Portugal 
Spain 
France 
United Kingdom 
Germany 
Italy 
United States 
No investment minimum.
Unlike investor routes, D2 has no fixed capital requirement. What matters is whether the business is viable: the market, the model, the funding behind it and whether you are the person who can execute it.
Portugal · founders and operators
Portugal D2 Visa 2026: Entrepreneur & Company Route
Build or run a Portuguese company and make the real business the basis of your residence case. Company formation is included in the service.
- No minimumfixed investment
- Includedcompany formation
- Up to 5co-directors on one filing
What D2 gives you
Why the Entrepreneur Visa (D2)
The residence case rests on a business you intend to run, not on a capital ticket you have to buy.
It fits three kinds of founder
Pre-revenue founders with savings, operators expanding into Portugal, and applicants who do not fit D8 (€3,680 a month) or D3 (which needs a qualifying degree).
We form the company for you
We register your Portuguese limited company (LDA) with the commercial registry and set up the tax number (NIF) and the lease before the consulate visa is filed.
Up to five co-directors on one filing
We have run multi-founder D2 setups for SaaS, consulting and e-commerce companies.
Apply for the 20% IFICI tax rate
Founders doing qualifying work, in software, R&D or senior management, can apply for the flat 20% rate for 10 years. We file the application. The tax authority decides.
Company or contract
Your own company, or a Portuguese job?
Both routes end in the same residence permit and the same five-year path. One asks you to build a business AIMA believes in; the other asks for a qualifying salary, where your foreign company orders the hire and a payroll company employs you for payroll purposes. If you do not actually want to run a company, D3 is the shorter road.
Best forWhat you set upBusiness planEmployment statusSavings or salary you must showTax routePath to permanent residence
Portugal D2Best forA founderWhat you set upYa Portuguese payroll company (LDA)Business planRequired, and AIMA reads it closelyEmployment statusYou run your own companySavings or salary you must showNo legal minimum, plus €11,040 in savingsTax routeIFICI: application includedPath to permanent residence5 years
D3 + Portuguese payrollBest forA skilled employeeWhat you set upA Portuguese employment contractBusiness planNot requiredEmployment statusA payroll company employs you for payroll purposesSavings or salary you must showSalary from €2,100/monthTax routeIFICI: application includedPath to permanent residence5 years
We say which one your case actually supports before you pay for either.
The three things we build
A company, a plan and a founder file that describe the same business.
D2 has three linked jobs. If the legal entity, the operating plan and each founder dossier describe different businesses, the case fails on the contradiction rather than on the idea.
Form the Portuguese company
The LDA, registered with the Portuguese commercial registry, plus the registered seat, tax number and the banking steps that make it a usable operating structure.
Build the business case
Portugal market, operating model, three-year projections, a job-creation roadmap and why this founder can execute it.
Assemble each founder dossier
Company documents joined to savings, background, accommodation, insurance and the complete consular forms, one set per applicant.
Portugal for founders
Why build the company in Portugal
The visa is one decision. Where the company pays tax, hires and raises money is the other.
19% corporate tax, 15% for small companies
On the first €50,000 of profit at 2026 rates, against 25% in Spain and France.
A real Lisbon ecosystem
Startup Lisboa and Beta-i, VC and angel money, and legal, accounting and banking support that works in English.
The LDA is a simple company
One director minimum and €1 of minimum capital, though we recommend funding €5,000 for credibility. No director has to be resident for the company to exist.
From entry visa to citizenship
Permanent residence at 5 years, citizenship at 10 (7 for CPLP and EU nationals) under the rules in force from 19 May 2026.
The company outlives the visa.We form a structure you can actually trade through, not a shell that satisfies one appointment and then becomes an accounting problem.
Fit check
D2 fits a business you intend to operate, not a company on paper.
Use this as a first filter. We test the operating logic, the funding and the founder evidence before any company work begins.
D2 is likely worth checking if
- You will build or operate a real business from Portugal
- You can explain the Portugal market and the revenue model
- You can show €11,040 in savings plus credible business funding
- Neither D7 nor D8 income proof works for you
Strengthen or change the route if
- The company exists only to obtain residence
- The plan has no credible market, funding or founder fit
- The business is hospitality, property resale or generic e-commerce
- Your real income is stable remote work, which fits D8
Evidence file
What your D2 file must prove
The decision does not rest on a company certificate. It rests on the business, its funding and your ability to carry it out.
-
Portuguese company
LDA formation documents, the registered seat, the lease, NIF and the relevant banking evidence
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Business plan
Portugal market analysis, operating model, three-year projections and the job-creation roadmap
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Founder fit
Background, experience and role evidence that make the plan credible
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Funding and savings
Available business funding plus €11,040 of personal savings evidence
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Residence setup
Accommodation, health insurance and the required consular forms
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Identity and family
Passport, criminal record and civil-status or dependency evidence for every applicant
From business test to permit
How your D2 case moves,step by step.
