Expatlas
Buy me a coffee

No ads, no paywall, no "sign up to see prices": just me versus a stack of consulate websites. If Expatlas saved you a dozen open tabs, a coffee funds the next country.

Buy me a coffee
Your passport

The rules change with your passport. Pick yours.

Portugal

2 programmes · EUR · Portuguese

Re-run the quiz →
Lisbon · yellow tram on the hill
Lisbon · yellow tram on the hill
Showing Portugal's requirements for Australian citizens. Other passports:🇺🇸 US🇬🇧 UK🇿🇦 ZA🇨🇦 CAAll passports

Portugal D9 (Remote Work Visa) (formerly D8)

Official nomad visa

What this visa gets you

  1. Visa

    Entry document

  2. Temporary residency

    2 years, renewable

  3. Permanent residency

    After 5 years

  4. Citizenship

    Not via this programme

Income requirement
€3,680 / month
Application fee
€110
Family allowed
Yes

How do Australian citizens apply for the Portugal D9?

Can Australian citizens apply from inside Portugal?

It depends: we haven't verified this for Portugal yet.

Some European permits allow in-country application, and if you already hold legal residence in Portugal on another permit the rules can differ from a fresh consular application. The "fly in on a tourist stamp and convert" route, by contrast, usually does not work. Confirm your case with the official Portugal source before relying on it.

How long does the Portugal D9 really take for Australian citizens?

15–23 weeks (≈ 3–5 months)

  • Police clearance (typical)3w
  • Apostille (typical)2w
  • Consular appointment (typical)4w
  • Processing 8–16w official8w
  • Post-arrival registration (typical)2w

Official processing: 8–16 weeks. The rest is doc gathering + waiting in a queue, none of which the consulate counts.

Avoid these

What do people get wrong about the Portugal D9?

  • Assuming you can convert a tourist stay. For most European residence visas you can't fly in on a tourist stamp and convert it from inside the country. You apply before you travel. A few permits and people who already hold legal residence on another permit are exceptions, so confirm Portugal's rule rather than assuming either way.
  • Underestimating timing by a factor of 2–3. The "60-day processing" line is real, but it's only the consulate's processing window. The door-to-door reality includes police clearance, apostille, consular appointment lead, and post-arrival registration, so most applicants land between 4 and 7 months.
  • Income proof in the wrong currency. Bank statements showing income in your local currency are routinely rejected if the equivalent in EUR isn't clearly stated and consistent across the qualifying period (usually 3 or 6 months).

Documents

What Australian applicants typically submit

Indicative: we haven't verified Portugal's exact checklist for Australian applicants. Confirm the current list with the official source before you start gathering.

Documents needing an apostille (Australian authorities):

  • AFP national police check
  • Birth certificate

Worth knowing: AFP National Police Check (national name-based check, ~15 business days). Australia is an Apostille Convention member — DFAT apostilles documents. Australia taxes residents on worldwide income and stops at non-residency, but the residency tests and CGT-on-departure rules for some assets need planning before you go.

Tax

How is D9 income taxed for Australian citizens?

Tax residents (183+ days/year) are taxed on global income under Portugal's progressive system up to 48%. The NHR regime ended for most new applicants as of January 1, 2024. Freelancers may qualify for simplified regimes with reduced effective rates.

Tax treaty with AustralianYes
Social-security totalisationYes

Money, roughly (indicative)

Regime: IFICI — ~20% flat (eligible income), about 41.4% effective tax on €60k/yr.

Portugal's NHR successor (IFICI) gives ~20% on eligible income; eligibility is narrower than old NHR. Self-employed social contributions are ~21.4% (first-year relief applies). You may owe nothing locally if a totalisation agreement keeps you in your home system. Verify.

Living comfortably to well in Lisbon runs about €2,000–€2,800/mo for one person, incl. rent. Roughly 41% less than the same living in Sydney, which runs about A$5,700/mo (≈ €3,400).

Estimate your take-home in the tax calculator →

Worth a specialist's time. A short call before you commit usually pays for itself, especially for US citizens (FEIE/FATCA), existing UK ties, or unwinding SA tax residency.

D7 Passive Income Visa

Passive income

The D7 isn't a nomad visa. It's Portugal's passive-income residence visa, meant for people living on pensions, rental income, dividends, or other recurring income rather than active remote work. Plenty of remote workers still use it because the income bar is comparatively low and it leads to the same residency and citizenship timeline as the newer D9. If your income is salary or active client work, the D9 is usually the cleaner fit; if it's genuinely passive, this is the one.

