Relocation · 19 February 2026 · 8 min read
Golden Visa, D7 or D8: how Americans are actually getting residency in Portugal now
Residential property no longer qualifies for the Golden Visa. A plain comparison of the routes American clients use today, and why the property decision should be made separately from the visa decision.
In short
- Buying a home in Portugal does not, by itself, grant residency.
- The Golden Visa route for residential real estate was removed in 2023; qualifying investment now sits mainly in funds and other categories.
- D7 suits retirees and those with reliable passive income; D8 targets remote workers and the self-employed.
- All routes require Portuguese address, NIF, background checks and consular appointments.
- Decide the visa on your income and time, and the property on how you want to live.
The most persistent misconception we encounter is that buying a house in Portugal comes with the right to live in it full time. It does not. Property ownership and immigration status are separate systems, and since 2023 the bridge many Americans had read about — the Golden Visa via residential purchase — no longer exists.
Where the Golden Visa stands
The programme survives, but residential real estate was removed as a qualifying route. What remains sits largely in regulated investment funds and certain other categories, with the familiar attractions intact: very low physical presence requirements and a path toward permanent residency and, in time, citizenship. It suits the client who wants optionality in Europe without relocating. Processing timelines have been the programme's weak point, and the reasonable planning assumption remains patience.
D7 — passive income
The workhorse route for retirees and for anyone with dependable non-employment income: pensions, dividends, rental income, royalties. You show income above the Portuguese minimum wage thresholds, scaled for dependants, a Portuguese address, means of support and clean background checks. Unlike the Golden Visa it expects you to actually live here — minimum stay requirements are meaningful, which is exactly right for people genuinely moving.
D8 — remote work
Built for employees of foreign companies and self-employed professionals working remotely. Requirements centre on demonstrating a monthly income multiple of the Portuguese minimum wage, a contract or client evidence, and accommodation. For American tech, finance and consulting clients still earning in dollars, this has become the most common route we see, and it converts into longer-term residency in the ordinary way.
What every route needs
- A NIF and, in practice, a Portuguese bank account.
- Portuguese accommodation — a lease or deed, at the address you will register.
- FBI background check, apostilled, plus civil documents.
- Health insurance covering Portugal.
- A consular or VFS appointment in the US, which is often the true bottleneck.
The order we recommend
Talk to an immigration lawyer about the route before you commit to a property — not because the house affects eligibility, but because the route affects the house. A D7 family that must be resident and has children needs to be inside a school catchment. A Golden Visa investor with no residency intention can buy the remote farmhouse they actually want. Getting these backwards produces a beautiful property in the wrong place.
Choose the visa on your income and your time. Choose the property on your life. They are different decisions.
We are not immigration lawyers and do not pretend to be. We coordinate with the ones our clients use, and we make sure the property side of the file — address, lease, deed, utilities — arrives on time and in the form the process expects.
Edge Shore Spaces provides real estate mediation, property management and relocation coordination. Nothing here is legal, tax or investment advice. Rules and rates change, and your own situation is what matters — we introduce you to independent Portuguese lawyers and accountants for anything binding.
