Moving from the US to Portugal in 2026

• Income: 2026 RMMG = EUR 920 (Decreto-Lei 139/2025 of 29 Dec 2025, stated on vistos.mne.gov.pt and DGERT https://www.dgert.gov.pt/retribuicao-minima-mensal-garantida-para-2026). Applicant: 100% x 920 = 920/mo; 920 x 12 = 11,040/yr. Spouse/second adult: 50% x 920 = 460/mo. Each child under 18 or dependent adult child: 30% x 920 = 276/mo. Example couple + 2 children: 920 + 460 + 276 + 276 = 1,932/mo. Percentages from Portaria 1563/2007 art. 2 n.2 as stated on vistos.mne.gov.pt and aima.gov.pt (the AIMA page still shows the 2025 figure of EUR 870). Amount is net of social security contributions. The official page gives no annual figure; 11,040 is arithmetic.
• Savings: No savings amount is stated on official pages for retirees or passive income: they must prove the income and its availability in Portugal. A 12-month RMMG balance (EUR 11,040) is commonly reported as consular practice by secondary sources, but this is unverified; on vistos.mne.gov.pt the 12-month rule is stated only for investors, researchers, religious workers and students.
• Decision time: Official consular decision period for residence visas is 60 days 'except in circumstances stipulated by law' (vistos.mne.gov.pt Prazos). The Consulate General in New York states a minimum processing time of 4 to 8 weeks for national visas (https://novaiorque.consuladoportugal.mne.gov.pt/pt/assuntos-consulares/vistos). No official minimum, so min is null. After arrival, Lei 23/2007 art. 82 n.5 (version amended by Lei 62/2026 of 10 September) sets 90 days, extendable by 30, for AIMA to decide the residence permit (consolidated text read on pgdlisboa.pt, https://www.pgdlisboa.pt/leis/lei_mostra_articulado.php?artigo_id=920A0083&nid=920&tabela=leis&pagina=1&ficha=1&so_miolo=&nversao=). Real-world AIMA delays for appointments and permit cards are widely reported and often exceed these legal periods; no official backlog figure found.
• Duration: initialMonths refers to the temporary residence permit issued by AIMA (Lei 23/2007 art. 75 n.1): 2 years from issue. The consular residence visa itself is valid 4 months, two entries (https://vistos.mne.gov.pt/pt/vistos-nacionais/informacao-geral/tipo-de-visto). The permit may be cancelled for absence over 6 consecutive or 8 non-consecutive months during its validity (art. 85 n.2).
• Work: Lei 23/2007 art. 83 n.1 b) and c): a residence permit holder may do salaried and self-employed work without special authorisation. Source is the consolidated text on pgdlisboa.pt (Lisbon Regional Prosecutor's Office), version including Lei 62/2026.
• Permanent residence: Permanent residence after holding a temporary residence permit for at least 5 years, plus basic Portuguese (e.g. A2 PLA certificate), means of subsistence, accommodation, tax/social security compliance and no conviction over 1 year in the last 5 years. Legal basis: Lei 23/2007 art. 80 with art. 64 and Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007 (art. 80 n.1 a) confirmed in the consolidated text including Lei 62/2026).
• Citizenship: 10 years of legal residence for nationals of countries outside the CPLP and EU (US citizens), per Lei 37/81 art. 6 n.1 b) as amended by Lei Organica n.1/2026 of 18 May (approved by Parliament 1 Apr 2026, promulgated by President Seguro 3 May 2026, published DR 1st series n.95 on 18 May 2026, in force the next day, 19 May 2026, per its art. 8). CPLP and EU nationals: 7 years. Counting: art. 15 n.1 counts residence held under any title, visa or permit under the foreigners law; art. 15 n.3 sums all legal residence periods, continuous or not, provided they fall within a maximum window of 12 years for non-CPLP/non-EU nationals (9 for CPLP/EU, 6 for stateless). The old art. 15 n.4 is revoked (art. 5); secondary sources describe it as the 2024 rule that counted time from the residence permit application, so time spent waiting on AIMA before a permit is granted no longer counts (inference from secondary reporting; the revoked text itself was not read). Transitional rule (art. 7 n.2): applications pending on 19 May 2026 are decided under the previous law (5 years). New requirements also include a Portuguese language/culture test and knowledge of rights, duties and state organisation (art. 6 n.1 c, d). A first version was partly struck down by the Constitutional Court in Dec 2025 (Acordao 1133/2025, per secondary sources); a separate decree on loss of nationality was reported as still under Constitutional Court review. No official source found of any later change up to Oct 2026.

Unverified: VFS Global US service fee and USD amount of the EUR 110 visa fee (VFS site blocked automated access); AIMA residence permit fee; whether US consulates require a 12-month savings balance or a Portuguese bank account; real AIMA backlog times. Conflict: AIMA meios de subsistencia page still shows the 2025 minimum wage (EUR 870); vistos.mne.gov.pt shows 2026 EUR 920. Old app fee EUR 90 is outdated (now EUR 110). Citizenship is 10 years for US nationals under Lei Organica 1/2026; applications filed before 19 May 2026 stay under the old 5-year rule. Constitutional Court ruling number from secondary sources only. Work rights article read via pgdlisboa.pt consolidated text, not the DR consolidated page.

