Is there a minimum investment for the Portugal D2 visa?

No. There is no legally fixed minimum investment for the D2. You invest what your business realistically needs — a digital consultancy might need a few thousand euros, a restaurant far more. What matters is a credible, well-funded business plan that shows genuine value to Portugal. You also show financial means for your first year — around €11,040 for a single applicant, plus more for family.

What is the difference between the D2 and the D7 visa?

The D2 is for active entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals building or running a business in Portugal. The D7 is for people with passive income — pensions, rentals, dividends. If you are not running a business and your income is passive, the D7 usually fits better; if you work remotely for clients abroad, look at the D8.

How much presence in Portugal does the D2 require?

The D2 expects you to genuinely be in Portugal — roughly sixteen months of presence over your first two years, more than some other routes. That reflects its purpose: actively running a business here, not holding residency from afar. Permanent residency is reachable at five years, and citizenship follows the current nationality timeline.

The D2 visa

The D2 visa: living in Portugal by building something here.

Q: What is the D2 visa and who is it for?

The D2 is Portugal's entrepreneur visa. It is for non-EU citizens who want to start a business in Portugal, bring or branch an existing one, invest in a Portuguese company, or work as a self-employed professional. There is no fixed minimum investment — the key is a viable business plan. It leads to residency, and over time, citizenship.

The D2 is Portugal's entrepreneur visa. It's for non-EU citizens who want to start a business in Portugal, bring an existing one, invest in a Portuguese company, or work as a self-employed professional. There's no fixed minimum investment — the key is a viable business plan. It leads to residency, and over time, citizenship.

The D2 fits you if…

You're starting a new business in Portugal, or bringing / branching an existing one
You're a self-employed or independent professional planning to work here
You're ready to actively run a business in Portugal — not just hold residency

It's probably not your route if…

Your income is passive — pensions, rentals, dividends — that's the D7 visa
You work remotely for clients or employers abroad — that's the D8 visa
You want residency without running a business or relocating — that points toward the Golden Visa

What you need to qualify

The D2 isn't about a single income figure — it's about active economic substance. The heart of it is a credible business, and the documents that prove it:

No fixed minimum investment~€11,040 first-year means~16 months' presence over 2 years

A viable, well-documented business plan — showing real value to Portugal, whether through jobs, investment, innovation or exports.
A registered business in Portugal — start a new company, buy an existing one, or sign with a certified incubator (the StartUP Visa route).
Proof of investment, or the intent to invest — often funds transferred into a Portuguese bank account — and a registered business address.
Financial means for your first year — around €11,040, plus more for family members.
Somewhere to live in Portugal, a tax number (NIF), health insurance, and a clean criminal record.

There's no legally fixed minimum investment — you invest what your business realistically needs. A digital consultancy might need a few thousand euros; a restaurant, far more. And the D2 expects you to genuinely be here — roughly sixteen months of presence over your first two years, more than some other routes.

How it works

From business setup to your residence card

Set up your business

The entry visa

Apply at the Portuguese consulate. The visa is typically valid around four months, to enter and complete the next step.

Your residence permit

In Portugal, obtain a two-year residence permit with AIMA, then renew as your business runs.

PR & citizenship

Permanent residency at five years; citizenship follows the current nationality timeline.

Worth knowing

There's no fixed minimum — the business plan is the heart of it

The D2 has no legally set investment figure: you invest what your business genuinely needs. That doesn't make it the easy route — it's the most involved of the common ones. Your plan has to be credible, funded for what it actually requires, and show real value to Portugal. A weak or “just to qualify” plan is the most common reason D2 applications are refused.

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Last reviewed June 2026. Portugal's D2 rules and the wider immigration framework change from time to time. We keep this page current — what you read here reflects 2026.

Portugal Compass

Not sure this is your route?

Six quick questions and your route appears on screen — D7, D8, D2, EU, CPLP or buying — with the groundwork that follows. Free, no pressure.

When you want it made personal

Every D2 rests on one thing: a credible plan.

Whether your business stands up to scrutiny — and whether the D2 is genuinely your best route — is the conversation. That's what we map, with you, in the Portugal Path Session.

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Compare other routes

D7 — Income →D8 — Digital Nomad →CPLP route →EU citizens →All visas & residency →