The D2 in 6 numbers (2026)
- 3 routesfreelancer, entrepreneur or startup
- €0minimum investment set by law
- €11,040of means for one person, for a year
- €110consular fee per applicant
- 60 daysfor the consulate to decide
- 10 yearsto Portuguese citizenship
Portugal D2 Visa for Entrepreneurs in 2026
The entrepreneur and freelancer visa, in 7 steps: who qualifies, how much you need, what it costs, and how we can help at each step.
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The Portugal D2 visa, often called the entrepreneur visa, lets citizens of countries outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland move to Portugal to work for themselves: as a freelancer with a service contract, with a company or an investment, or with a startup in a certified incubator.
The law sets no minimum investment, but you need means of subsistence: €11,040 for one person in 2026. This guide takes you through the requirements, the documents and the 7 steps, up to your residence card.
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Table of contents13
- The D2 in 6 numbers
- Can you get a D2?
- What is the D2 visa?
- Requirements: the 3 routes
- Investment, means and business plan
- Bringing your family
- How to apply in 7 steps
- Documents checklist
- After approval: AIMA
- Validity and renewal
- Permanent residence and citizenship
- Applying from the US
- Frequently asked questions
Can you get a D2? The 30-second check
- You are not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen. Those citizens don’t need a visa to live in Portugal.
- You fit one of the three routes: a service contract in a liberal profession, a company or investment in Portugal, or a certified incubator.
- You can show €11,040 (€16,560 for a couple), available in Portugal.
- No serious conviction: nothing punishable in Portugal by more than a year in prison.
- You will really live in Portugal: a home there, and never more than 6 months away in a row.
Yes to all five? The D2 is your visa.
Working remotely for clients or an employer abroad? Look at the D8 instead. A doubt on one point? Ask us in a free call.
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What changed in 2025 and 2026
- Visa fee of €110 since March 2025 (it was €90).
- Minimum wage of €920 in 2026: €11,040 of means for one applicant, for a year.
- A new activity without a new card: since 11 September 2026, D2 holders can change the nature of their self-employed activity by telling AIMA.
- Family later takes two years: since October 2025, family reunification needs two years of residence first, so apply together.
- Citizenship after ten years of legal residence since May 2026 (seven for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries and EU citizens), counted from your first residence permit.
What is the Portugal D2 visa (entrepreneur visa)?
The D2 is the Portuguese residence visa for independent professionals and immigrant entrepreneurs. It is for citizens of countries outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland who want to work for themselves in Portugal.
You apply at the Portuguese consulate (or its VFS Global center) for the country where you live. The consulate issues a 4-month residence visa; in Portugal, AIMA then gives you a residence permit, renewed for as long as your activity and your means continue.
Benefits of the Portugal D2 visa
- Live in Portugal and run your business there, with your spouse and children.
- Visit the other Schengen countries for up to 90 days in any 180 without another visa (to travel, not to live or work there).
- Get provisional tax, Social Security and health service numbers with your visa, and use Portuguese healthcare as a resident.
- Take a job later if you want to, by changing your card at AIMA.
- Permanent residence after five years, and Portuguese citizenship after ten (seven for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries and EU citizens).
D2 visa requirements: who is eligible?
The D2 has three routes, set by article 60 of the foreigners’ law. You need one of them, plus the conditions of every residence visa.
1. Independent professionals (freelancers)
You have a service contract, or a written proposal of one, in a liberal profession, and you are qualified to practice it. If your profession is regulated in Portugal, add a declaration from the body that regulates it.
The activity must be on the tax authority’s list of professions. Some consulates want the contract to be with a Portuguese client: London does. Our freelancing guide explains how the work runs once you are there.
2. Entrepreneurs and investors
You have made an investment in Portugal, or you have money available in Portugal (a loan from a Portuguese bank counts) and show that you will invest it. You describe the investment in a declaration: its nature, its value and its duration.
A company registered in Portugal is the proof London’s consulate lists, with its registry certificate and a business plan. Our guide to starting a business in Portugal covers the company side.