• Income: Official requirement: proof of average monthly income over the last 3 months from subordinate or independent work of at least four RMMG (Lei 23/2007 art. 61-B). 2026 RMMG = EUR 920 (Decreto-Lei 139/2025). 4 x 920 = 3,680/mo; 3,680 x 12 = 44,160/yr (arithmetic, not stated on the page).
• Savings: No savings requirement appears on the official D8 residence visa checklist; means of subsistence are assessed from the work or service contracts. The '12x minimum wage savings' figure seen online is not on official pages and is unverified. Dependents: no official D8 add-on is stated; the general Portaria 1563/2007 percentages (+50% adult, +30% child) may be applied to accompanying family, unverified.
• Decision time: Official consular decision period for residence visas is 60 days 'except in circumstances stipulated by law' (vistos.mne.gov.pt Prazos). The Consulate General in New York states a minimum processing time of 4 to 8 weeks for national visas (https://novaiorque.consuladoportugal.mne.gov.pt/pt/assuntos-consulares/vistos). No official minimum, so min is null. After arrival, Lei 23/2007 art. 82 n.5 (version amended by Lei 62/2026 of 10 September) sets 90 days, extendable by 30, for AIMA to decide the residence permit (consolidated text read on pgdlisboa.pt, https://www.pgdlisboa.pt/leis/lei_mostra_articulado.php?artigo_id=920A0083&nid=920&tabela=leis&pagina=1&ficha=1&so_miolo=&nversao=). Real-world AIMA delays for appointments and permit cards are widely reported and often exceed these legal periods; no official backlog figure found.
• Duration: initialMonths refers to the AIMA residence permit: 2 years from issue, renewable for successive 3-year periods. The consular residence visa itself is valid 4 months, two entries (https://vistos.mne.gov.pt/pt/vistos-nacionais/informacao-geral/tipo-de-visto). A separate temporary-stay remote work visa (under 1 year) exists and is not this record.
• Work: The visa is granted for remote work for employers or clients domiciled outside Portugal (Lei 23/2007 art. 61-B). Once the residence permit is issued, art. 83 n.1 b) and c) give permit holders the general right to salaried and self-employed work, 'without prejudice to special provisions'. No official page says whether Portuguese-sourced work affects renewal of a D8-based permit, so marked restricted. Consolidated text read on pgdlisboa.pt.
• Permanent residence: Permanent residence after holding a temporary residence permit for at least 5 years, plus basic Portuguese (e.g. A2 PLA certificate), means of subsistence, accommodation, tax/social security compliance and no conviction over 1 year in the last 5 years. Legal basis: Lei 23/2007 art. 80 with art. 64 and Decreto Regulamentar 84/2007 (art. 80 n.1 a) confirmed in the consolidated text including Lei 62/2026).
• Citizenship: 10 years of legal residence for nationals of countries outside the CPLP and EU (US citizens), per Lei 37/81 art. 6 n.1 b) as amended by Lei Organica n.1/2026 of 18 May (approved by Parliament 1 Apr 2026, promulgated by President Seguro 3 May 2026, published DR 1st series n.95 on 18 May 2026, in force the next day, 19 May 2026, per its art. 8). CPLP and EU nationals: 7 years. Counting: art. 15 n.1 counts residence held under any title, visa or permit under the foreigners law; art. 15 n.3 sums all legal residence periods, continuous or not, provided they fall within a maximum window of 12 years for non-CPLP/non-EU nationals (9 for CPLP/EU, 6 for stateless). The old art. 15 n.4 is revoked (art. 5); secondary sources describe it as the 2024 rule that counted time from the residence permit application, so time spent waiting on AIMA before a permit is granted no longer counts (inference from secondary reporting; the revoked text itself was not read). Transitional rule (art. 7 n.2): applications pending on 19 May 2026 are decided under the previous law (5 years). New requirements also include a Portuguese language/culture test and knowledge of rights, duties and state organisation (art. 6 n.1 c, d). A first version was partly struck down by the Constitutional Court in Dec 2025 (Acordao 1133/2025, per secondary sources); a separate decree on loss of nationality was reported as still under Constitutional Court review. No official source found of any later change up to Oct 2026.

Unverified: VFS Global US service fee and USD amount of the EUR 110 visa fee; AIMA permit fee; savings expectation (no official 12x RMMG rule found for the D8 residence visa); dependent income add-on for D8; real AIMA backlog. AIMA lists the D8 permit legal basis as REPSAE art. 88 n.1 with DR 84/2007 arts. 42-G, 42-H. Old app fee EUR 90 and income EUR 3,480 are outdated (now EUR 110 and EUR 3,680). Citizenship is 10 years for US nationals under Lei Organica 1/2026; Constitutional Court ruling number from secondary sources only.