Portugal self-employed and freelancer visa (D2)

The D2 for independent professional activity is for people who will provide services on their own account in Portugal, for example as consultants, designers or other liberal professionals. You need articles of association of a company, a service contract or a written proposal for a service contract and, where the profession requires special qualifications in Portugal, a declaration from the competent professional body.

Consular D2 checklists can add to the general documents: proof of the source of income through the articles of association, proposal or service contract, or a sponsorship letter with a certified signature from the entity providing board and lodging; proof of means in Portugal, in particular by opening a Portuguese bank account; and accommodation secured for 365 days, by buying property or signing a long-term lease.

EUR 110 visa fee. The residence permit itself is charged by AIMA: EUR 133.00 for receiving and analysing the request plus EUR 114.30 for granting a temporary permit (in-person rates in the fee table updated 26 February 2026; 25% less through a digital channel).

By law the consulate decides a residence visa within 60 days and a temporary stay visa within 30 days, so apply well before your start date.

At AIMA you present the passport and visa, proof that you have opened your activity with the Tax Authority and Social Security, the service contract, company registration certificate or your latest receipts, an address declaration, tax and Social Security registration, and the professional body declaration where relevant. The permit is valid two years and renewable for three years at a time.

A refused national visa can be challenged by a complaint to the consulate within 15 days, a hierarchical appeal to the Minister of Foreign Affairs within three months, or an action before the Administrative Court of Lisbon within three months. The routes are not mutually exclusive, and each appeal procedure costs EUR 75 (except for visas following a family reunification approval). Since Lei 61/2025, a visa is also refused to anyone who entered or stayed in Portugal illegally and is subject to an entry ban.