3. Startup founders (Startup Visa)
Your innovative project is accepted by IAPMEI, the State agency for competitiveness and innovation, and you sign an incubation contract with a certified incubator. IAPMEI’s declaration is then your proof.
For every route
- You are not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen.
- You have means of subsistence, available in Portugal (see below).
- A valid passport and travel insurance.
- No conviction for a crime punishable in Portugal by more than one year in prison.
- A place to live in Portugal: consulates usually ask for proof.
| Route | For | Key proof |
|---|---|---|
| Independent professional | Freelancers in a liberal profession | Service contract |
| Entrepreneur | Founders and investors | Investment |
| Startup Visa | Innovative startups | IAPMEI letter |
D2 or Startup Visa?
The Startup Visa is the D2’s third route, not another visa: the same residence visa, the same permit. What differs is the gate. You apply to IAPMEI first, on its online platform, and it judges the innovation, the scalability and the jobs your project can create.
The program asks for the potential to reach €325,000 of yearly turnover or assets five years after incubation. At each renewal, you show that the incubation contract goes on. The law also lets incubated founders apply for the permit in Portugal without a residence visa. Our Startup Visa guide goes into detail.
D2 or D8?
Both suit people who work for themselves, but not the same clients. If you work remotely for clients or an employer outside Portugal, the D8 digital nomad visa is the one to apply for.
| Visa | D2 | D8 |
|---|---|---|
| Work | Your business, or services under contract | Remote, clients abroad |
| Money in 2026 | €11,040 of means for a year | €3,680 a month |
D2 visa minimum investment, means and business plan
Is there a minimum investment for the D2?
No. The law sets no amount, for a company or for any other investment. The consulate looks at the purpose of your stay, so the investment must be real and described: its nature, value and duration, in your declaration.
How much money do you need?
Consulates measure your means on the Portuguese minimum wage, €920 a month in 2026. For an investment, the rule is 12 months of it: €11,040 for one person, available in Portugal. Income from your service contract or your company counts.
For each family member who comes with you, add 50% for a spouse or another adult and 30% for each child, adult children who depend on you included:
| Household | Means for a year |
|---|---|
| Main applicant alone | €11,040 |
| + spouse (+50%) | €16,560 |
| + spouse + 1 child (+30%) | €19,872 |
| + spouse + 2 children (+30% each) | €23,184 |
What each consulate wants to see varies: London asks for three months of bank statements with at least €920 available, New Delhi for proof covering 12 months. When the minimum wage rises (usually in January), these amounts rise with it.
Do you need a business plan for the D2?
The law doesn’t list one, but some consulates do: London names a business plan among the papers of a company. Even where it isn’t asked, it is the clearest way to show the nature, value and duration of your investment, and how the business will support you.
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Can your family join you on a D2 visa?
Yes. Your family can apply for their residence visas at the same time as you, to come with you. For each of them, you show more means: 50% more for an adult, 30% more for a child. You can include:
- Your spouse, or a partner you have lived with for more than two years.
- Your minor children, and adult children who depend on you, are single and study in Portugal (there is no age limit).
- Your or your spouse’s parents, if they depend on you: the proof is usually the money you send them.
- Minors adopted by you or your spouse, and minor brothers and sisters under your guardianship.
Family members who move with you get their own residence permit and their own path to permanent residence and citizenship, counted from their own first permit.
Tip: apply together. Since October 2025, bringing family later through family reunification takes two years of residence first (15 months for a spouse you lived with for 18 months before, no wait for your minor children), and AIMA then has nine months to decide.
How to apply for the Portugal D2 visa in 7 steps
From your sofa to your Portuguese residence card. Each step says what to do and what it costs. In a free AnchorLess account, you tick them off one by one and get expert help where you need it.
- 1
Choose your route
Freelancer with a service contract, entrepreneur with a company or an investment, or startup in a certified incubator. Then check your means: €11,040 for one person.
Take the 30-second check - 2
Get your NIF
Your Portuguese tax number: banks and landlords ask for it, and so does the registration of your company or your self-employed activity. You can get it from abroad.
