Four routes into Portugal, compared
Golden visa, D7, D8, and the EU Blue Card solve different problems. Choosing on cost alone is how people end up on the wrong one — this is the shape of each, side by side.
| Golden Visa | D7 | D8 | EU Blue Card | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built for | A European base without relocating your daily life | People with passive income who intend to actually live in Portugal | Remote employees and freelancers with stable foreign income | Senior professionals with a Portuguese employment contract |
| Financial bar | €500,000 in a qualifying investment fund (or research/culture/job-creation routes) | ≈1× the Portuguese minimum wage, +50% for a spouse, +30% per child | ≈4× the Portuguese minimum wage in stable remote income | Salary above a multiple of the national average gross wage |
| Physical presence | ~7 days a year on average | Substantial — genuine relocation expected | Substantial (residency variant); minimal (temporary-stay variant) | Substantial — an actual employment relationship |
| Family included from day one | Yes — built into the main application | Only after 2 years' residence (or 15 months with 18+ months prior cohabitation) | Only after 2 years' residence (or 15 months with 18+ months prior cohabitation) | Yes — exempt from the reunification wait |
| Path to permanent residence | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years (residency variant only) | 5 years, with credit possible across EU states |
| Path to citizenship | 7 years (EU/CPLP nationals) or 10 years (everyone else), counted from residence-permit issuance — uniform across routes since Portugal's May 2026 nationality-law reform | |||
| Learn more | Golden visa guide → | D7 guide → | D8 guide → | Blue Card guide → |
Figures and thresholds move yearly and are simplified here for comparison — always confirm the current numbers before acting. General information only, not legal or tax advice.
Not sure which one fits?
Most people choosing between these routes are really choosing between two different lives — a base, or a home. A confidential 30-minute conversation is usually enough to see which is which for you.
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