Renting in Portugal: Assistance for New Arrivals

Renting in Portugal is an important consideration for many new arrivals to the country.

Even if you intend to buy property in Portugal in the long term, renting for a year (or even a few months) allows you to get a feel for the country before making a more permanent investment. 

Renting in Portugal can also be an important step when applying for certain Portugal visas, including the popular D7 passive income visa. 

We walk you through the process of renting in Portugal, including how to get started with finding a rental property, what to look out for, and specific strategies for handling the accommodation requirements for the D7 visa. 

12 month lease for D7 visa

If you’re moving to Portugal on the D7 passive income visa, it’s becoming increasingly common for embassies to require proof of a 12-month rental contract before issuing the visa. 

Previously, many embassies would accept proof of short-term accommodation, such as a hotel booking or Airbnb rental.

But now, with a large influx in new D7 visa applicants, embassy requirements for the D7 visa are becoming stricter.

This situation is very inconvenient for D7 visa applicants. They now need to make a commitment to Portugal before even knowing if their visa will be approved.

Possible solutions for 12-month lease issue 

If you come from a country that can freely enter Portugal as a tourist and stay for 90 days, then it’s worth using this opportunity to visit the country and look for suitable rentals. Portugal is a country where everything works better in person. 

However, if you’re from a country which needs a Schengen Visa to enter Portugal, then you might be more reluctant to apply for this ahead of your D7. 

We can refer you to one of our partner real estate agents, who are well-versed in helping applicants secure rental properties remotely.

They can arrange video viewings to help you feel more secure in moving forward with the rental.

We can also arrange for a lawyer to review any rental contracts from potential landlords or prepare a new one for you from scratch. Book an appointment for more details.

Need more advice tailored to your specific situation?