Get my NIF - 3
Open a Portuguese bank account
Your means must be available in Portugal, and consulates usually ask for a Portuguese statement: €11,040 for one person, more with family.
Open my account - 4
Set up your business
Freelancers get a service contract or a written proposal. Entrepreneurs register a company or make the investment, and describe it. Startups get IAPMEI’s approval and sign with an incubator.
Get my company quote - 5
Secure your home
A lease (consulates usually ask for at least 12 months), a deed, or a term of responsibility from someone who hosts you.
Review my leaseOr find your home with us - 6
Build your file and apply at the consulate
Proof of means, your route’s documents, criminal record, travel insurance: the full checklist is below. Book the consulate or VFS Global center for where you live and pay the €110 fee.
Review my visa fileFind your consulate - 7
Fly to Portugal and get your residence permit
Within the visa’s 4 months, register your activity with the tax office and Social Security, then go to AIMA. AIMA has 90 days to decide (up to 120); your first card lasts 2 years.
Have your AIMA file checked (€259)
How much does the D2 visa cost?
| Fee | When | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Consular visa fee (children under 6 don’t pay) | When you apply | €110 |
| Service fee of VFS Global or another provider | Where one handles applications | Varies |
| First residence permit, at AIMA | In Portugal | €185.60 |
The AIMA fee is €247.30 where the reduced rate does not apply: see the AIMA Portugal fee table in our guide. Add your company’s own costs, the apostilles of your documents, any translation your consulate asks for, and your insurance.
How long does the D2 visa take?
By law, the consulate has 60 days to decide on a residence visa, and London and New Delhi both give 60 days as their standard time; a consulate can take longer when it needs an interview or more documents. In Portugal, AIMA then has 90 days to decide on your residence permit, which it can extend by 30.
- Day 0You apply at the consulate
- 60 daysat most for the decision
- 4 monthsto enter Portugal and go to AIMA
- 90 daysfor AIMA to decide (up to 120)
- 2 yearsyour first residence card
- 5 yearspermanent residence
- 10 yearscitizenship
Why are D2 applications refused?
A Portuguese visa refusal usually comes down to one of these:
- Means that don’t reach the threshold, or aren’t available in Portugal;
- Business documents that don’t fit the route (remote work for clients abroad is a D8 case);
- A conviction for a crime punishable in Portugal by more than a year in prison;
- An incomplete file: the consular checklists warn that missing documents can lead to a refusal.
A doubt about your application? AnchorLess offers a free consultation to clear it up.
D2 visa documents checklist
Your application rests on a complete file. Some documents are Portuguese and take time, like your NIF (tax number), a Portuguese bank account and your company papers: start them first (steps 2 to 4 above).
The documents to bring to your D2 appointment
- The national visa application form, signed, and 2 recent passport photos;
- A passport valid at least 3 months beyond the end of the stay you apply for;
- Proof of legal residence, if you apply outside your country of nationality;
- Travel insurance covering medical expenses, urgent care and repatriation;
- A criminal record certificate from your country of nationality, or from the country where you have lived for over a year, apostilled or legalized (not needed under 16);
- Proof of your means: usually statements of your Portuguese bank account (€11,040 for one person), and your contract or company income;
- Proof of accommodation, which consulates usually ask for: a deed, a lease of at least 12 months, or a term of responsibility from someone who hosts you;
- A signed personal statement: why you move, where you will live and in what kind of home (the US and London consulates ask for it);
- The documents of your route (below), and the visa fee.
The documents for your route
- Independent professional: a service contract or a written proposal in a liberal profession, and the declaration of the professional body if your profession is regulated in Portugal.
- Entrepreneur: a declaration of your investment (nature, value, duration), with proof that you made it, or proof of money available in Portugal and of the investment you plan. With a company, London also lists its registry certificate (certidão permanente), its articles, its beneficial owners register (RCBE) and a business plan.
- Startup Visa: IAPMEI’s declaration that you signed an incubation contract with a certified incubator (New Delhi accepts it for 180 days from its date).
