Portugal Residence Permit through Digital Nomad Program

A Digital Nomad Visa is a relatively new pathway for obtaining resident status in another country. Unlike obtaining a residence permit through investment, the Digital Nomad visa became popular after 2020, during the pandemic. At that time, more and more people started working remotely, without being tied to a specific workplace. The absence of the need to go to an office allowed such employees to work from any corner of the world. Naturally, this category of taxpayers immediately attracted the attention of several countries.

In our new case, we will provide more details on opportunities for digital nomads and introduce you to an interesting new case from our practice.

Client Story: Portugal Residence Permit for Digital Nomads

A young freelance couple approached our agency about six months ago. Mark and Eva have been working in digital marketing for a long time, exclusively online for the past two years. In the winter, they visited friends in Cyprus and learned that their friends were living there as digital nomads. The couple became interested in this option and reached out to us for help. Initially, they asked for assistance in obtaining digital nomad visas for Cyprus — they wanted to live closer to the ocean. Unfortunately, Cyprus only issues 500 visas per year, and the quota for that year was closed, so we wouldn’t have had time to even submit an application. As an alternative, we suggested Spain and Portugal. The clients took some time to think and came back with the decision to apply for a digital nomad visa in Portugal.

To obtain a digital nomad visa in Portugal, one needs to have an income of at least €3,280 per month from outside the country. Mark’s declared income fit this requirement as he was earning €6,000 per month, but Eva’s income was insufficient as she was making €2,800 monthly. What decision did we make? We applied for a digital nomad visa for Mark and included Eva as his wife. This is allowed under the program’s conditions.

Conditions for obtaining a Digital Nomad Visa:

• Applicant’s age: Our applicants are adults who are not residents of an EU or EEA country.
• Applicants are employed by a foreign company under a work contract.
• Proof of savings of at least €9,840 (equivalent to 12 minimum wages in Portugal). Our applicants provided a bank statement showing two deposit accounts with balances of €5,000 and €8,000, as well as documents confirming rental income from personal property.
• Permanent residence in Portugal – either rented or purchased property.

Preliminary Check

Before starting work with a client, we always verify their background. This helps identify and minimize any risks associated with obtaining resident status. The financial history of the applicants was clean – they earn their income legally and pay taxes on additional earnings. The couple had no criminal records, debts to the government, visa refusals, or police issues.

The couple also provided bank statements confirming a sufficient level of savings. During the verification, our applicants proved to be ideal candidates, and we signed the contract.

Steps for obtaining a Digital Nomad Visa

To get the desired visa, our clients had to go through several required stages with our support.

Obtaining NIF

NIF is an individual taxpayer number in Portugal. It is needed to rent housing and open a bank account. We remotely submitted the request and obtained NIF numbers for each client. All tasks were handled by our lawyers, working on a power of attorney.

Renting property

Our clients had already found several apartments they liked and showed them to the lawyers. While the clients were being verified and obtaining their NIFs, the team was checking the properties. Out of the three possible options, the couple chose a one-bedroom apartment with a living room and a sea view. We sent an offer to the owner, and after negotiating the details, signed a one-year lease with payment for the first three months.

Document collection and visa application

We provided the clients with a list of documents that needed to be completed. Once all the documents were received, our lawyers filled out the forms, translated the documents, and had them notarized. The complete dossier was submitted to the Portuguese consulate, including:

• Applicants' passports;
• Color passport photos;
• Document confirming the tax number in Portugal;
• Motivation letter;
• Rental agreement with proof of payment;
• Contracts with foreign employers;
• Bank statements for the past year;
• Tax declarations;
• Rental property agreements;
• Police clearance certificates;
• Health insurance policy;
• Booked tickets to Portugal for the estimated arrival date with the visa.

Visa approval

After 30 days, our clients received approval for their visas. The visas were placed in their passports.

Moving to Portugal and obtaining a residence permit

The digital nomad visa allows entry into Portugal twice within four months. During this time, it is necessary to apply for a residence permit. We had pre-booked an appointment for the clients at the immigration office. The document package was the same as for the visa application. With the help of our lawyer, the applicants successfully passed the interview and submitted their biometric data. After 60 days, they received their residence cards.

As residents, the couple can enjoy the same benefits as citizens of the country – travel to European and Schengen countries without a visa, access healthcare services, enroll in universities, obtain a driver's license, open accounts in European banks, and benefit from banking services, and much more.

"We didn’t expect that getting the visa would be so simple and even quite enjoyable with the help of a team of specialists. Our friends obtained their visas in Cyprus on their own, and frankly, we were afraid we would have to go through the entire bureaucratic system and chain of rejections. It turns out that when working with professionals, some matters can be resolved without even personal involvement. We are very happy with our choice of country and that we entrusted our case to the lawyers at GARANT.in. You are real pros, in every sense of the word! Regards, Mark and Eva."

Friends, if your job does not require constant office attendance and you dream of working and traveling simultaneously, maybe it’s time to make that dream come true. Currently, more than 50 countries offer digital nomad visas. Come for a consultation, and we’ll help you find the best destination with the right conditions. Don’t postpone your dream of a beautiful future for tomorrow, let’s start working on it today.