Did you know that Portugal has been ranked as the friendliest country in the world? I’m sure that simply reading these words makes you want to spend some time there. Well, here’s your chance!
Portugal has launched a residence permit that allows digital nomads to spend a period of time in the country to live and work remotely.
In addition, the Portuguese government offers a multitude of benefits to attract skilled remote workers from around the world.
I’ve dedicated this article to talking a bit more about how you can get residency in Portugal, but first, here’s a brief summary of the most important aspects!
- The residency visa to Portugal is available to citizens of any country in the world.
- It offers tax advantages thanks to the exemption of several taxes when the income originates abroad.
- It has low rental prices and provides a high quality of life.
- The application process is very simple, thanks to the Rebase platform.
Requirements for residency in Portugal for digital nomads
In order to obtain residency in Portugal, both legally and fiscally, a number of requirements must be met.
In this case, there are four categories:
- Requirements for all applicants
- Requirements for EU citizens
- Requirements for US citizens
- Requirements for non-EU citizens
I will cover these in more detail below!
Requirements for all applicants
- Have a highly skilled job performed remotely. The most common are UX designers, copywriters, and software developers, among others.
- Apply for the NHR programme.
- You cannot hold a political position.
- You cannot have been a Portuguese resident since 2018.
- Have a valid passport.
Requirements for EU citizens
- Register at the town hall of the city where you are going to live to obtain the Certificate of Registration for European Union Citizens.
- Have a valid European Health Insurance Card for the duration of your stay in Portugal.
Requirements for non-EU citizens
- Apply for a D7 visa at the Portuguese embassy in your country of residence or country of nationality.
- Spend at least 6 consecutive or 8 non-consecutive months in Portugal during the first 2 years.
- Have a regular income of at least USD 15,000 per year.
- No criminal record.
- Rent or buy a house to live in during your stay.
Requirements for US citizens
- Apply for a D7 visa at the Portuguese Embassy in the United States.
- Spend at least 6 consecutive or 8 non-consecutive months in Portugal during the first 2 years.
- Have a regular income of at least USD 15,000 per year.
- No criminal record.
- Rent or buy a house to live in during your stay.
Note that even if you obtain residency in Portugal, your income is still subject to US income tax.
Advantages of residency in Portugal for digital nomads
Portugal is one of the countries that offers the most advantages to digital nomads who obtain residency in Portugal.
This is largely due to its interest in attracting foreign remote workers to the country, something it also achieves with its visa for digital nomads.
Here are some of the most important benefits of the residency permit to Portugal:
0% tax on income, crypto, dividends and wealth
The first advantage of residency in Portugal is the exemption from a multitude of taxes. On the one hand, 0% tax is applied on almost all income from foreign sources, as well as on foreign-sourced dividends.
There is also a 0% tax on cryptocurrencies. This is because the country’s tax authorities consider cryptocurrencies to be a means of payment like any other.
However, this may change in the future — or so they say! For the time being, the residency visa to Portugal allows you to take advantage of this.
And finally, another advantage of getting residency in Portugal is that, unlike in other countries in Europe, it has a wealth tax of 0%.
Low rental prices
Rental prices in Portugal are below the European average. However, there are areas of the country, such as Porto, the capital Lisbon, and the Algarve and Ericeira regions, that have seen historic price rises in the last 5 years.
The average rent is around USD 700 per month. In addition, day-to-day expenses such as food are also much cheaper than in other parts of Europe.
Combine this with a pleasant climate year-round and friendly, welcoming locals, and Portugal is the perfect destination for digital nomads to base themselves!
Booming economy
Portugal has become one of the fastest growing economies in the European Union in recent years. Its economy is booming and there is no doubt about it.
But would you believe that much of this growth is due to the attraction of foreigners to work in the country!
Portugal is fully committed to attracting remote workers to float its economy with its residence permit to Portugal. You too can help to be a part of this recovery.
Allows you to buy land and property
Unlike many other destinations, having residency in Portugal allows you to buy land and property as a foreigner.
This is a great advantage if you are interested in investment and, in addition, you keep the property even if you cease to be a resident in the future.
How to apply for digital nomad residency in Portugal?
The time has come! I know you are patiently waiting to know how to apply for this digital nomad residency in Portugal, and I bring you good news.
Nomad List has launched a platform that allows you to obtain legal and fiscal residency in Portugal, and several other countries that are looking to attract remote workers.
It’s called Rebase, which has started its project with the management of residency in Portugal. Its main advantage is that you can leave aside all the paperwork and the many fees involved in these procedures.
In addition, it boasts being the first digital immigration provider, and it offers favourable tax benefits for workers thanks to the NHR programme.
As for how to get started, it’s very simple! Their website is intuitive, and it clearly explains the step-by-step of it all after logging in. I invite you to take a look at it. Their reviews are very positive.
Is travel insurance compulsory for Portugal?
One of the mandatory requirements for non-EU citizens is to have travel insurance for the duration of their residence permit in Portugal.
In fact, the official Portuguese tourism board recommends that even EU citizens travel with a policy, as the European Health Insurance Card does not cover everything.
Best travel insurance for Portugal
As I said before, one of the requirements to access residency in Portugal is to have a valid insurance that has, above all, medical coverage and that includes emergency assistance and repatriation.
After a lot of research, and after taking into account the characteristics of digital nomads’ trips, the best insurance offer for the residence permit in Portugal is the following:
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- Fill in your trip info
- Click on “Calculate Price”.
