PortugalBusiness / start-up residence permit

D2 entrepreneur visa in Portugal

A visa for those whose income comes from their own work: freelancers on a services contract, entrepreneurs and start-up founders from a certified incubator. No contract with a Portuguese employer is required — income is evidenced by services, a business or an investment. The visa is used to enter the country, and the residence permit is arranged on the spot, at the migration authority.

Visa term

The first card 2 years, renewed for 3 years (5 years in total)

Processing time

Visa 2-4 months; after entry, the card takes 1-3 months

Work

You may run a business, be a director or be self-employed; employment is also possible

Residence

Genuine residence, with more than 183 days as the benchmark

Source: vistos.mne.gov.pt — D2 visa: residence for entrepreneurs and the self-employed

Who can obtain the D2 visa

The visa brings together three official routes — for independent professionals, for entrepreneurs and for start-up founders, each with its own document pack.

Independent professionals and freelancers

An adult national of a country outside the EU and the EEA who plans to provide services as an independent professional
There is a signed contract or a written offer to provide services from a client
For regulated professions — confirmation of professional qualifications from the competent authority

Entrepreneurs and investors

An adult national of a country outside the EU and the EEA who plans to run a business in Portugal
An investment operation has been carried out, or financial means available in Portugal have been evidenced
The intention to invest in Portugal has been evidenced by any means

Start-up founders (the Startup Visa programme)

An adult national of a country outside the EU and the EEA who plans to develop a technology start-up
An incubation agreement has been signed with a certified business incubator
The incubator is accredited by the Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation (IAPMEI) under the rules of the state programme for start-ups (Startup Visa)

When the programme is not a fit

You have a contract with an employer in Portugal and need a visa specifically for employment

The D1 employment work visa (Visto de residência para exercício de atividade profissional subordinada)

Only passive income is planned — a pension, rent or dividends, without active activity in Portugal

The D7 passive income visa

Remote work as an employee or freelancer for foreign clients, without moving the activity to Portugal

The D8 digital nomad visa

You only need a short entry of up to 90 days, without arranging a residence permit

A short-stay Schengen visa

What it costs

National visa (state fee)Paid when the visa application is filed at a Portuguese consulate or embassy	110 EUR

Paid separately

AIMA fee for arranging the residence permit — Paid separately after moving to Portugal, when the residence card application is filed. Under the official AIMA fee schedule (Portaria n.º 307/2023, as revised on 26.02.2026): receiving and considering the application — €133 in person / €99.80 through the digital channel, plus issuing the card itself — €114.30 in person / €85.80 through the digital channel
Travel medical insurance — Paid separately, for at least the period the visa is valid
Translation, legalisation of documents and the apostille on the criminal record certificate — The cost depends on the country and the translator, and is not part of the state fee

Documents to gather

The general pack is mandatory on any route; the extra documents depend on whether you apply as an independent professional, an entrepreneur or a participant in the state programme for start-ups (Startup Visa).

A completed and signed national visa application form
Two recent colour passport-format photographs in good condition
A passport or other travel document valid for at least three months beyond the intended date of return, and a copy of it (the personal details page)
Evidence of lawful residence status, if the applicant is a national of a country other than the one where the visa application is filed
Valid travel medical insurance covering emergency medical care and possible repatriation
A criminal record certificate from the competent authority of the country of nationality or of the country of residence for over a year — with an apostille or consular legalisation
Evidence of financial means in the amount set by the decree on the subsistence minimum in force
For independent professionals — a contract or written offer to provide services in a liberal profession
If the profession is regulated in Portugal — a declaration from the competent authority confirming the professional qualification
For entrepreneurs — documents on the investment operation carried out
For entrepreneurs — evidence of financial means available in Portugal (including through a Portuguese financial institution) and evidence of the intention to invest in the country
For participants in the state programme for start-ups (Startup Visa) — a declaration from the Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation (IAPMEI) confirming that an incubation agreement has been signed with a certified business incubator

How the process runs

The route from filing the application at the consulate to receiving the residence permit in Portugal.

