The Golden Visa isn't dead — but the "buy an apartment, get residency" version is. Law 56/2023 removed real estate from the ARI (Golden Visa) in 2023. Non-property investment routes remain, and there's a separate remote-work route for digital nomads. Here is what is verified, and where you must check current figures with AIMA.
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Three different profiles
These routes serve different people and it is easy to conflate them. The D7 is for those living on their own passive income (pensions, rents, dividends). The remote-work route is for people earning employment or professional income from outside Portugal. The Golden Visa (ARI) is an investment-based residence route. They are not interchangeable — start from which one your situation actually fits.
The Golden Visa (ARI) after 2023
The ARI — Autorização de Residência para Investimento — is based on Article 90-A of Law 23/2007. The central, verified change: Law 56/2023 (the "Mais Habitação" law) revoked the real-estate investment route of the ARI, as the 13th amendment to Law 23/2007. The property path that made the Golden Visa famous is closed. Non-property investment routes remain available — but the exact options and the investment thresholds are set administratively and change, so confirm the current list and amounts directly with AIMA rather than relying on older figures.
The remote-work (digital nomad) route
Portugal's remote-work route is associated with Article 88(1) of Law 23/2007 — professional activity performed remotely for an employer or clients outside Portuguese territory. It is widely marketed online as the "D8" (and "D9"), but note: "D8" and "D9" are market names, not legal terms. The route requires a stable remote income above a legally defined minimum set by reference to the minimum wage; the exact current figure should be confirmed with AIMA, as it moves with the minimum wage.
The distinction people miss: visa vs residence permit
A consular visa is not the same as an AIMA residence permit. Typically you obtain a residence visa at the consulate first, then convert it into a residence permit with AIMA once in Portugal. Treating the visa as the end of the process — rather than the entry ticket — is a common and costly misunderstanding.
What to verify before you commit
Because the immigration portals change and figures are updated administratively, treat three things as "confirm live with AIMA": the current non-property ARI routes and their thresholds; the exact income requirement for the remote-work route; and the current processing steps. The one thing that is firmly settled: the property-purchase Golden Visa route is gone.
FAQ
Can I still get a Portugal Golden Visa by buying property?
No. Law 56/2023 removed the real-estate investment route from the ARI in 2023. Non-property investment routes remain — confirm the current options and amounts with AIMA.
Is "D8" the legal name of the digital-nomad visa?
No. "D8" and "D9" are market names; the remote-work route is associated with Article 88(1) of Law 23/2007.
Is a consular visa the same as a residence permit?
No. A consular visa is typically the entry route; you then obtain the residence permit from AIMA in Portugal.
Sources
- Law 56/2023 (removal of the real-estate ARI route; 13th amendment to Law 23/2007) — Diário da República / Portal das Finanças
- Law 23/2007, Article 90-A (ARI) and Article 88(1) (remote-work activity) — AIMA official pages