D6 Visa: Family Reunification Visa
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That's the best decision you could make for your family! Portugal is a fantastic place, with a low cost of living and a high quality of life. Besides that, it's also a friendly, welcoming place for expats, with a broad majority of residents speaking English, Spanish, or French.
In this article, you'll find a complete overview of how to bring your family to Portugal!
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Quick resume about D6 Visa Portugal
Time for Application:
⌛ Processing time: 2 to 3 months*
🙎♀️ Spouses and registered partners
Legal spouses or registered partners of residents in Portugal.
👦 Children
Minor children (under 18 years old) or dependent adult children of residents.
👤 Other dependent relatives
Other family members who are demonstrably dependent on the resident.
Get to know the D6 visa
The Portuguese D6 visa is also known as a family reunification visa or a family reunion visa. It caters to non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals who are dependents or legal partners of either a Portuguese resident, visa holder, or EU national living in Portugal.
What is the D6 visa?
The Family Reunification Visa (D6 Visa, or Family Reunification Visa) is a type of residence visa that enables non-EU/EEA/Swiss family members of Portuguese residents to join them and settle in Portugal.
This visa allows your family members to receive a residence permit for the same term as yours, for up to two years.
What are the benefits of the D6 visa?
The D6 visa enables your family member to enter Portugal and move throughout the Schengen Area without the need for additional visas or time limits, as well as to establish a business in a country with favorable business circumstances.
Another significant benefit of residing in Portugal on a D6 visa is access to reasonably priced Portuguese education and medical services. After five years, your family member will be eligible for Portuguese citizenship and permanent residency.
What are the main requirements for the D6 visa?
In addition to possessing no EU, EA, or Swiss citizenship and a clean criminal record, your family member must prove their relationship with you and that the household is capable of funding their life in Portugal.
Who can qualify as a dependent on my D6 visa application?
You can apply for:
- Your spouse or civil partner;
- Your minor children (above 18 qualifies if enrolled in a Portuguese educational facility and single);
- Dependent parents (when included at your tax return or under your care).
- Anyone whom you or your spouse may have legal guardianship (like disabled children or family members under your care, siblings you may have legal guardianship, adopted children).
Who must apply for a D6 visa application?
In contrast to other visas, legal Portuguese residents (or visa holders) must apply for their family members with AIMA, before any step.
This means that it's not the D6 visa holder who will apply, but you, who hold any other visa or permit.
The only exception is when the family member is still in your home country, and you are already in Portugal. In this case , they'll apply for their visa using your documentation and notification.
For example, if you apply for a D2 visa and wish to bring your family along, no matter how many members there are, you will be the official applicant, paying a fee and a visa for each individual.
How much is my D6 visa application funds threshold?
For a single person, the value is the annual Portuguese minimum wage, 9.840,00 €.
As you have dependents, the threshold changes accordingly.
-> If you submitted your application with a spouse or major family dependant 👫
-> If you are applying with children 👨👩👧👦
What will I need to present with my D6 VISA application?
Your family's D6 visa will require multiple pieces of paperwork for successful issuance. Before arriving in Portugal, you must submit certain documents to the authorities, such as a notification with AIMA.
How can I get ready for a D6 visa application?
Where should I apply for my Family Reunification Visa?
You'll always apply first with AIMA to notify about the Family Reunification Visa. But to apply for their legal residency, it depends on where your family members are.
If they are in your home country (with you):
You'll apply at your local embassy or visa office (like VFS), find the closest one here.
If they are in Portugal with you and have legal status (even as a visitor):
You'll apply directly at an AIMA office after scheduling an appointment.
⚠️ We highly recommend that you apply for a visa before your family comes to Portugal due to the high demand for AIMA appointments. If your family comes with a visa, there won't be worries regarding the timeline to schedule an interview in AIMA, as a visitor can only stay legally in the country for up to 90 days.
What are the steps to prepare for a D6 visa application?
Preparation is critical to a successful D6 visa application.
First thing you must do, as a Portuguese legal resident is applying for a family reunification visa with AIMA on behalf of your family member.
This initial application will be handled within 60 days, and the resident, family member, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be notified of the outcome.
Once authorized, the family member must apply to a Portuguese embassy or consulate in their native nation before traveling to Portugal.
After that follow these steps to apply for the visa:
⚠️ To be authorized by the Portuguese authorities, documents in languages other than Portuguese must be accompanied by a certified translation.
1
Check your family member's passport's expiration date.
2
Gather proof of relationship to the Portuguese legal resident (you)
3
Proof of accommodation with you
4
Passport pictures for their D6 visa application
5
Set up travel insurance
6
Request their criminal record for their D6 visa application.
7
Complete the D6 Visa Form application (if applying outside Portugal)
⏳ To Anticipate
FREE D6 checklist
What are the other steps for my D6 Visa?
Unlock for FREE your visa D6 checklist step by step and access to your personal dashboard.
How much is the D6 visa fee?
Currently, the fee is 90 euros per person, plus any administrative fees from local offices, which vary depending on the office.
How long will I wait for my family's D6 visa?
The wait time varies from office to office. Some areas will have a short waiting time—only four weeks; others will take a couple of months.
What should I do after my family arrives in Portugal?
Head to AIMA, schedule an appointment and convert their visa into a residency permit.
What is AIMA?
Formerly known as 'SEF - Serviços de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras' (Immigration and Borders Service), AIMA, 'Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo' (or Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum), is the office responsible for handling matters related to foreigners in Portugal, including their entrance, exit, and legalization.
How can I schedule an AIMA appointment?
AIMA is a bit crowded. As a result, contacting them and scheduling your appointments may pose some difficulties.
⚠️ Be prepared! You may need to make extensive calls, visit the AIMA website frequently, and pay close attention to any information about AIMA from various sources, especially their Facebook official page. Join Facebook groups where you can find shared experiences and tips to successfully schedule your appointment.
What can I expect from our AIMA appointment?
Prepare for and attend their AIMA appointment.
- Biometric data collection (picture, signature, and fingerprints) and verification of their documents.
- Documents needed for the AIMA appointment: Bring all the documents you submitted for your AIMA interview application and their reunification process (with proof of accommodation updated if you decide to move), and add their Portuguese health insurance instead of travel insurance.
⚠️ For the criminal record, you'll need to translate and notarize it (even if it's in your mother tongue).
All set? Just wait for their residence permit to arrive at home!
What is the duration of the D6 visa residency card?
It depends on your permit. If it's up to two years, it will be the same as yours.
If yours has more than 2 years (CRUE included), theirs will be two years.
After their residency card expires, how should they renew it, and how long will it last?
They must follow the same process for their first AIMA residency card, with updated documentation.
The following card's duration also depends on yours. If you have a permanent or five-year permit (CRUE included), the second version will be valid for three years.
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