The Law No. 18/2022, of August 25, 2022, was published and changed the regime for the entry, stay, exit and expulsion of foreigners from national territory, in order to create a specific regime for remote workers.

Since the early 2020s and with the covid-19 pandemic, remote work has become a reality for many workers. Now the remote workers can apply for either a temporary-stay visa of up to one year or a residency visa, allowing the request of a residence permit in Portugal.

This residence visa is granted to employees and independent professionals for the exercise of professional activities remotely provided to individuals or legal entities domiciled or headquartered outside national territory, and the employment relationship or provision of services, as the case may be, must be demonstrated.

This legal change is an answer to the situation of the so-called “digital nomads” and “remote teleworkers”, who are already realities in the world of work, with a tendency to increase more and more and, until now, were not given the proper treatment, and many resorted to the D7 visa to obtain residence in Portugal.

Actually, Portugal has had an enormous demand for foreign residents since the pandemic started, many of whom have used the D7 visa, or “passive-income visa,” to set up in the country.

However, with the D7 visa the applicants needed to prove passive income and demonstrate income of about 12 months the national minimum wage and with this new regime the remote workers can use a monthly salary to prove the means of subsistence in Portugal.

In fact, it is necessary a proof of average monthly income earned in the last three months in the exercise of subordinate professional or independent activity of a minimum value equivalent to four guaranteed minimum monthly salary that is, €2,820.00 per month, attracting, in this way, those who earn more than double the average salary in Portugal - in 2021, it was €1,361.00 according to the National Institute of Statistics.

The popularity of Portugal among remote workers is due to several reasons, including the low cost of living, mild weather, peaceful country, delicious food, excellent health care system, a large quantity of co-working spaces, connections to main European cities and people’s fluency in English.

Lisbon is considered the best destination in the world for the digital nomad community, with excellent ratings for safety, fun, and internet speed, which compensate for the cost of living in the capital. However, many digital nomads also look for smaller towns in the interior or by the sea to settle in, which could be great for developing those parts of the country where the population is quite aged.

We believe this new regime will have a huge demand and will contribute to a boost in the Portuguese economy.

Cover image credit: Reinaldo Photography