1
Collecting and preparing the documents
2-4 weeks
Collect the general document pack and the specific set for the route you have chosen — independent professional activity, entrepreneurship or participation in the state programme for start-ups (Startup Visa). Translate the documents into Portuguese or English where required, and legalise the criminal record certificate with an apostille.
2
Filing the application at the consulate
1 day
Book an appointment at a Portuguese consulate or embassy, file the documents you have collected in person and pay the state fee for considering the national visa application.
3
Consideration of the application by the consulate
up to 60 days
A decision on a residence visa application is taken within sixty days of the applicant attending in person; if further documents or information are requested, the period can be longer.
4
Receiving the visa
a few days after the decision
Once approved, the visa is placed in the passport. A residence visa is valid for four months and allows two entries to Portugal — you have to enter the country within that period.
5
Registering with AIMA
After entering Portugal on the visa, apply to a branch of AIMA — the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum — for a residence permit. Depending on the route chosen, you will need confirmation that the activity has started with the tax service and the social insurance system, a valid services contract, a document on incorporating the company, or the most recent invoices issued.
6
Receiving the residence permit
After considering the application, AIMA issues the residence card, which gives the right to live, work and run a business lawfully in Portugal.

Who you can bring with you

Family members can apply for the visa together with the applicant as accompanying members — family ties and stable financial means sufficient for the whole family have to be evidenced.

Spouse or civil union partner

Evidence of family ties is attached (a marriage certificate or confirmation of the partnership, including one entered into outside Portugal), together with evidence of stable means sufficient for the whole family.

Minor children and children lacking legal capacity

Children are included, adopted children among them, who are in the care of the applicant or of their spouse or partner; if the child travels without both parents, permission to leave from the absent parent or a court decision is required.

Adult dependants and close relatives

Unmarried adult children who are financially dependent on the applicant and studying at an educational institution; the parents of the applicant or of the spouse, if they are dependants; minor brothers and sisters dependent on the resident — at the decision of the competent authority.

Renewal and the grace period

The first residence permit AIMA issues after the move is valid for two years from the date of issue. Once that period ends it can be renewed for successive periods of three years — the rule applies both to the ordinary regime of independent professional activity and to the separate option for participants in the state programme for start-ups (Startup Visa). While the residence permit is being renewed on lawful grounds, the period of lawful residence needed to move to permanent residence and apply for citizenship keeps running.

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

Permanent residence after 5 years

Route to citizenship

Citizenship: 10 years of lawful residence, 7 years for nationals of the EU and of Portuguese-speaking countries (Lei Orgânica 1/2026, from 19.05.2026). Applications filed before 19.05.2026 are considered under the previous term of 5 years. Counted from the date the residence permit is requested; language level A2

Frequently asked questions about D2 entrepreneur visa

What is the difference between the independent professional, the entrepreneur and the start-up programme routes?

These are three official options within one visa. An independent professional evidences the activity with a contract or a written offer to provide services (for regulated professions, also with confirmation of qualifications). An entrepreneur evidences the investment operation carried out, the financial means available in Portugal and the intention to invest in the country. A participant in the state programme for start-ups (Startup Visa) attaches a declaration from the Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation (IAPMEI) that an incubation agreement has been signed with a certified business incubator.

How much does the D2 visa cost, and what is not covered by the state fee?

The state fee for considering a national visa application is the same for every category and comes to 110 euros. Medical insurance, translation and legalisation of documents are paid for separately from that fee, and after the move to Portugal so is the AIMA fee for arranging the residence card itself.

What minimum income has to be evidenced for the D2 visa?

The sufficiency of means is tied to the minimum monthly wage in Portugal — in 2026 that is 920 euros a month for the main applicant, before social insurance deductions. For each further adult in the family the sum rises by 50% of the base figure, and for each child under 18 by 30%.

How long does a D2 visa application take to consider?

The official period for deciding a residence visa application is up to sixty days from the date the applicant attends the consulate in person. If the consulate needs further documents or clarifications, consideration can take longer.

How long is the residence permit on a D2 visa issued for, and how is it renewed?

The first residence permit for independent professional activity is valid for two years from the date AIMA issues it. After that it is renewed for successive periods of three years — with no limit on the number of renewals, as long as the conditions for the status are still met.

Other ways to move to Portugal

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Portugal.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 8 August 2026.