Law n.º 18/2022, of August 25, 2022, was published, which changed the regime of entry, stay, exit and expulsion of foreigners from the national territory, in order to create a specific regime for remote workers.
Since the beginning of the 2020s and with the covid-19 pandemic, remote work has become a reality for many workers. Remote workers can now apply for a temporary stay visa of up to one year or a residence visa, allowing them to apply for a residence permit in Portugal.
This residence visa is granted to employees and self-employed professionals for the exercise of professional activities provided remotely to individuals or legal entities domiciled or headquartered outside the national territory, and the employment relationship or provision of services, as the case may be, must be proven.
This legal amendment is a response 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, have not been given adequate treatment, with many resorted to the D7 visa to obtain residence in Portugal.
Incidentally, Portugal has had a huge demand for foreign residents since the beginning of the pandemic, many of whom used the D7 visa, or “passive income visa”, to settle in the country.
However, with the D7 visa, applicants needed to prove passive income and prove income of around 12 months the national minimum wage and with this new regime, remote workers can use a monthly salary to prove their means of subsistence in Portugal.
In fact, proof of average monthly income earned in the last three months in the exercise of subordinate or independent professional activity of a minimum amount equivalent to four guaranteed monthly minimum wages is required, that is, € 2,820.00 per month, attracting, in this way, those who earns more than twice the average salary in Portugal – in 2021, it was €1,361.00 according to the National Institute of Statistics.
Portugal's popularity among remote workers is due to several reasons, including the low cost of living, mild climate, peaceful country, delicious food, excellent healthcare system, large amount of coworking spaces, connections to major European cities and Fluency in English.
Lisbon is considered the best destination in the world for the community of digital nomads, with excellent levels of safety, fun and internet speed, which offset the cost of living in the capital. However, many digital nomads are also looking for smaller inland or seaside cities to settle in, which can be great for developing those parts of the country where the population is quite aging.
We believe that this new regime will be in great demand and will contribute to the dynamism of the Portuguese economy.
Article originally published on the website nomad gate
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