The temporary visa for digital nomads in Portugal

Sun, beach, access to the European Union and relatively low cost of living are the welcome cards for digital nomads looking for their next adventure in Portugal. It was with this group in mind that the government created a new visa that allows citizens from outside the European Union and the European Economic Area to live and work abroad from Portugal.

The temporary stay visa and residence permit for digital nomads can be requested as of October 30 at Portuguese consulates or at the Foreigners and Borders Service.

The independent workers will have to hand in documents “attesting fiscal residence” in Portugal and proof that the average monthly income over the last three months was higher than four Portuguese minimum wages. In other words, a salary of around 2820 euros (gross). If they work remotely for a company, the rules are the same, but they can present as proof of income 1) the employment contract, 2) the promise of a contract, or 3) a statement from the employer proving the employment relationship.

Portugal is the latest European country to create an instrument to regulate the temporary stay of the so-called digital nomads, who work remotely and live in different cities and countries for longer or shorter periods.

Ideally, this lifestyle means moving to places considered beautiful and safe, with a lower cost of living and good Internet connection, and using free time to travel more. Working hours and workplaces, usually shared with other entrepreneurs and remote workers, will in theory be more flexible.

Norway, Georgia, Greece, Malta and the Netherlands are some of the more than 25 of countries making visas available specifically for these remote workers, as of 2019. Estonia, the European champion of digital democracies and societies, was the first.

Brazil has had a similar visa since September 2021, and according to The New York Times, Brazilian consulates have issued 197 visas to citizens from more than 15 countries.

Lisbon, however, already appeared at the top of the best destinations for digital nomads in the lists of the InstantOffices platform and in the votes of the NomadList community. Madeira and Porto are other Portuguese destinations also well qualified for being safe for LGBTQ+ people, foreigners and women.

The Minister of Labor, Ana Mendes Godinho, has said several times that she is a fan of the possibilities of telecommuting, especially in Portugal. “We consider Portugal one of the best places in the world for these digital nomads and remote workers to choose to live,” she said during a talk at the 2021 Web Summit.

Before the government changed the so-called Foreigners Law, there was the D7 visa, theoretically designed for retirees – and requiring them to stay in the country for a few months.

According to data from InvestPorto, requested by Expresso newspaper, in the second quarter of 2022, 10,800 digital nomads arrived in Porto, a new maximum. An astonishing average of 3,600 arrivals per month. The investment platform of the Porto City Hall expects that, with simplified visa, the number will increase even more in 2023.

In addition to coworking spaces, there are coliving spaces in the Portuguese real estate market, with private rooms and shared work and leisure spaces, which can be rented for short periods of time. Some of these rooms exist inside private residences designed for university students, reports Expresso.In September, Público newspaper reported that landlords have withdrawn 80% of student rooms from the market, turning the supply over to tourists and digital nomads and increasing the price of private student accommodation by 10%.