The real cost of moving from the UAE to Portugal on a D7 or D8

It helps to split your budget into three parts:

1. Fees you pay. Government fees, document attestation, translations and insurance.
2. Money you keep. The savings you show for the D7, or a buffer for the D8. It stays in your own account.
3. Setting up your life. Rent and deposit, flights, shipping and your first months in Portugal.

The fees are the smallest part. Most of the money goes on your new home.

For the Portugal D-Visa and the residence permit that follows:

• Visa fee: €110 per person, paid when you apply. Children under 6 are exempt.
• First AIMA residence permit: about €186 per person, paid in Portugal.

Renewals and, later, permanent residence have their own AIMA fees. The visa fee is not refunded if an application is refused.

VFS Global, which receives applications in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, adds its own service charge. Check the current amount when you book.

For the D7, you show savings equal to 12 months of your household's income figure, in a Portuguese bank account in your name. For one person in 2026, that is €11,040 (≈ AED 45,710).

This is not a fee. Nobody takes it from you. It stays your money, and it supports your first year in Portugal.

You also need regular passive income of at least €920 a month (≈ AED 3,810) for one person, such as a pension, rent or dividends. Each extra person raises both figures, and our guide to the D7 and D8 with your family shows how.

The D8 has no fixed savings rule. You show income of at least €3,680 a month (≈ AED 15,240), averaged over the last 3 months. A buffer of a few months' income in a Portuguese account still helps, both for your file and for your first months.

These figures are legal minimums, linked to the Portuguese minimum wage of €920 a month in 2026. They usually rise each January. Your living budget depends on where and how you choose to live.

Every applicant aged 16 or over needs police certificates, and UAE documents go through two steps before the embassy accepts them. Our guide to UAE documents for Portugal explains the route.

• UAE MOFA attestation: about AED 150 per personal document, plus delivery if you choose it.
• Embassy legalisation in Abu Dhabi: a fee per document, paid at the Portuguese embassy. It is not published online, so check it when you book.
• Translations: only for documents not in Portuguese, English or French. A certified translation has its own fee, and it also needs a MOFA stamp.
• Home-country documents: an apostille or consular legalisation, at that country's fees.

These costs are per document, so they grow with each family member.

Some costs come before your VFS appointment, because the embassy wants to see them in your file.

• NIF (Portuguese tax number). Most people abroad get it through a lawyer or NIF provider with a power of attorney, who charges a service fee. Depending on your situation, you may later need a fiscal representative too.
• Portuguese bank account. Opened remotely once you have your NIF. For the D7, it holds your savings. Each bank sets its own account fees.
• A home. The D7 usually needs a 12-month lease, and a lease is strongly recommended for the D8. Under Portugal's rental rules, the deposit is generally capped at two months' rent, and so is rent paid in advance. Check the lease before you sign. Rents vary a lot between cities, so choose your area before you sign.
• Insurance. For the visa, travel medical insurance covering urgent care and repatriation. For the AIMA permit, health insurance or proof of cover by Portugal's National Health Service (SNS). Most people take private cover for at least the first year. The price depends mainly on your age and the cover you choose.

• Flights for everyone moving, usually one way.
• Shipping. Moving furniture by sea costs far more than a few extra suitcases, and takes weeks. Many people sell or store large items in the UAE and ship only what matters. Get quotes from more than one mover.
• Your first months. Allow for furnishing your home, transport and day-to-day costs while you settle in.
• Tax advice. Portugal taxes its residents on their worldwide income. Budget for a session with a qualified tax adviser before you move.

Amounts in AED are approximate. Government fees were checked on 4 November 2026.

• Check your figures before you sign a lease. The eligibility calculator shows the income and savings for your household.
• Get the order right. Order police certificates first, so they are still recent at your VFS appointment.
• Match every detail. Names, dates and figures must match across your documents. A mismatch can mean redoing an attestation.
• Apply as a family. Bringing family over later can mean a long wait and a second round of documents.

VisaHelm is an independent private company. We are not affiliated with any government, embassy, VFS Global or AIMA, and decisions are made only by the Portuguese embassy and AIMA.

• We check your income and savings against the figure for your household before you spend anything.
• We plan your documents and attestations in the right order, so you avoid paying for the same step twice.
• Our fees are fixed and listed on our packages page. Government fees are paid at cost.

For tax questions about the move, speak to a qualified adviser.

Use the eligibility calculator to see the income and savings figures for your household. Read the D7 visa and D8 visa pages, or compare them in our D7 vs D8 guide. Then book a free 15-minute call to plan your budget with us.