Relocating to Portugal for Israelis: All Residence Routes in 2026 - D7, Digital Nomads, Work, Entrepreneurs, Family and Citizenship

This guide is for a family, a retiree, a remote worker or an Israeli entrepreneur planning to actually live in Portugal. It expands on the guide to the Golden Visa, IFICI and citizenship in Portugal, which deals mainly with the investment routes, the tax regime and the nationality law, and focuses on the practical question: which route you enter through, what you file, where, and how long it takes to reach permanent residence and citizenship. The information is correct as of November 2026.

1Does an Israeli need a visa to move to Portugal?

Yes, if they hold only an Israeli passport. Israelis are exempt from a visa for a short visit to the Schengen area, up to 90 days in any 180-day period, but that exemption does not allow living or working there. To live in Portugal you need a national visa matching the purpose of the stay, followed by a residence permit. Anyone who also holds a passport of an EU country, for example Romania, Poland, Germany or Portugal itself, enjoys freedom of movement. They do not need a visa, and if they stay more than three months they apply for an EU citizen registration certificate (Certificado de Registo de Cidadão da UE) at the municipality (Câmara Municipal) of their place of residence, within 30 days after the first three months end, under Law 37/2006. Where one spouse is an EU citizen and the other is Israeli only, the Israeli spouse can usually live in Portugal by virtue of the relationship to the EU citizen, under the same Law 37/2006, rather than through an independent visa route. This is usually simpler than ordinary family reunification, but the required documents should be checked in advance.

2What is the difference between a temporary stay visa, a residence visa and a residence permit?

These are three different stages or instruments, and confusing them is a source of many mistakes. The visa is obtained at a Portuguese mission abroad and allows you to enter; the permit is obtained in Portugal from AIMA, the immigration agency, and allows you to live there. According to the Portuguese Foreign Ministry, a decision on a residence visa application is given within 60 days, and on a temporary stay visa within 30 days, unless the law provides otherwise. After entry, the AIMA stage begins, and in recent years it has been much slower.

3Which residence routes are open to Israelis in 2026?

4What do you need to get a D7 visa?

D7 is intended for people who live on income that is not from work in Portugal: a pension, rent, dividends, interest or royalties. According to the Portuguese Foreign Ministry, you file a document confirming the amount of the pension, or documents confirming income from real property, intellectual property or financial assets, as well as evidence of stable and regular means of subsistence.

• Income threshold: derived from the Portuguese minimum wage, 920 euros a month in 2026. The main applicant needs income at least at this level, and an addition is made for family members under Portaria 1563/2007. In practice, missions also look at stability, not only the amount.
• Accommodation: it is customary to present a lease or purchase contract in Portugal. An apartment you own can serve this purpose, but it is not the ground for the status.
• Health insurance: travel insurance covering medical expenses is required.
• Criminal record certificate: from Israel, and from any country where you lived for more than a year, with an apostille. Not required for children under 16.
• NIF and a Portuguese bank account: in practice these are already required at the application stage to prove a financial connection to Portugal, and they can be arranged from Israel through a power of attorney.

5What do you need to get a digital nomad visa?

The nomad visa is for people who work remotely, as employees or self-employed, for an employer or clients outside Portugal. According to the Portuguese Foreign Ministry, average monthly income over the last three months of at least four minimum wages is required, i.e. 3,680 euros based on the 2026 minimum wage. A point worth noting: working remotely for an Israeli employer while you live in Portugal may raise tax questions for the employer too, for example withholding obligations, social security in both countries and the risk of a permanent establishment. This should be coordinated with the employer and the accountant before the move. On an Israeli company's activity in Portugal, see An Israeli company doing business in Portugal.

• Employee: an employment contract or a declaration from the employer confirming the employment relationship.
• Self-employed: a company agreement or service contracts, or documents proving services to one or more clients.
• Tax residency: a certificate of your current tax residency, usually from the Israel Tax Authority.
• Two versions: a temporary stay visa, up to one year, for those testing Portugal for a limited period; and a residence visa, which leads to a residence permit from AIMA and to the counting of years towards permanent residence and citizenship.

6Can you come to Portugal to look for work?

As of November 2026, not through the general route. Lei 61/2025, which amended the Foreigners Act in October 2025, abolished the general job-seeker visa. In its place, a visa for qualified job seeking was created, only for those engaged in specialised technical activities to be defined by ministerial order (portaria). The “expression of interest” route (manifestação de interesse), under which you could enter as a tourist, find work and regularise your status in Portugal, was also abolished, and applications under the transitional arrangement had to be filed by 31 December 2025. Today the rule is that you apply for a visa from the country where you live, before entering.

• The new visa is valid only in Portugal, for up to 120 days, and includes an AIMA appointment during its validity.
• Anyone who has not started working and regularised their status by the end of its validity must leave, and may file a new application for the same purpose only after one year.
• On the Portuguese Foreign Ministry website the visa is marked “suspended”, and according to professional sources it is awaiting the order that will define the professions. Before planning such a route, check that the order has been published.

7How does an Israeli entrepreneur or self-employed person move to Portugal?

There are three main ways. A self-employed professional files a written contract or service proposal, and in a regulated profession also proof of qualification. An entrepreneur files proof of investment activity, of funds available in Portugal and of an intention to invest. A startup founder can apply for the Startup Visa, with a declaration from IAPMEI of a contract with a certified incubator. Under Lei 61/2025 a residence permit can also be granted for an entrepreneurial project, including innovative companies in certified incubators, without an employment contract, subject to the general requirements. In practice, the entrepreneur route almost always involves setting up a local entity. For the steps, see Company formation in Portugal, and on taxation see Corporate tax in Portugal and transferring profits to Israel.