What this visa gets you

  1. Visa

    Entry document

  2. Temporary residency

    2 years, renewable

  3. Permanent residency

    After 5 years

  4. Citizenship

    After 10 years of residence

Income requirement
EUR 920/mes (100% do salario minimo nacional, 2026); +50% conjuge, +30% por filho dependente
Application fee
€110
Family allowed
Yes

How do Australian citizens apply for the Portugal D7 Passive Income Visa?

Can Australian citizens apply from inside Portugal?

It depends: we haven't verified this for Portugal yet.

Some European permits allow in-country application, and if you already hold legal residence in Portugal on another permit the rules can differ from a fresh consular application. The "fly in on a tourist stamp and convert" route, by contrast, usually does not work. Confirm your case with the official Portugal source before relying on it.

How long does the Portugal D7 Passive Income Visa really take for Australian citizens?

15–23 weeks (≈ 3–5 months)

  • Police clearance (typical)3w
  • Apostille (typical)2w
  • Consular appointment (typical)4w
  • Processing 8–16w official8w
  • Post-arrival registration (typical)2w

Official processing: 8–16 weeks. The rest is doc gathering + waiting in a queue, none of which the consulate counts.

Avoid these

What do people get wrong about the Portugal D7 Passive Income Visa?

  • Assuming you can convert a tourist stay. For most European residence visas you can't fly in on a tourist stamp and convert it from inside the country. You apply before you travel. A few permits and people who already hold legal residence on another permit are exceptions, so confirm Portugal's rule rather than assuming either way.
  • Underestimating timing by a factor of 2–3. The "60-day processing" line is real, but it's only the consulate's processing window. The door-to-door reality includes police clearance, apostille, consular appointment lead, and post-arrival registration, so most applicants land between 4 and 7 months.
  • Income proof in the wrong currency. Bank statements showing income in your local currency are routinely rejected if the equivalent in EUR isn't clearly stated and consistent across the qualifying period (usually 3 or 6 months).

Documents

What Australian applicants typically submit

Indicative: we haven't verified Portugal's exact checklist for Australian applicants. Confirm the current list with the official source before you start gathering.

Documents needing an apostille (Australian authorities):

  • AFP national police check
  • Birth certificate

Worth knowing: AFP National Police Check (national name-based check, ~15 business days). Australia is an Apostille Convention member — DFAT apostilles documents. Australia taxes residents on worldwide income and stops at non-residency, but the residency tests and CGT-on-departure rules for some assets need planning before you go.

Tax

How is D7 Passive Income Visa income taxed for Australian citizens?

No D7-specific tax regime. Holders who become Portuguese tax residents are taxed on worldwide income under standard Portuguese rules. The former NHR regime is closed to new entrants (transition window ended March 2025); the successor incentive (IFICI, also called "NHR 2.0") is aimed at qualified/scientific and innovation activity and generally does not apply to passive-income retirees, so no special concession is tied to the D7 itself.

Tax treaty with AustralianYes
Social-security totalisationYes

Worth a specialist's time. A short call before you commit usually pays for itself, especially for US citizens (FEIE/FATCA), existing UK ties, or unwinding SA tax residency.

FAQ

Portugal D9: common questions

Can Australian citizens get the Portugal D9?

Yes. The D9 is open to Australian passport holders as non-EU nationals. The main requirement is proof of income of at least €3,680 per month.

Can I apply for the Portugal D9 from inside Portugal?

It depends. Some European nomad permits let you apply from inside the country (especially if you already hold legal residence on another permit), while others require you to apply at a Portugal consulate before you travel. We haven't verified Portugal's rule for Australian applicants yet, so confirm it with the official Portugal source before relying on it.

How long does the Portugal D9 take for Australian applicants?

As a rough guide, European nomad permits run about 8–16 weeks door-to-door once you add police clearance, any apostille, the appointment lead time, and post-arrival registration on top of the official processing window. We haven't verified Portugal's figures for Australian applicants, so treat this as indicative.

Do I need an apostille for the Portugal D9?

Most European permits require documents issued in Australia (such as a police clearance) to be apostilled, but the exact list varies by country and permit. We haven't verified Portugal's requirement for Australian documents, so confirm it with the consulate or official source.

How much does the Portugal D9 cost?

The government application fee is about €110. Budget separately for police clearance, apostille (if required), translations, and required health insurance.

Does the Portugal D9 lead to permanent residency?

Yes. Time on the D9 counts toward permanent residency, for which you can typically apply after 5 years of legal residence.

Can I bring my family on the Portugal D9?

Yes. Spouses and dependent children can generally be included as dependants, usually with a higher combined income requirement and their own supporting documents.

Fees, income thresholds, and consular policy for Portugal, emailed when they move. About once a month.

What's next

Keep going

Expatlas provides information for orientation only and is not legal advice. Always verify current requirements with official government sources and consult an immigration lawyer for your specific case.

Portugal digital nomad visa for Australian citizens | Expatlas