Working from abroad · November 2026
Working remotely from Portugal: the visa, tax and time zones
Yes. Portugal has two visas for a professional activity done remotely, which its visa portal labels digital nomads: a temporary stay visa for up to one year, and a residence visa that leads to a residence permit. Both ask for an average monthly income, over the last three months, of at least four times the minimum monthly wage: 3,680 euros at the 2026 wage of 920 euros. Stay more than 183 days in any 12 months and you are tax resident in Portugal.
Every visa and tax fact here was read on the official page linked under it on 11 November 2026. It is a summary, not legal or tax advice: rules and amounts change, and the consulate or the tax office decides your case. It does not cover social security or what your employer has to do in the country.
At a glance
| Permit | Temporary stay visa or residence visa for a professional activity done remotely (digital nomads) |
|---|---|
| Who it is for | People who work remotely, as employees or as independent professionals |
| Income asked | An average monthly income over the last three months of at least four times the minimum monthly wage: 3,680 euros at the 2026 wage of 920 euros |
| Also asked | Employees: a work contract or the employer's declaration. Independent professionals: a company or services contract, or proof of services provided |
| How long | Temporary stay visa: up to one year, multiple entries. Residence visa: four months and two entries, in which you apply to AIMA for a residence permit |
| Tax resident | After more than 183 days in Portugal in any 12 months, or with a home kept as your habitual residence |
| The clock | The same time as London, 5 hours ahead of New York |
The visas
Portugal's visa portal lists two long-stay visas for the exercise of a professional activity done remotely, under the label digital nomads. The temporary stay visa allows a stay of up to one year and multiple entries. The residence visa is valid for two entries and four months; in that time its holder must apply for a residence permit with AIMA, the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum.
Both ask for proof of an average monthly income over the last three months of at least four times the minimum monthly wage. The portal gives the 2026 minimum monthly wage as 920 euros, which makes the line 3,680 euros a month.
An employee shows a work contract or a declaration from the employer confirming the job. An independent professional shows a company contract, a contract for services, or a document attesting services provided to one or more clients. The residence visa also asks for a document attesting your tax residence.
Sources: Portuguese visa portal: Type of visa, Portuguese visa portal: Temporary stay, documents, Portuguese visa portal: Residency, documents, Portuguese visa portal: Means of subsistence. Read on 11 November 2026.
Tax
The Tax and Customs Authority treats you as resident in Portugal if you stay more than 183 days, in a row or not, in any 12-month period that begins or ends in the year in question. With a shorter stay you are still resident if, on any day of that period, you have a home in conditions that show you intend to keep it as your habitual residence.
A change from non-resident to resident must be reported to the authority within 60 days.
Source: Tax and Customs Authority: Tax address for foreign citizens (PDF). Read on 11 November 2026.
The clock
Lisbon keeps the same time as London and is 5 hours ahead of New York and 8 ahead of San Francisco. A 9:00 to 17:00 day in New York is 14:00 to 22:00 in Lisbon; a San Francisco day runs from 17:00 to 01:00. For a few weeks in March and one week around the end of October the gap to the US is an hour smaller, because the clocks change on different dates.
Will the employer agree?
A visa lets you live in Portugal. It does not make an employer hire there. Most remote ads name the countries they accept. In a sample of 3,076 open remote roles on RoleFinder on 5 November 2026, 59% named the US or Canada, 15% the UK or Europe and 14% another single country. Fewer than 1 in 100 said worldwide.
So read the ad's location line before you plan around a role, and ask the employer in writing. Portugal's visa asks employees for the work contract or a declaration from the employer.
RoleFinder lists 1,196 open roles in Portugal today, 374 of them remote. Those are jobs with employers that hire in Portugal: a different route, which needs the right to work there rather than the visa above.
Open roles in Portugal · All remote roles (51,691 today)
Questions
Does Portugal have a digital nomad visa?
Yes. Its visa portal lists a temporary stay visa and a residence visa for the exercise of a professional activity done remotely, both labelled digital nomads.
How much do I need to earn for Portugal's digital nomad visa?
An average monthly income over the last three months of at least four times the minimum monthly wage. The portal gives the 2026 wage as 920 euros, so 3,680 euros a month.
How long can I stay in Portugal on it?
The temporary stay visa covers up to one year, with multiple entries. The residence visa is valid for four months and two entries, and in that time you apply to AIMA for a residence permit.
When do I become tax resident in Portugal?
After more than 183 days in Portugal in any 12-month period that begins or ends in the year, or earlier if you have a home there that you clearly intend to keep as your habitual residence.
Other countries
- Working remotely from Japan (on Buy Houses Japan, a site by the same maker)
- Working remotely from Italy
- Working remotely from Spain
- Working remotely from Thailand
- All the guides side by side
Find the remote roles that fit your CV.
Add your CV once. RoleFinder checks every new listing against it and keeps a short, ranked list of the ones that fit, remote ones included.