- All done! The discount will be applied automatically.
Some of the most useful benefits of Hey Mondo travel insurance for digital nomads include:
- 24/7 assistance platform.
- Repatriation and early return.
- Travel expenses for a family member if you are hospitalised for over a week.
In addition to this policy, you should know that there are more alternatives and, to make your life easier, I’ll leave you with a comparative table with some more options for your residency visa in Portugal.
I’ll also leave you with our guide to the best travel insurance in April 2024.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️ | |
Cap Adventure | Long Stay Premium | IATI Insurance | Nomad | Explorer | |
Price for 3 months | 174€ | 210€ | 338€ | 126€ | 195€ |
Discount valid until 30/04/2024 | – 15% for families | – 5% | – 5% | ❌ | ❌ |
Activate Discount | Activate Discount | Activate Discount | Get a Free Quote | Get a Free Quote | |
Legal assistance | 13.000€ | 12.000€ | 3.000€ | ❌ | ❌ |
Covid-19 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Medical expenses | 1.000.000€ | 500.000 € | 200.000€ | 222.600€ | £10,000,000 |
Hospitalization | Actual costs | 500.000€ | 250.000€ | 200.000€ | £10,000,000 |
Theft or loss of luggage | 2.000€ | 2.500€ | Optional | 2.670€ | £2000 |
Repatriation | Actual costs | Actual costs | Actual costs | 17.800€ | Actual costs |
Sports activities | ✅ | Optional | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
Recommended for | All types of stays | All types of stays | All types of stays | Digital nomad | All types of stays |
Review | Chapka insurance | HeyMondo insurance | IATI travel insurance | SafetyWing insurance | Word Nomads Insurance |
Discount > | Promo Code Chapka | Promo Code HeyMondo | Promo Code IATI |
How to travel to Portugal at the best price?
Now that you have all the information to obtain residency in Portugal, it’s time to plan your trip! To help you do so, I have a series of tips that will be key to enjoying your experience, while also saving money.
In this section, I’ll tell you how to find the cheapest flights, book activities at reduced prices, and find cheap accommodation for your residence permit in Portugal.
Find cheap flights to Portugal
Flying to Portugal is the first step to embarking on your adventure as a digital nomad. But this doesn’t have to be an expensive endeavour.
In fact, many people think that flights can sometimes make a trip to Portugal unattainable. Here’s how to find cheap flights — take note!
You know, flights don’t cost the same from all countries! To pay for my cheapest flights, I use NordVPN.
Basically, it’s a private network that allows you to access Internet sites from locations other than your own, and this can have some serious benefits:
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Flights from Barcelona to Buenos Aires don’t cost the same if you buy them from Spain as from India, for example. So, once you’ve installed NordVPN, simply access websites like Skyscanner and compare prices by entering as if you were browsing from different countries.
The 8 countries from which it is cheapest to buy flights are: Malaysia, Bulgaria, India, Turkey, Romania, Indonesia, Portugal, and Thailand. Once you have NordVPN, head over to Skyscanner and start paying reduced prices for flights all over the world!
How to find cheap accommodation in Portugal
Portugal is a country in full growth after the economic crisis, and as a result, and the variety of accommodation has expanded considerably.
The vast catalogue of accommodation, as well as increased tourism, also makes it difficult to find a cheap option for your stay in the country. That’s why I want to share my tip for finding cheap accommodation in Portugal.
Access Booking.com now and get discounts of up to 15% in April 2024 by becoming a Genius user.
There are also ways to save money when booking your accommodation with Booking. The first of which is becoming a Genius user, something you get from making 2 bookings (Genius level 1), and 5 bookings (Genius level 2).
As a Genius user in Booking.com, you can enjoy:
- Discounts on room rates.
- Free breakfast.
- Upgrades to superior room categories.
- Free parking.
- Late check-out.
- Welcome gifts.
In addition, there are hotels in Booking.com that directly offer you a 10 to 15% discount on your rate for being a Genius user.
Access to get discounts of up to 15% by becoming a Genius user.
Finally, Booking.com has a Minimum Price Guarantee program, so if you find a cheaper price for your hotel on any other website, they’ll match it!
How to book activities in Portugal at the best price
Visiting the caves of Albufeira, the magical city of Sintra, or taking a trip to the Azores are essential activities during your stay in Portugal. Here’s how you can book them at the best price! It just takes a little effort on your part.
GetYourGuide is an indispensable tool for organising any trip to any destination. It’s a platform that helps you book tourism and leisure activities for your trip.
With GetYourGuide, you can book your activities online to avoid queues, and take advantage of a discount for online bookings. This way, you save time and money, so you can enjoy more activities during your trip!
Which card to use in Portugal
Credit and debit cards have become the main forms of payment nowadays. However, there are often commission costs when using them outside your country.
That’s why it’s important to get one that will give you advantages when you spend long periods abroad, and save you some money!
If you travel frequently, the Revolut Metal Card is another great way to save money. For starters, they offer you unlimited currency exchanges without paying any fees!
This Card allows you to make unlimited domestic transfers free of charge, and withdraw up to £800 a month from international ATMs.
If you spent £650 abroad in a month using a standard card, and withdrew £350 at ATMs, you would have paid around £44 in fees.
With the Revolut Metal card, you would have paid £0 in fees.
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