Most Americans move to Portugal on one of two visas: the D7 if they live on Social Security, pensions or investment income (at least EUR 920 a month in 2026), or the D8 if they work remotely (at least EUR 3,680 a month). You apply from the US, collect a 2-year residence permit from Portugal's immigration agency (AIMA) after you arrive, and keep filing US taxes every year. Plan on 5 years to permanent residence and, since May 2026, 10 years to citizenship.

Key Takeaways

• D7 (passive income): at least EUR 920 a month in 2026, plus 50% for a spouse and 30% per child. D8 (remote work): an average of at least EUR 3,680 a month over the last 3 months.
• Apply from the US. The visa fee is EUR 110 and the legal decision deadline is 60 days. The visa is valid for 4 months, during which you enter and start your residence permit with AIMA.
• Two tax systems. Portugal taxes residents on worldwide income at 12.5% to 48%, and the US taxes you as a citizen. Credits stop most double taxation, but you file in both countries.
• NHR is closed to newcomers since 2024, and its replacement (IFICI) does not cover retirees or pensions.
• Costs: the site's data puts Portugal's cost of living at about half the US level, but Lisbon asking rents hit EUR 25.1 per square meter in September 2026.
• Bring your family with you. Since October 2025, family reunification after you move usually requires 2 years of residence first.

Not sure Portugal is the best fit? The Relocation Wizard compares countries on your budget, visa options and lifestyle in a few minutes.

Which visa fits you

US citizens can visit for 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. To live in Portugal you need a residence visa issued before you travel: you cannot switch from tourist status to a D7 or D8 inside the country.

Visa	Who it suits	Main requirement (October 2026)
D7	Retirees and people with pension, rental or dividend income	Passive income of at least EUR 920 a month, plus EUR 460 for a second adult and EUR 276 per child
D8	Remote employees of US companies, freelancers with foreign clients	Average income of at least EUR 3,680 a month over the last 3 months from work for clients or employers abroad
D2	Entrepreneurs and independent professionals	A business or professional activity in Portugal and the means to support it
Work visa or EU Blue Card	People hired by a Portuguese employer	A job offer or contract
Golden visa (ARI)	Investors who will not live there full time	EUR 500,000 in qualifying funds or research, EUR 250,000 in arts and heritage, or 10 jobs; no real estate route since October 2023

Income thresholds come from the Portuguese visa portal and follow the 2026 minimum wage. The old job seeker visa was abolished by Lei 61/2025 in October 2025.

D7. Social Security award letters, pension statements, rental income, dividends and interest all count. A couple on Social Security needs at least EUR 1,380 a month. Some US posts reportedly also ask for a year of the threshold (EUR 11,040) in savings in a Portuguese bank account. That is not on the official checklist, so read your consulate's current document list. If your income is a salary, use the D8 instead.

D8. You need an employment contract or employer declaration (or service contracts if you freelance) and proof of 3 months of income. Two things Americans often miss: once you are tax resident, Portugal taxes your salary even if a US company pays it, and under the US-Portugal totalization agreement self-employed people pay social security where they live. Employees sent abroad by a US employer for up to 5 years can stay in US Social Security.

Golden visa. With real estate gone, most investors buy Portuguese fund units, and for a US taxpayer most of those are likely to be PFICs (passive foreign investment companies): a Form 8621 every year and punitive tax unless the fund supports a QEF election. In October 2026 the government put pending golden visa applications at about 46,000, and the passport is now 10 years away. Our golden visa guide compares other countries.

Step by step: from the US to a residence card

1. Find your consulate. Depending on your state, you apply through the Embassy in Washington or the consulates in Boston, New Bedford, Newark, New York or San Francisco, several via VFS Global centers (also in Chicago, Miami and Houston).
2. Get a Portuguese tax number (NIF). You need it for a lease and a bank account. Non-residents can get one without a fiscal representative, but once you have a tax link in Portugal you have 15 days to appoint one or sign up for electronic notifications.
3. Order the FBI check last. An FBI Identity History Summary (USD 18) with a US Department of State apostille (USD 20). Consulates want it recent.
4. Line up housing and insurance. You need travel insurance covering urgent care and repatriation. Accommodation is not on the official list, but consulates commonly ask for a lease or booking.
5. Apply and pay the EUR 110 visa fee, plus the VFS service fee where VFS handles the file. The legal deadline for a decision is 60 days.
6. Enter within 4 months. The visa allows 2 entries in 4 months. Follow the instructions for your AIMA appointment, where your biometrics are taken.
7. Renew on time. The first permit lasts 2 years and renewals 3 years. Renewals moved online in 2025.
8. Register locally. Request your NIF, social security number (NISS) and health service number together at 12 Espacos Cidadao offices.

