Portugal D7 visa for veterans with pension income

July 12, 2026VisasEuropeBy the OCONUS Veterans team

Portugal draws a lot of veterans for good reasons: a mild climate, a lower cost of living than much of Western Europe, and a residence visa built for people living on a pension. That visa is the D7, formally the residence visa for retirees, religious workers and people living on their own income. If your retired pay, Social Security or other steady income clears Portugal's bar, this is usually the route.

Here is how it works, using what Portugal's foreign ministry (the MNE visa portal) and Portugal's immigration agency, AIMA, publish. This is information, not legal or tax advice. Consulates may ask for more than the general list, so confirm with yours before you apply.

How the D7 works, in two stages

1. Residence visa from a consulate. You apply at the Portuguese consulate that covers where you live. If approved, you get a national (type D) residence visa. The MNE portal says it is valid for four months and for two entries.
2. Residence permit from AIMA. While that visa is still valid, you apply in Portugal to AIMA (the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum) for your residence permit.

The visa gets you in the door. The AIMA residence permit is what lets you keep living there, and you will renew it over time. Ask AIMA about current permit lengths and renewal rules when you get there.

The income benchmark for 2026

The MNE portal's means of subsistence page says the benchmark for residence visas is the Portuguese minimum monthly wage, which it lists as €920 a month in 2026. Portugal's labor ministry agency DGERT confirms that Decree-Law 139/2025 set the minimum wage at €920 from January 1, 2026. AIMA's page explains how the amount scales with your household:

So a veteran and spouse would plan on showing at least €1,380 a month in 2026 under this formula. That is the floor, not a target. Consulates look at the whole picture, and many applicants show more.

Important: the minimum wage goes up most years. The AIMA page we checked still showed the 2025 value of €870, while the MNE page showed €920 for 2026. When two official pages differ, ask your consulate which figure they apply on the day you file. Do not rely on numbers from commercial visa sites.

Which veteran income counts

The MNE residency page asks D7 applicants for a document certifying their retirement amount, or for passive income, documents showing income from property or financial assets. AIMA's page says a pension is proven with a certificate issued by the official entity of the country that grants it.

• Military retired pay: a government pension. Get an official statement from DFAS showing your monthly amount.
• Social Security: get a benefit letter from SSA.
• VA disability compensation: you can download a benefit summary letter and a proof of VA income letter from VA.gov. It is regular, ongoing income, but ask your consulate whether they count it toward the D7 benchmark.
• Investment or rental income: counts as passive income if documented. Bring statements from the institution that pays it.

Consulates generally want official letters, not screenshots. Plan on an apostille and a Portuguese translation if your consulate asks for them.

The general document list

The MNE portal lists these for residence visas, in addition to the D7-specific proof of income:

• National visa application form, completed
• Two passport photos
• Passport valid for three months after your expected return date, plus a copy of the bio page
• Proof of legal status in the country where you apply, if you are not a citizen of that country
• Proof of means of subsistence
• Travel insurance that covers necessary medical expenses, including urgent medical care and possible repatriation
• Criminal record certificate from your country of nationality and from any country where you lived for more than a year, apostilled or legalized (not required under age 16)

Many consulates also ask for proof of accommodation in Portugal. The general MNE list we checked did not spell this out, so ask yours.

Step by step

1. Find your consulate. Use the MNE portal to see which Portuguese consulate covers where you live and whether it uses an outside service provider for appointments.
2. Download that consulate's D7 checklist. Compare it to the general list and note anything extra.
3. Request your income letters. DFAS, SSA and VA. Ask for letters that show monthly amounts and that payments are ongoing.
4. Order your FBI background check and get the federal apostille. If you lived more than a year in another country (Germany, Korea, Japan and so on), you may need that country's record too.
5. Buy qualifying travel insurance that covers medical expenses, urgent care and repatriation. Keep the policy document, not just the card.
6. Line up housing proof if your consulate asks for it.
7. Apply and pay. The MNE portal lists the national visa processing fee as €110. Service providers may charge extra.
8. Enter Portugal within the visa's validity and keep your entry evidence.
9. Apply to AIMA for your residence permit before the four-month visa runs out. AIMA's contact center is (+351) 217 115 000, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Portugal time.

Example: building the income file

Example (hypothetical): a retired Air Force master sergeant and his wife plan to move to the Algarve with their 15-year-old son. Under the 2026 formula on the MNE portal, the household floor is €920 for him, €460 for his wife and €276 for their son, or €1,656 a month. His retired pay alone clears that comfortably after conversion to euros, so he builds his file around it:

• A current DFAS statement showing his gross and net monthly retired pay
• Recent bank statements showing the deposits arriving every month
• His VA benefit summary letter as a second, supporting income source
• A one-page summary in plain language that totals the household income and shows the math against the consulate's figure

Before he books the appointment, he emails the consulate to confirm which minimum wage figure they apply and whether they want the letters apostilled and translated. That one email saves him from guessing.

Timing: a simple countdown

The documents in a D7 file come from different offices and age at different speeds. A rough order that keeps things fresh:

• First: confirm your consulate, its checklist, and how it books appointments.
• Next: order the FBI check and the federal apostille, since that often takes the longest. Request records from any country where you lived more than a year.
• Then: request DFAS, SSA and VA letters, so they are recent on your appointment date.
• Close to the appointment: buy the travel insurance policy, gather bank statements and line up housing proof.
• After approval: plan your arrival so you have time to book and attend your AIMA step well inside the four-month visa window.

Ask your consulate how recent each document must be. Some posts set their own limits on the age of criminal record checks and bank statements.

Health insurance and health care

For the visa, the MNE portal requires travel insurance with medical coverage. Once you live there, you will want real coverage. Our post on health insurance for Spain and Portugal visas goes deeper.

Medicare does not pay for care outside the United States except in narrow situations. If you have VA-rated service-connected conditions, the VA Foreign Medical Program (FMP) can pay for care for those conditions in Portugal. There is no registration step: you use your FMP benefits letter from VA.gov. VA's FMP page does not list a Portugal-specific toll-free number, so use the contact options on that page. See our Foreign Medical Program guide.

Taxes: get advice before you move

Becoming a resident of Portugal can make you a Portuguese tax resident, and U.S. citizens still file U.S. returns wherever they live. How Portugal treats military retired pay, VA compensation and Social Security depends on Portuguese law and the U.S. and Portugal tax treaty. Talk to a licensed tax professional who knows both systems before you file your visa, not after. Our taxes and voting abroad page covers the U.S. side.

Gotchas

• Using last year's number. The minimum wage changes. Check the current figure with your consulate.
• Letting the four-month visa expire before you start the AIMA step.
• Forgetting old overseas tours. The criminal record rule covers any country where you lived more than a year, which can include duty stations.
• Insurance that does not cover repatriation. Read the policy wording.
• Applying at the wrong post. Consulates serve specific areas. If you moved recently, check which one covers your current address before you book.
• Unofficial income proof. AIMA asks for a certificate from the official paying entity. Bank screenshots are not that.

Where to get help

Your consulate and AIMA are the authorities. A licensed Portuguese immigration lawyer can help with unusual cases. For VA paperwork, a free VA-accredited representative can help you get the right letters. For settling in, see our veterans in Portugal guide.

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Published July 12, 2026. Information only, not legal, tax, immigration or medical advice. Confirm with the official sources.