Portugal D8 visa for founders: can you run your own company?
Can a founder run their own company on Portugal's D8 visa? Yes. The official document list has a separate track for "independent professional activity", proven by a society (company) contract, a services contract or documents showing services provided to one or more entities. AIMA asks for a sworn declaration from the person or company outside Portugal confirming the employment link or the provision of services, so self-employed founders invoicing clients abroad, or working through their own foreign company, fit the rules. The official pages don't say whether local clients are allowed. Income needed: Average monthly income over the last three months of at least 4 x the Portuguese monthly minimum wage (the visa portal gives the 2026 minimum wage as €920), proven with income evidence for those three months plus the contract or company documents.
Portugal's D8 visa, from the official pages
| What | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Scheme | Portugal's remote work route is the residency visa for a professional activity done remotely ("digital nomads"), commonly called the D8. A temporary stay visa version also exists for stays under a year. | vistos.mne.gov.pt |
| Income | You must show average monthly income for the last three months of at least four times the Portuguese monthly minimum wage. | vistos.mne.gov.pt |
| Income | The visa portal sets the 2026 monthly minimum wage at €920, net of social security deductions. The portal does not itself state the 4 x figure. | vistos.mne.gov.pt |
| Own company | Self-employed applicants qualify. For independent professional activity you provide a society (company) contract, a services contract, or a document showing services provided to one or more entities. | vistos.mne.gov.pt |
| Local work | Translated from Portuguese: for the residence permit, AIMA asks for a sworn declaration from the individual or company domiciled or based outside Portugal confirming the employment link or the provision of services. | aima.gov.pt |
| Stay | Translated from Portuguese: after the 4 month residency visa, AIMA issues a temporary residence permit for remote work valid for two years from issue, renewable for successive periods of three years. | aima.gov.pt |
| Fee | The consular fee for processing a national visa application is €110. | vistos.mne.gov.pt |
| Processing time | The legal deadline to decide a residency visa is 60 days; a temporary stay visa is 30 days. | vistos.mne.gov.pt |
| How to apply | Apply at the Portuguese consular post that covers your nationality or country of residence, then lodge the residence permit application with AIMA in Portugal. | vistos.mne.gov.pt |
| Health insurance | All residency visa applicants need travel insurance covering medical expenses, urgent care and repatriation, plus a criminal record certificate. Remote workers must also provide a document showing their tax residence. | vistos.mne.gov.pt |
| Family | Family members can apply for an accompanying residency visa. Required means rise per person: second and further adults add 50% of the minimum wage, children and dependent adult children add 30%. | vistos.mne.gov.pt |
| Tax | Translated from Portuguese (Personal Income Tax Code, art. 16): you are a Portuguese tax resident if you stay more than 183 days, consecutive or not, in any 12 month period starting or ending in the tax year. Having a home you intend to keep as your usual residence can also make you resident. | info.portaldasfinancas.gov.pt |
Questions founders ask about Portugal
- Can I run my own company on the Portugal D8 visa?
- Yes. The official document list has a separate track for "independent professional activity", proven by a society (company) contract, a services contract or documents showing services provided to one or more entities. AIMA asks for a sworn declaration from the person or company outside Portugal confirming the employment link or the provision of services, so self-employed founders invoicing clients abroad, or working through their own foreign company, fit the rules.
- Can I work for clients in Portugal on it?
- The official pages don't say so directly. The AIMA residence permit is named for remote work done "for outside national territory" and requires a declaration from an employer or client domiciled or based outside Portugal. None of the official pages read states in plain words whether extra work for Portuguese clients is barred, and the law text (Law 23/2007, art. 61-B) could not be retrieved.
- How much income do I need for the Portugal D8 visa?
- Average monthly income over the last three months of at least 4 x the Portuguese monthly minimum wage (the visa portal gives the 2026 minimum wage as €920), proven with income evidence for those three months plus the contract or company documents.
- How much does the Portugal D8 visa cost?
- €110 consular fee for a national visa application. AIMA residence permit fees are in a separate fee table not checked here. That's the government fee on the official page; translations, insurance and legal help cost extra.
- How long can I stay on the Portugal D8 visa?
- Residency visa valid 4 months with two entries, during which you apply to AIMA for a residence permit valid 2 years, renewable for successive 3 year periods. A temporary stay version covers stays under a year.
- Do I become tax resident in Portugal?
- Translated from Portuguese (Personal Income Tax Code, art. 16): you are a Portuguese tax resident if you stay more than 183 days, consecutive or not, in any 12 month period starting or ending in the tax year. Having a home you intend to keep as your usual residence can also make you resident. A visa doesn't settle where you pay tax, so take advice on your own case.
Other countries
Brazil · Colombia · Costa Rica · Croatia · Cyprus · Estonia · Greece · Hungary · Indonesia · Italy · Japan · Malaysia · Malta · Mexico · Romania · South Korea · Spain · Thailand · United Arab Emirates
To compare the routes, read digital nomad visas for founders and tax residency for remote founders.
- Official name
- D8 residency visa (or temporary stay visa) for a professional activity done remotely, "digital nomads"
- Own company
- Yes
- Local clients
- Not stated
- Stay
- Residency visa valid 4 months with two entries, during which you apply to AIMA for a residence permit valid 2 years, renewable for successive 3 year periods. A temporary stay version covers stays under a year.
- Government fee
- €110 consular fee for a national visa application. AIMA residence permit fees are in a separate fee table not checked here.
- Official page
- vistos.mne.gov.pt
- Checked
Visa rules, fees and income bars change, and consulates apply them differently. Check vistos.mne.gov.pt before you apply. Spotted something out of date? Tell us in the members' chat.