Families: apply for your spouse and children at the same time, as accompanying family members. Under Lei 61/2025, family reunification later generally requires 2 years of legal residence, with exceptions for minor children and some permits (golden visa, Blue Card) but not the D7 or D8. The moving abroad checklist helps you keep the paperwork in order.

What it costs

Upfront

Item	Cost (October 2026)
National visa	EUR 110 per applicant, plus the VFS service fee where VFS handles the file
FBI check plus apostille	USD 18 plus USD 20
Lease	A deposit plus advance rent; landlords often ask newcomers without Portuguese income or a guarantor for more
Shipping household goods	Duty-free if you owned and used them for 6 months, lived outside the EU for 12 months and import them within 12 months of moving

Monthly: Portugal vs the US

From the site's own data:

Measure	United States	Portugal
Cost of living index (US = 100)	100	47
Average monthly rent	USD 4,078	USD 1,473
Average monthly utilities	USD 263	USD 141
Average net monthly salary	USD 4,428	USD 1,103
Life expectancy	77.4 years	82.6 years

Portugal is cheaper and healthier, but local salaries are low, so most Americans arrive with US income. Rents vary a lot by city:

City	Asking rent per m2 (idealista, Sep 2026)	Our estimate, 1-bed (60 m2)	Our estimate, 2-bed (85 m2)
Lisbon	EUR 25.1	about EUR 1,510	about EUR 2,130
Porto	EUR 19.0	about EUR 1,140	about EUR 1,615
Faro (Algarve)	EUR 14.8	about EUR 890	about EUR 1,260
Coimbra	EUR 12.8	about EUR 770	about EUR 1,090
Braga	EUR 10.7	about EUR 640	about EUR 910

Asking rents come from idealista's September 2026 report; signed leases are lower. INE put the median rent on new leases at EUR 17.79 per m2 in the city of Lisbon in the second quarter of 2026, with the national median up 10.2% in a year. Either way, the D7 minimum does not cover a one-bedroom in Lisbon. Price your own move in the cost of living calculator.

Taxes: you will file in two countries

This is an overview, not tax advice. A cross-border accountant who knows both systems is worth paying for in your first year.

Portugal

You become tax resident if you spend more than 183 days in any 12-month period in Portugal, or have a home there you intend to keep as your usual residence. Portugal then taxes your worldwide income. In 2026 the rates rise from 12.5% on the first EUR 8,342 of taxable income to 31.1% from EUR 23,089, 44.6% from EUR 46,566 and 48% above EUR 86,634, plus a solidarity surcharge of 2.5% from EUR 80,000 (5% above EUR 250,000). Dividends, interest and capital gains are taxed at a flat 28% unless you opt to add them to your other income.

• NHR is gone. The old regime closed to new applicants on 1 January 2024, though many listicles still sell it.
• IFICI ("NHR 2.0") taxes eligible Portuguese work income at 20% for 10 years, but only for qualifying activities such as research, certified startups and qualified roles in recognized companies. Pensions get no relief, and most remote employees of US companies should not count on it.
• IRS Jovem exempts part of the work income of people aged 35 or under, with the exempt amount capped at EUR 29,542 in 2026.
• Roth IRAs are a gray area. Portugal has no specific rule, and advisers warn the growth may be taxed.

The US

• You still file a Form 1040. The foreign earned income exclusion is USD 132,900 for 2026, but it does not cover pensions or self-employment tax, and because Portuguese rates are usually higher, many residents use the foreign tax credit (Form 1116) instead. Drop the exclusion and you cannot claim it again for 5 years without IRS approval.
• FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) if your foreign accounts total more than USD 10,000 at any point in the year, and Form 8938 above USD 200,000 at year end or USD 300,000 at any time for single filers abroad (double for joint).
• Social Security and pensions. Under the tax treaty, the US keeps the right to tax your Social Security; Portugal can tax it too as your residence country and credits the US tax. IRA, 401(k) and private pension payouts are taxed by Portugal as your residence country and by the US as your citizenship country, with credits for the overlap. SSA pays by direct deposit into euro accounts in Portugal.
• Your state may not let go. Some states tax you until you prove a new domicile. California's safe harbor, for example, needs 546 consecutive days abroad under an employment contract among other conditions.