From company formation to residence permit, one case manager handles every step, so you are not the one dealing with the bureaucracy. Preparation and the two authority timings are ranges we have observed in 2026.
- 1Relovisa
Founder and business review
Before setupWe place you: pre-revenue founder with savings, established operator expanding into Portugal, or the case where neither D7 nor D8 income proof works for you.
- 2Relovisa
Company formation
Part of the 8 to 12 weeksYour LDA registered with the Portuguese commercial registry. We recommend €5,000 of funded capital, and we can set up to five co-directors on one filing.
- 3Relovisa + founders
Business plan
Part of the 8 to 12 weeksPortugal market analysis, three-year projections, a job-creation roadmap and founder-background fit. We keep you out of the categories AIMA routinely refuses: hospitality, disguised real estate and generic e-commerce.
- 4Relovisa + founders
Founder dossiers
Before the consulateNIF, the lease for the company seat, €11,040 savings proof, criminal record and health insurance, plus a step-by-step guide for the Portuguese bank account you are required to have.
- 5Founders + consulate
Consulate filing
30 to 60 daysWe assemble the full consular dossier and book the slot where the consulate allows it. Each founder attends the appointment with the complete company and personal application, and the consulate visa lets you enter and start operating.
- 6Founders + authority
AIMA and the residence permit
9 to 18 months, 5 to 9 through regional officesBiometrics and the residence permit follow after arrival. In 2026 this runs 9 to 18 months end to end in Lisbon and Porto and roughly 5 to 9 months through regional offices. The legal target is 90 days.
AIMA rule, in force since 28 April 2025
One incomplete document and AIMA rejects the file.
Since 28 April 2025 AIMA rejects a D2 application that is missing any required document, and you cannot supplement it after submission. Everything goes in together, which is why we run a pre-submission check before anything is filed.
The set that has to be complete on the day
- Business plan
- Company registration
- Lease for the company seat
- NIF
- Portuguese bank account
- Savings proof of €11,040
- Criminal-record certificate
- Health insurance
Service scope
One founder, or a founding team of up to five
Both packages include company formation and a business plan built for AIMA. The difference is how many founder dossiers are coordinated around it.
D2 Single founder
€5,990 + €990 per family member
Payment: 50% upfront, 50% before submission.
- Portuguese company registration (LDA formation)
- Eligibility review and founder strategy
- Business plan built for AIMA review
- Complete documents and consular forms
- Initial consultation and unlimited expert chat
- Lawyer consultation for complex cases
- NIF and the pre-submission check
- Consulate slot booked where the consulate allows it, and step-by-step instructions where it needs you there in person with your passport
- Case management through visa issuance
- IFICI: we check whether your founder work qualifies to apply for the 20% rate
For solo founders or small operating teams.
Book your strategy call
D2 Multi-founder
€21,490 + €990 per family member
Payment: 50% upfront, 50% before submission.
- Everything in the single-founder scope, plus:
- One shared Portuguese company (LDA formation)
- One coordinated business plan
- Up to five founder evidence files
- Coordinated consulate preparation
- One case manager across every founder
For founding teams of two to five.
Book your strategy callGovernment fees are separate on both packages: consulate visa €110 and residence permit €307.20, effective 1 March 2026.
Other Portuguese routes
If you are not actually building a company
Same country, same five-year path to permanent residence. What changes is the proof you have to bring.
For remote workers and freelancers with stable foreign income.
Digital Nomad Visa (D8)
Active remote income from outside Portugal, proven over recent months. No company setup and no Portuguese employer needed.
- Income floor
- €3,680/mo
- Employer
- Not required
- Family
- Yes, same file
- Path to PR
- 5 years
- Service fee
- from €2,490
01 PT · D8 For retirees, investors and anyone living on income they do not work for.
Passive Income Visa (D7)
Pension, rent, dividends or royalties at the lowest monthly floor in Portugal. No business plan and no company to run.
- Income floor
- from €920/mo
- Employer
- Not required
- Family
- Yes, parents too
- Path to PR
- 5 years
- Service fee
- from €2,490
02 PT · D7 For skilled employees, and for founders who would rather hold a salary.
Highly Skilled Visa (D3)
A qualifying role plus a degree or senior experience, and a Portuguese employer. Your foreign company can order the hire and a payroll company employs you for payroll purposes.
- Salary
- from about €2,100/mo
- Employer
- Payroll company where applicable
- Family
- Yes, same file
- Path to PR
- 5 years
- Service fee
- from €2,490
03 PT · D3 Relovisa in numbers
Our record so far.
Residence, work, founder and family cases, filed end to end rather than reviewed.
Historical share of completed cases approved. Open, withdrawn and incomplete cases are not counted.
Applicants from more than thirty countries, handled from our Portuguese headquarters.
Everyone who works a case: the Relovisa team plus the immigration lawyers, consultants and tax advisers we work with in the countries we file in.