8How do you bring a spouse and children to Portugal?

The answer depends on timing. If the family moves together, family members usually apply for an accompanying family member visa together with the main applicant, and show stable means of subsistence for the whole family. If the main applicant already lives in Portugal, the route is family reunification (reagrupamento familiar), which requires prior approval from AIMA and a visa within 90 days of the approval. Lei 61/2025 tightened family reunification. Today, as a rule, the permit holder needs two years of legal residence before they can bring their family. According to an analysis by the Cuatrecasas firm, the main exceptions are:

• Minor children, or persons with a disability, in the custody of the permit holder.
• A spouse who is the parent of a minor in the custody of the permit holder.
• Family members of holders of permits for teaching, highly qualified activity or culture (Article 90), of investment permit holders (Article 90-A) and of EU Blue Card holders (Article 121-A).

In addition, adequate housing is required, means of subsistence without reliance on social assistance, and compliance with integration measures, such as learning Portuguese and compulsory schooling for minors. AIMA must decide within nine months, with one possible extension in complex cases. The practical conclusion: a family that can move together had better apply together.

9Which documents from Israel should you prepare?

• Criminal record certificate: from the Israel Police, with an apostille. AIMA usually requires a recent certificate, so order it close to filing.
• Birth and marriage certificates: to prove the family relationship, with an apostille and translation. For a civil marriage or one held abroad, the original document.
• Parental consent: when one parent is not moving with the child, written consent or a court decision is usually required. See the full list in the relocation document checklist.
• Proof of income: pension statements, bank statements, leases, employment contracts or invoices, depending on the route.
• Tax residency certificate: for the digital nomad visa, from the Israel Tax Authority.
• Health insurance: a policy covering medical expenses in Portugal.

10Step by step: how does the move work?

1. Choose a route: based on the source of income, the family composition and a check of whether any of you has a European passport.
2. Obtain a NIF: a Portuguese tax identification number, usually remotely through an attorney-in-fact. Without it, it is hard to rent an apartment or open an account.
3. Open a Portuguese bank account and transfer to it the funds used as proof of means.
4. Arrange accommodation: a lease or purchase contract. On buying, see Buying an apartment in Porto.
5. Prepare documents from Israel: certificates, apostilles and translations.
6. Apply for the visa at the Portuguese mission in Israel: the decision is given within 60 days for a residence visa. It is advisable to check in advance whether applications are received through an external provider and what the appointment waiting times are.
7. Enter Portugal within the four months of the visa's validity and attend the appointment at AIMA, with documents and biometric data.
8. Register for services: change of address with the tax authority, a social security number (NISS) and registration with the health system.
9. Document your stay: flight tickets and documents, for renewal, permanent residence and the counting of years towards citizenship.

11How long is a residence permit valid and when do you renew it?

As a rule, a temporary residence permit is valid for two years from issue and is renewed for periods of three years, unless a special law provides otherwise. On renewal, it is checked that the original conditions are still met: income, accommodation, good standing with the tax authority and social security, and no convictions. In recent years AIMA's processing times have been long, and Lei 61/2025 provided that acts or omissions of AIMA can be challenged in an administrative court where they substantially and directly harm rights. It is advisable to file the renewal application early, keep filing receipts, and seek advice if the permit is about to expire without a response.

12When can you get permanent residence in Portugal?

After at least five years as the holder of a temporary residence permit. The application is filed with AIMA on a dedicated form, at an in-person appointment, at any AIMA office. According to professional sources, the five years are counted from the issue of the first temporary permit and not from the day of arrival, and means of subsistence, accommodation, a clean criminal record and basic knowledge of Portuguese are also checked. Permanent residence is not citizenship: it does not grant a Portuguese passport or the right to work in other EU countries, but it removes the need to renew your residence status under the original route.

13After how many years can an Israeli get Portuguese citizenship?

Under Article 6(1) of the Nationality Law, as amended by Lei Orgânica 1/2026 in force from 19 May 2026, an Israeli who is not an EU citizen needs ten years of legal residence, and an Israeli who is also an EU citizen needs seven years. The law also requires sufficient knowledge of the language, culture, history and national symbols, a declaration of commitment to the principles of the democratic state, and the ability to support oneself.

• Counting the period: under Article 15(3) in the new wording, all periods of legal residence are added up, whether continuous or not, provided they fall within a window of no more than 12 years for nationals of most countries, and 9 years for nationals of the EU and Portuguese-speaking countries.
• Children born in Portugal: under Article 1(1)(f) in the new wording, a child born in Portugal to foreign parents can be a citizen by declaration if one of the parents has lived there legally for at least five years on the date of birth.
• Pending applications: applications that were being processed on 19 May 2026 are governed by the previous wording of the law.
• The Sephardic route: abolished for new applications. See the guide to the Golden Visa, IFICI and citizenship in Portugal.

14Which common mistakes should you know about?

• Entering as a tourist and trying to regularise status after entry. That route has been abolished, and staying beyond 90 days may harm future applications.
• Relying on an apartment as a route to status. Buying real estate has not granted residence since 2023.
• Bringing the family later. The two-year wait for family reunification can separate spouses if they do not move together.
• Ignoring tax. Living in Portugal usually makes you a tax resident there, but it does not automatically end your residency in Israel.
• Not documenting the years. Counting the years towards citizenship requires continuous documentation of valid permits.

More on relocating to Portugal: Tax residency in Portugal · Ending Israeli tax residency · Moving abroad with an Israeli company or business · The legal checklist for families

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