The Portugal digital nomad visa allows you to work remotely for 12 or even 24 months. We discuss the requirements and benefits.
This could be you with a D8 visa!
Since the pandemic, many of us have swapped the office for our own homes. As long as we have our laptops at hand, our jobs are pretty transportable. So, if you can do your job from anywhere, why not do it from gorgeous Portugal?
According to the Portugal News, there are currently 650,000 immigrants working in Portugal. This has increased sixfold since 2015.
Previously, many digital nomads had to use an alternative visa to work there. Now, Portugal has introduced their very own digital nomad visa, called D8. Spain, Malta and Greece also have digital nomad visas.
The D8 visa is specifically geared towards non-EU nationals and enables them to live in Portugal while working for an overseas company. If you are a freelancer, you can also apply for this visa. In both cases, you will need to provide proof of income.
The two options of the D8 visa
The D8 visa is divided up into two options. Option one, the temporary stay, allows you to stay in Portugal for up to one year. While option two, the residence visa, is for two-year stays. For a short-term stay, you will need a lease of at least four months; for the residence, a lease of twelve months. Both visas are renewable, with the residence visa offering 36 months.
Currently, non-EU nationals can only stay in the Schengen Area for 90 days out of every 180. If you want to stay longer than that but don’t see yourself in Portugal long-term, you should go for the temporary stay visa. However, if you start on this visa and fall in love with Portugal, you can opt for the longer visa.
While, if you already have a mind towards eventually applying for residency and even citizenship, the residence visa will suit you best. Additionally, if you are hoping to bring your family with you, this will not be possible on the temporary stay but it is on the residence visa.
Furthermore, both visas require that you are earning at least €3,040 per month. That income will need to come from outside of Portugal, and you will need to demonstrate that you have been receiving it for at least three months at the time of application.
Portugal wants you!
Portugal is actively interested in attracting more digital nomads to its shores. The Minister of Labour Ana Mendes Godinho said, “we have a focus on attracting more people to Portugal” and that digital nomads were “fundamental” to the economy.
If you’re unsure on where you would like to be a digital nomad, many are flocking to Lisbon and Porto. Both cities are effortlessly cool and offer a plethora of cafes and restaurants to write your emails from. While the heady, glitzy beach scenes of the Algarve are also drawing plenty of people in.
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