Healthcare

With a residence permit you can register with the national health service (SNS) at your local health center; before that, only urgent and vital care is covered. Most user fees were abolished in 2022, except for hospital emergency visits without a referral that do not end in admission.

Many Americans add private insurance for faster specialist access. Consumer group DECO found basic hospital plans for a 40-year-old at about EUR 157 to 207 a year in late 2024 (with low caps), and plans with a EUR 50,000 hospital limit at about EUR 850 to 920. Most senior plans only accept new members up to about 70 to 75, so buy before you age out.

Medicare does not cover care abroad. If you drop Part B and re-enroll later, the penalty is 10% for each full year without it, for life, which is why many retirees keep paying Part B (USD 202.90 a month in 2026).

Driving, banking and pets

• Driving: residents can keep using a US license if they are under 60 and it was issued or renewed within the last 15 years. Exchanging it needs no driving test, just a medical certificate, a certificate of authenticity and EUR 30.
• Banking: Portuguese banks report US clients under FATCA and ask for a W-9. Some branches turn Americans away, so ask before you book.
• Pets: microchip before the rabies shot, a 21-day wait, and an EU health certificate endorsed by USDA within 10 days of arrival. A new certificate format applies from 1 October 2026: see the USDA APHIS Portugal page.

Permanent residence and citizenship

After 5 years you can apply for permanent residence with an A2 Portuguese certificate. Citizenship now takes 10 years of legal residence counted from your first permit, plus around 3 years of processing. The US allows dual citizenship, so you keep your US passport. Our Portugal citizenship guide explains how the years are counted.

Mistakes Americans make

1. Treating EUR 920 as a budget. It is a legal floor. Rent alone in Lisbon or Porto costs more.
2. Moving first, bringing family later. The 2-year reunification wait can split a family.
3. Buying European funds or ETFs. PFIC rules make most non-US funds expensive for US taxpayers.
4. Keeping a sticky state domicile. California and Virginia, among others, may still tax you.

Is Portugal right for you?

It suits you if you have US income (Social Security, a pension, a remote salary) and want a safer, slower and cheaper life in Europe: the site's data scores Portugal's crime rate at 31 against 49 for the US. Retirees who are happy in Faro, Coimbra or Braga pay asking rents 40% to 60% below Lisbon's. You will not be alone: 19,258 Americans lived in Portugal at the end of 2024, up 36% in a year, per AIMA data reported by Portugal Resident.

It does not suit you if you need a local job, want an EU passport quickly, or have little patience for bureaucracy, a frequent complaint among Americans there. Spain offers a similar lifestyle with its own digital nomad visa; compare the two side by side or read the Portugal country guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a US citizen just move to Portugal?

Not without a visa. You can stay 90 days in any 180-day period as a visitor, but living there requires a residence visa such as the D7 or D8, issued in the US before you travel, and then a residence permit from AIMA.

How much money do I need to move to Portugal from the US?

The legal minimums in 2026 are EUR 920 a month for the D7 and EUR 3,680 for the D8. A realistic budget is higher: by our estimate from current asking rents, a one-bedroom costs about EUR 1,500 a month in Lisbon and about half that in Braga or Coimbra.

Do I have to pay taxes in both the US and Portugal?

You file in both. Portugal taxes you on worldwide income as a resident, and the US taxes you as a citizen. The treaty and foreign tax credits prevent most double taxation, but you still owe an FBAR and possibly Form 8938.

How long does the move take?

The consulate has 60 days by law to decide, and you then have 4 months to enter Portugal and attend your AIMA appointment. With document gathering, plan on several months from start to arrival.

Sources

• Portuguese visa portal: fees and means of subsistence
• Lei 61/2025, Diario da Republica
• Portal das Financas: tax residence (IRS Code, article 16)
• IRS: foreign earned income exclusion
• IRS: FBAR requirements
• IMT: driving with an OECD country license
• INE: rents on new leases, Q2 2026

Your next step

Portugal works best for Americans who bring their income with them and plan for a decade, not a quick passport. Run your monthly budget in the cost of living calculator, then take the Relocation Wizard to see how Portugal ranks against other countries for you.