Criminal record
From your country of nationality, or from the country where you have lived for over a year, apostilled or legalized (not needed under 16). It must be recent: the US and London consulates want it issued less than 90 days before you apply.
Travel insurance
The rules ask for travel insurance that covers medical expenses, urgent care and repatriation, and set no amount. Consulates add their own: London wants it to cover the visa’s full 120 days, New Delhi at least €30,000. Citizens of countries with a health agreement with Portugal, like Brazil (PB4) or the UK (S1), may not need it. Insurte, our partner, offers cover made for visa applications.
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After the D2 visa: moving to Portugal and your AIMA appointment
Your D2 visa is valid for 4 months and two entries: the time to move, start your activity and get your residence permit. It comes with a pre-authorization of residence and provisional tax, Social Security and health service numbers.
- Start your activity: declare it to the tax office and register with Social Security as self-employed (recibos verdes), or have your company set up. AIMA asks for the proof.
- Change the address of your NIF to your Portuguese home, at the tax office (Finanças).
- Check what you can take with you: some items need a Baggage Certificate from your local Portuguese consulate.
- Cover your bases at home: leave a power of attorney with someone you trust, and bring copies of your main documents.
How do I get my AIMA appointment?
Read the paperwork the consulate gives you first: the pre-authorization of residence holds the information on getting your permit, and many residence visas come with the AIMA appointment already scheduled. If no date was assigned, request one from AIMA; London’s consulate, for one, says it does not book AIMA appointments. Our guide to the AIMA appointment explains which option to pick. Go within the visa’s 4 months.
What does AIMA ask D2 holders for?
- Your passport and your D2 visa;
- Proof that you started your activity with the tax office and Social Security;
- Your service contract, your company’s registry certificate, or your latest invoices;
- A sworn declaration of your address, with the land registry certificate if you own the home or your landlord’s declaration if you rent;
- Proof of your tax and Social Security registration;
- Where it applies, the declaration of your professional body.
AIMA’s list for D2 visa holders has no foreign criminal record. AIMA has 90 days to decide, which it can extend by 30. The fee for a first permit is €185.60 in AIMA’s 2026 table (€247.30 where the reduced rate does not apply).
How long is the D2 visa valid, and how do you renew it?
- Residence visa: 4 months, two entries, to enter Portugal and go to AIMA.
- First residence permit: 2 years.
- Renewals: 3 years at a time, as long as your activity goes on and you meet the conditions.
- Permanent residence after 5 years with a permit; citizenship after 10.
Ask AIMA to renew at least 30 days before your card expires. You show that your means and your home continue, that your activity goes on, and that your taxes and Social Security contributions are in order; startups show that their incubation contract goes on.
AIMA decides a renewal within 60 days, and the receipt of your request counts as your card for 60 days, renewable.
While your card is valid, don’t stay away from Portugal for more than 6 months in a row or 8 months in all without a good reason, or AIMA can cancel it. A D2 detail: the law does not cancel the permit when you prove you worked or ran your business abroad during the absence.
| Card | Longest absence allowed | Valid |
|---|---|---|
| First residence permit | 6 months in a row, or 8 in all | 2 years |
| Renewed permit | 6 months in a row, or 8 in all | 3 years |
| Permanent residence (after 5 years) | 24 months in a row, or 30 in 3 years | No limit |
Permanent residence and citizenship with a D2 visa
After five years with a residence permit, you can apply for permanent residence: you need basic Portuguese (an A2 certificate, for example), your means of subsistence and accommodation, and no prison sentence over one year in the last five years. It has no time limit, and its card is renewed every five years.
Ten years after your first residence permit is issued (seven for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries and EU citizens), you can apply for Portuguese citizenship: an EU passport, to live and work anywhere in the EU, the EEA and Switzerland.
What are the requirements for citizenship through a D2 visa?
Ten years of legal residence, counted from your first residence permit (seven for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries and EU citizens). You must also prove, by a test or a certificate, that you know Portuguese (level A2 under the current regulation) and, since the 2026 law, Portuguese culture, history and national symbols, citizens’ rights and duties and how the State is organized.
