How much savings do I need for the Portugal D8 visa in 2026?

To secure the Portugal D8 visa in 2026, a single applicant must show a minimum of €11,040 in liquid savings.

For years, digital nomads have circulated outdated financial requirements based on old minimum wage figures. Because the D8 visa's financial threshold is legally pegged to the Portuguese national minimum wage, the required savings amount increases automatically every time the government updates that wage.

In 2026, the Portuguese government raised the national minimum wage to €920 a month. Since immigration authorities require you to demonstrate 12 months of the minimum wage in liquid savings, the financial barrier to entry has climbed noticeably for both solo remote workers and families.

📊 Reading the 2026 Portugal D8 savings matrix

The table above scales the requirement across four household sizes, and it's worth separating the two columns clearly since they grow at different rates.

The savings column is straightforward and climbs in even steps. A single applicant needs €11,040. Add a spouse, and it rises to €16,560, a €5,520 jump. Add one child on top of that, and it climbs to €19,872, a further €3,312. Add a second child, and the requirement reaches €23,184, another identical €3,312 step. Each dependent adds a fixed, predictable amount to the savings floor.

The monthly income requirement follows the same underlying formula but with smaller, monthly-scale increments. A single applicant needs €3,680 a month. A spouse adds 50% of the minimum wage, €460, bringing the household requirement to €4,140. Each child adds 30% of the minimum wage, €276, so one child brings the total to €4,416, and two children bring it to €4,692. A family of four applying together needs to show roughly €4,692 in recurring monthly income on top of the €23,184 savings floor, not instead of it.

💰 1. The €11,040 baseline for solo applicants

When you apply for the D8 visa, AIMA and local consulates want to confirm you have a real financial safety net upon arrival, not just a qualifying income stream on paper. The legal formula requires a single applicant to hold 12 times the current national minimum wage in accessible savings. With the 2026 minimum wage set at €920, that works out to a minimum liquid capital requirement of €11,040.

👨‍👩‍👧 2. The family multipliers

Relocating with family scales both numbers, income and savings, using the same dependent percentages. AIMA adds 50% of the baseline minimum wage for a spouse and 30% for each dependent child, applied to both the monthly income test and, multiplied by 12, the savings test.

That means a spouse adds €460 a month, €5,520 a year, to your required income and savings respectively. Each child adds €276 a month, €3,312 a year. A family of four, two adults and two children, needs to show close to €4,692 in monthly income and €23,184 in liquid savings just to clear the baseline AIMA and consulate expectations, before either parent's actual living costs enter the picture.

🏦 3. The bank account hurdle

Historically, applicants were required to deposit these funds into a local Portuguese bank account before applying at all. In 2026, some consulates allow you to prove savings using a foreign bank account for the initial application, but you'll almost certainly need to transfer the funds to a Portuguese institution by the time you attend your final AIMA appointment in the country.

🖇️ Helpful links from the Gnosis content team

• The €3,680 Threshold: a deeper breakdown of how the minimum monthly income requirement is calculated.
• The 2026 Portugal Playbook: the full pillar guide to navigating the tax and immigration barriers in Portugal.

📚 Official Sources & Data Verification (2026)

All details regarding Portugal's D8 Digital Nomad Visa savings requirements are verified against 2026 AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo) and consular directives:

• The Baseline Savings Formula: In 2026, the Portuguese national minimum wage is €920. Applicants are legally required to demonstrate minimum liquid savings equivalent to 12 months of this wage, equating to €11,040 for a single applicant.
• Family Additions: For family reunification, the savings threshold increases aggressively. Applicants must add 50% of the base amount for a spouse (€16,560 total) and 30% of the base amount for each dependent child.
• Bank Account Verification: These savings must be demonstrated via verifiable bank statements. While foreign accounts are sometimes accepted at the initial consular stage, the funds typically must be held in a Portuguese bank account for the final AIMA approval.

Frequently asked questions

Do my crypto holdings count toward the savings requirement? 

No. Consulates and AIMA require standard fiat currency sitting in a verifiable, regulated checking or savings account. Volatile assets like cryptocurrency, or illiquid assets like real estate, don't satisfy the baseline requirement.

Does having €50,000 in savings mean I can ignore the €3,680 monthly income rule? 

No. The savings requirement supplements the monthly income requirement rather than replacing it. You need to demonstrate both independently, not substitute one for the other no matter how large your savings balance is.

Can I spend the savings after I get the visa? 

Once your residency card is issued, you're legally free to use those funds. When you apply to renew your visa, typically after two years, you'll need to demonstrate sufficient savings and income all over again at that point.