The immigration lawyers and consultants on our case teams bring 10+ years each.
On Portuguese cases we file directly, if a refusal follows a complete document set you provided we re-file once at no additional service fee. Approval is always the authority's decision.
People behind your case
The people who move your case forward.
Every case is led and coordinated by Relovisa. We bring in the immigration consultants, lawyers, payroll and tax specialists the route needs, while Relovisa remains your single point of contact.
One coordinated case team, built around the route you actually need.
Vlad Shipilov
FounderLeads strategy for founder, business and non-standard cases, connecting the route with the client's business, family and long-term plan.
Olia Nemirovski
COO & Chief Case ManagerLeads client and partner operations so case teams, local specialists and next steps stay coordinated from assessment to completion.
Evgenia
UK Immigration Lawyer · Specialist PartnerSupports UK immigration and Talent Visa case management where licensed legal input is required.
Vladimir
Germany Immigration Consultant · Specialist PartnerSupports German work immigration cases across process planning, local requirements and case coordination.
Daniela
Portugal Immigration Lawyer · Specialist PartnerSupports Portuguese residence matters that require legal review, representation or procedural escalation.
Petra
Portugal Immigration Consultant · Specialist PartnerSupports Portugal D2, D3, D7 and D8 cases, including clients with different income structures.
Marilia
Portugal Immigration Attorney · Specialist PartnerSupports global mobility for self-employed, founder and highly skilled cases through Portugal D8, D2 and D3 routes.
Thiago
Portugal Immigration Attorney · Specialist PartnerSupports highly qualified professionals and procedural cases involving residence delays and AIMA proceedings.
Vladislav
International Tax Advisor · Specialist PartnerAdvises on international tax structures and non-standard cross-border situations across Europe, Asia and the United States.
Thomas
Crypto & Tax Advisor · Specialist PartnerSupports clients whose move intersects with crypto assets, international business and tax planning.
Our wider specialist network60+
immigration consultants and lawyers
Local coverage for routes and services that require authorised in-country specialists.
D2 questions
D2 questions, answered
The questions that decide whether you form a company or file a different route.
How much do I actually need to invest?
There is no legal minimum. In practice AIMA reads a plan favourably when €50,000 to €100,000 is funded or demonstrably available. Lower amounts work for genuinely lean businesses, such as consulting or freelance-aggregator structures, with credible revenue projections.
What is the savings requirement?
€11,040 for a single applicant, which is twelve times the 2026 Portuguese minimum wage of €920 a month. We prepare the proof the way AIMA expects.
What are the government fees?
Consulate visa €110 and residence permit €307.20 from 1 March 2026. These sit outside our service fee, which starts at €5,990 for a single founder.
Can I file first and add missing documents later?
No. Since 28 April 2025 AIMA rejects a D2 application that is missing any required document, with no chance to supplement after submission. Everything goes in together, which is why we run a pre-submission check.
What business plans does AIMA accept?
A clear Portugal market, operating model, three-year projections, funding and a founder background that supports execution. A job-creation roadmap of one to five Portuguese hires within three years is a strong signal. Avoid hospitality, disguised real-estate plays, generic e-commerce and lifestyle-business framing. For a section-by-section breakdown, read our Portugal D2 business plan guide. Read the Portugal D2 business plan guide
How long does D2 take?
Company formation and dossier preparation take 8 to 12 weeks, then the consulate stage takes 30 to 60 days. The residence permit takes 9 to 18 months in Lisbon and Porto, roughly 5 to 9 months through regional offices, against a 90-day legal target.
Can I run the Portuguese company remotely?
You must spend at least 16 months of every two-year permit period in Portugal to keep D2. The company does not need you in the office full time, but the residence obligation sits on the visa.
Can a family member also be a co-director?
Yes. Your spouse can be a co-director, which adds another applicant to the company dossier, as long as the role in the business is real. Some founders structure it this way for tax efficiency and operating flexibility, and we advise on the right structure during planning.
When is D2 the right choice versus D7 or D8?
D8 needs €3,680 a month of remote income, a high bar. D7 needs €920 a month of passive income, an easy bar but no active business. D2 fits when you want to build a real business, when you are pre-revenue with savings, or when neither D7 nor D8 income proof works for you.
What happens if the visa is refused?
For a Portuguese case we file directly, if a refusal follows a complete document set you provided, we re-file once at no additional service fee, subject to your engagement terms. We do not guarantee approval; the authority decides.
Reviewed by the Relovisa immigration teamPublished 2026-07
Start with the business logic
Is your business a fit for D2? Let us check.
Bring the business idea or the company you already run, your savings and your team size. We tell you whether D2 fits, what the business plan has to prove, and what the whole thing costs end to end.
Book your strategy call30 minutes · €40, applied to your package if you proceed
Still have a question this page did not answer? Ask the Relovisa guidance assistant.