You also declare your adherence to the rule of law, show you can support yourself, and must have no conviction that bars it. The new test is still to be set by regulation.
Applying for the D2 visa from the US
From the United States, the US checklist adds a few documents, and the total is higher than the consular fee alone:
- Consular visa fee: €110 per applicant, 127.11 USD at the US centers in 2026.
- VFS Global service fee: 43.91 USD per application, in New York, Washington DC, San Francisco, Houston and Miami. In New England, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware, you apply at the Portuguese consulates in Boston, New Bedford, Providence or Newark instead.
- FBI criminal record (Identity History Summary), 18 USD, issued less than 90 days before you apply, with an apostille from the US Department of State (20 USD per document).
- Proof of your US address (a lease or a driver’s license) and a signed personal statement.
Is the D2 visa right for you?
If you want to work for yourself in Portugal, with clients under contract, a company or a startup, the D2 is the visa built for it, with no minimum investment. If your clients or employer are abroad, the D8 fits better. Prepare your business documents early and apply together with your family: the move will be all the smoother.
How we checked this guide
The rules, amounts and fees in this guide were checked on 22 October 2026 against the law and the official portals:
- Lei 23/2007, the foreigners’ law (the D2 in articles 60 and 89, permits, family, absences), up to date with Lei 62/2026;
- Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007, for the documents of the visa, the permit and the renewal;
- the consulates’ visa portal (vistos.mne.gov.pt), the D2 checklists of the London, US and New Delhi consulates, and AIMA, for documents and fees;
- Portaria 91/2025/1 (the €110 fee), Lei Orgânica 1/2026 (citizenship) and the 2026 minimum wage, €920 a month.
Written by Brenda L., relocation expert at AnchorLess.
Frequently asked questions
What are the requirements for the Portugal D2 visa?
Be a citizen of a country outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland and fit one of three routes: a service contract or proposal in a liberal profession, an investment or a company in Portugal, or an incubation contract under the Startup Visa. Add means of subsistence (€11,040 for one person in 2026, available in Portugal), a valid passport, travel insurance, a home in Portugal, and no conviction for a crime punishable by more than a year in prison.
Is there a minimum investment for the D2 visa?
No. The law sets no amount. Your declaration states the investment’s nature, value and duration, and you need means of subsistence on top: €11,040 for one person in 2026.
How much money do I need for a D2 visa?
For an investment, 12 months of the Portuguese minimum wage: €11,040 for one person in 2026, €16,560 with a spouse, and €3,312 more for each child. Income from your contract or your company counts, and the money should be available in Portugal.
Do freelancers need a business plan for the D2?
Not by law: a freelancer shows a service contract or a written proposal in a liberal profession, and the professional body’s declaration if the profession is regulated. Some consulates ask for a business plan from applicants with a company: London does.
What businesses qualify for a D2 visa?
For entrepreneurs, the law names no sector: what counts is a real investment in Portugal. For freelancers, the activity must be a liberal profession on the tax authority’s list of professions, with the qualifications Portugal requires for it.
What is the difference between the D2 and the Startup Visa?
The Startup Visa is one of the D2’s three routes. Instead of a contract or an investment, you show IAPMEI’s declaration that you signed an incubation contract with a certified incubator, after IAPMEI accepted your innovative project.
D2 or D8: which visa for freelancers?
The D2 if your work is a liberal profession under a service contract, or your own business in Portugal. The D8 if you work remotely for clients or an employer outside Portugal and earn at least €3,680 a month (2026).
How long does the D2 visa take?
By law, the consulate has 60 days to decide. The visa is then valid 4 months, to travel to Portugal and go to AIMA, which has 90 days (up to 120) to decide on your residence permit.
Can my family come with me on a D2 visa?
Yes.
Your spouse or partner, your children and dependent parents can apply at the same time as you. For each, you show more means: 50% more for an adult, 30% more for a child.
Can I work for an employer with a D2 residence permit?
Yes.
You can take a job by replacing your card at AIMA. Since September 2026, you can also change the nature of your self-employed activity by telling AIMA, without a new card.
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