documents, check the status of the requests made, and more. Also, if they are in other countries, they can approach the Portuguese consular offices, or the offices of external service providers authorized by the government to speed up the number of applications and expand coverage in 25 countries.

*The electronic application form is free.

Can I take my family with me on this visa?

The answer is yes. Although you have to consider that you must have equivalent income for the support of those who depend financially on you, such as your wife/husband or children. The criteria are the following:

• Applicant: 100%
• Second adult and additional adults: 50%
• Children and young people that depend on you: 30%

At the time of the application, the beneficiaries must also fill out the registration form and in the case of minors, this document must be signed by the father or mother who has parental authority or is their legal guardian. If they travel with third parties, they must present parental authorization or, if it was a court decision, duly certified by competent authorities.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Digital Nomad Visa in Portugal?

The Government of Portugal has recently modified the Foreigners Law to simplify the procedures for those applying for a visa or a residence permit. This is one of its main advantages because it puts an end to the bureaucracy and reduces the procedures to access its services.

Advantages of the Digital Nomad Visa in Portugal

• Work flexible hours.
• Cultural exchange
• Create or be part of a network of digital professionals.
• Opportunity to learn other languages.
• Live and work legally in Portugal.
• Possibility to renew the visa.
• Opportunity to apply for a residence visa/permit.

Acceptance or rejection time of the Visa

The appropriate authorities will have an expected response time of 60 days, as stipulated by the Law for residence visas; and for temporary visas, a maximum of 30 days.

How much does the Visa cost?

• Temporary stay visa – €75
• Residence visa – €90

Why is Portugal one of the best countries to work as a Digital Nomad?

According to an article published by Kayak (a well-known travel search engine) in 2022 on the travel and work index, it indicated that Portugal is ranked among the top countries for remote work in Europe as one of the best destinations, based on 22 aspects divided in travel, local prices, health and safety, remote work, social life, and weather forecast, obtaining a final score of 100/100.

The first valley for Digital Nomads was created in Portugal

The Madeira Regional Government created the Digital Nomad Village project, to attract digital nomads to Madeira and Porto Santo and become the only community of digital nomads in the world.

The objective is to merge the Digital Nomad community with local companies and inhabitants, to positively impact the region and its economy, adapting the necessary products and services to satisfy their needs. This includes hotels, restaurants, car rentals, legal advice, and networking spaces, and more resources.

Anyway, the response from digital nomads has been very positive, making this project the new home for hundreds of digital nomads and at the same time attracting professionals who want to make Portugal their favorite place to work.

What skills does a Digital Nomad need?

To work as a digital nomad you need to develop some skills to carry out your daily activities successfully, such as having a good work method and organization; discipline to meet the deadlines for your work; social capacity, and constant search for clients; be able to deal with moments of job instability and willingness to lead your arrival and adaptation to a new country.

Needed tools for Digital Nomads

Technology resources: Make sure you bring a reliable laptop, an external hard drive to increase storage capacity; a power bank because you can’t run out of battery, a power adapter, and headphones so you can attend your meetings.

Tools to manage projects: Trello, Shortcut, Miro, Notion, and ClickUp are examples of some apps that will let you organize your daily activities and manage the projects and tasks that have to be completed to reach your objectives with your clients or employers.

Internet connection: In Portugal, you will find internet and cellphone technology so that you can connect throughout most of the mainland territory. However, you will have to find a solution that lets you get the internet on your cellphone all the time.

Usually, remote workers use prepaid SIM cards, pocket WiFi, free WiFi, or the expensive roaming service to get the internet, but these options can be very expensive depending on the provider, and the terms and conditions of each one.

So, we recommend you the Holafly eSIM card with unlimited data for Portugal.

Live and work as a Digital Nomad in Portugal

In this modern world, we can choose in which country of the world we want to work. More than 40 countries around the world already have visas for digital nomads and Portugal is one of them, so get ready to live new experiences in one of the European destinations that bets on the future of remote work.

Frequent questions about the Digital Nomad Visa in Portugal