Portugal · Spouse visas
Portugal Spouse of a citizen
National visa (temporary stay, over 3 months) for family of Portuguese citizens
Checked against official sources on Rule changed 18 May 2026Change log
Key facts
Spouse of a citizen is a spouse visas route for Portugal. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
Time and long term
Permanent residenceGeneral rule: 5 years of residence
Permanent residence needs five years on a temporary residence authorization, which is a different document from this visa.
CitizenshipAfter 3 years of marriage
A foreign spouse married more than three years to a Portuguese national can acquire nationality by declaration (Art. 3); otherwise the 10-year residence route applies.
Where to applyFrom abroad
Apply for the national temporary-stay visa at the Portuguese consulate for your place of residence.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Applications are made from outside Portugal, not after arriving
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- Applicant is the spouse of a Portuguese citizen.
- A registered partner counts if Portuguese law treats registered partnerships as equal to marriage.
What you must show1
- The visa fee does not apply to family members of Portuguese citizens.
Documents4
- Proof of means of subsistence, travel insurance and return ticket can be waived.
- Copy of the identity document of the Portuguese citizen being joined.
- Proof of the family relationship, such as the marriage certificate.
- Criminal record certificate can be waived.
Steps1
- Apply for the national temporary-stay visa at the Portuguese consulate for the place of residence, not for a Schengen visa.
What happens at day 183
How Portugal decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Tax residence
- More than 183 days in any 12-month period starting or ending in the tax yearResidence by presence.
- Foreign-source income
Resident individuals are taxed on worldwide income, including foreign-source income, at progressive rates from 12.5% up to 48% on the 2026 brackets set by the 2026 State Budget (Lei 73-A/2025: first bracket up to EUR 8,342, (≈ $9,320) top rate above EUR 86,634 (≈ $96,800)), plus an additional solidarity rate of 2.5% on taxable income above EUR 80,000 (≈ $89,400) and 5% above EUR 250,000 (≈ $279,000); non-residents are taxed on Portuguese-source income.
All tax rules for Portugal Tax records checked
What you need to arrange
- Health insurance
Proof of means of subsistence, travel insurance and return ticket can be waived
- Police certificate and civil documents
Proof of the family relationship, such as the marriage certificate
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
For the spouse (or equivalent registered partner) of a Portuguese citizen who is a non-EU national and wants to live in Portugal with the citizen. It gives a national temporary-stay visa instead of a Schengen visa, with no visa fee. 1 2 3 4
Requirements
- Applicant is the spouse of a Portuguese citizen. 1 2
- A registered partner counts if Portuguese law treats registered partnerships as equal to marriage. 1
- The visa fee does not apply to family members of Portuguese citizens. 1
- Proof of means of subsistence, travel insurance and return ticket can be waived. 2
- Copy of the identity document of the Portuguese citizen being joined. 2
- Proof of the family relationship, such as the marriage certificate. 2
- Criminal record certificate can be waived. 2
- Apply for the national temporary-stay visa at the Portuguese consulate for the place of residence, not for a Schengen visa. 1
Stay
- A national temporary-stay visa for stays over 3 months.
Nationality
Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Family
Spouse or registered partner, direct descendants under 21 or dependent on the citizen, and dependent direct ascendants of the citizen or spouse can apply for the family visa.
Official sources
- Family members of Portuguese, EU/EEA, Swiss and UK citizens (visas) · Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal · checked 2026-10-12
- Temporary stay visa documents (national visas) · Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal · checked 2026-10-12
- AIMA family reunification, Article 98(2) in Portugal · AIMA · checked 2026-10-10
- Lei n.º 61/2025 of 22 October (amends Law 23/2007, Arts. 98-105) · Diário da República · checked 2026-10-10
- Lei n.º 23/2007 (Foreigners Law, REPSAE), consolidated text current to Lei n.º 62/2026 of 10 September 2026 · Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa (consolidated legislation) · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2026-09-10
- Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026 of 18 May (amends the Nationality Law, Law 37/81) · Diário da República / Assembleia da República · checked 2026-10-11
Spouse of a citizen and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse of a citizen | – | – | – |
| Spouse of a resident | Needs income from €460 a month ≈ $510 | – | – |
| Spouse of a resident Spain | Needs income of €900+ a month ≈ $1,010 | – | Yes |
| Spouse of a resident Georgia | – | 1 yr, renewable | – |
| Spouse of a resident Italy | Needs income of €11k+ a year ≈ $12k | – | Yes |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the Spouse of a citizen?
A national temporary-stay visa for stays over 3 months.
Can I bring my family on the Spouse of a citizen?
Spouse or registered partner, direct descendants under 21 or dependent on the citizen, and dependent direct ascendants of the citizen or spouse can apply for the family visa.
Who can apply for the Spouse of a citizen?
Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Does the Spouse of a citizen lead to permanent residence in Portugal?
The general rule for permanent residence in Portugal is 5 years of residence. Time on the Spouse of a citizen counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 3 years of marriage.
How are Spouse of a citizen holders taxed in Portugal?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Spouse of a citizen. The standard rules apply: Resident individuals are taxed on worldwide income, including foreign-source income, at progressive rates from 12.5% up to 48% on the 2026 brackets set by the 2026 State Budget (Lei 73-A/2025: first bracket up to EUR 8,342, (≈ $9,320) top rate above EUR 86,634 (≈ $96,800)), plus an additional solidarity rate of 2.5% on taxable income above EUR 80,000 (≈ $89,400) and 5% above EUR 250,000 (≈ $279,000); non-residents are taxed on Portuguese-source income.
More in Portugal
Spouse and partner visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 6 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Family members of Portuguese, EU/EEA, Swiss and UK citizens (visas) · Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal · checked 2026-10-12
- Temporary stay visa documents (national visas) · Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal · checked 2026-10-12
- AIMA family reunification, Article 98(2) in Portugal · AIMA · checked 2026-10-10
- Lei n.º 61/2025 of 22 October (amends Law 23/2007, Arts. 98-105) · Diário da República · checked 2026-10-10
- Lei n.º 23/2007 (Foreigners Law, REPSAE), consolidated text current to Lei n.º 62/2026 of 10 September 2026 · Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa (consolidated legislation) · checked 2026-10-10
- Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026 of 18 May (amends the Nationality Law, Law 37/81) · Diário da República / Assembleia da República · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.