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Portugal D2 Visa for Entrepreneurs

Get help applying for the Portugal D2 Entrepreneur Visa from our team of dedicated Immigration Lawyers.

Our team of immigration lawyers are here to turn your business idea to reality in Portugal with advice and guidance on obtaining a D2 Visa for self-employed or freelance work.

Contact Us

To request a free consultation case, please provide us with your contact details below and we will contact you via email or phone.

How can a lawyer help me with a D2 visa?

The D2 visa is a type of long-term visa that allows you to live and work in Portugal on a permanent basis. It is designed for individuals who have a job offer or are self-employed in Portugal, or for students who want to work part-time while studying in the country.

To be eligible for a D2 visa, you must meet certain requirements, including having a valid passport, being in good health, and having sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay in Portugal. You may also need to provide proof of your employment or study in the country, as well as other supporting documents.

The D2 visa process can be complex, so it is recommended that you seek the assistance of an experienced immigration lawyer to help guide you through the process and ensure that your application is successful.

What Our Clients Are Saying

Our law firm has helped numerous clients successfully apply for a D2 visa and start their new lives in Portugal.

Like Portugal’s other visa pathways, the Portugal D2 visa is aimed at third country nationals from outside the European Union, European Economic Area or Switzerland.  

The Portugal D2 visa is designed for people who want to open a new business in Portugal, set up a Portuguese branch of an existing business, or move to Portugal to run a business that already exists.  In light of that, the D2 is also known as the Entrepreneur Visa.

Unlike the Golden Visa, you won’t need to make a hefty investment in Portugal to get the D2 visa. And unlike the D7 visa, you don’t need to prove a source of regular passive income.

Instead, getting the Portugal D2 visa mainly depends on having a viable business that you can run in Portugal. The business can be anything from a coffee shop to a wellness retreat to a real estate agency – there are no restrictions. 

If you plan to start your own business or work as a freelancer while in Portugal, you will need a visa to legally perform independent professional activity or entrepreneurial work. This is called a D2 visa and there is one for entrepreneurs and another for freelancers. 

You may will be free to work in the field of your choice in Portugal and register with Portugese Social Security for benefits like parental and sickness leave.

You must be able to demonstrate the viability of your project in Portugal with a business plan for an entrepreneur visa. You must also incorporate a company by registering it in the Commercial Register. Our Corporate law Department can help you set up the company remotely by means of a simple power of attorney before you move to Portugal.

In Portugal, there is some discretion when verifying and assessing the economic and employment benefit that the business activity will bring. However, most of the time, the application’s chances of success are enhanced by how qualified the service provider is or the scale of need for the business in the country. 

For the Freelance visa, it is necessary to register with the Tax Office and pay contributions directly to the Social Security Service.

The D2 visa is available to any non-EU citizen who is planning to launch a business in Portugal that  can be considered of “general interest”. Typically, the project must be innovative, brings new scientific or technological advancements, has a significant economic impact or has the potential to create many new jobs in Portugal.

The visa is intended for new businesses, startups, independent professionals, immigrant entrepreneurs, company managers, shareholders, partners, and board members.

Independent professional activity means that performed by autonomous professionals, or freelancers, who offer their services to clients. These clients can be individuals or companies and there’s a fixed price for the work.

Independent professions like IT specialisation, plumber, carpenter, technicians are eligible. In this same category are also included lawyers, architects, physicians and engineers, who are independent professionals, but who exercise their professional activity bound to previous registration in the respective Professional Order.

The D2 visa is for independent workers or those who will incorporate a company in Portugal. If you are moving to Portugal with an employment contract, you would need a highly-qualified activity work visa, or D3 visa. 

With the D2 visa, you can either incorporate a company or work as an independent worker and in both cases, no need for a contract with a Portuguese company. 

We recommend this visa if your priority is to work on your activity, project or idea from the day you arrive in Portugal and you consider you can fulfil the “general interest” requirement.

First of all, the applicant has to either create a company, which we can advise on and execute, or enrol with the correct professional organization for freelancers. 

Once the applicant established the company or has signed a contract delivering services as a liberal professional, they can apply for a visa at the Portuguese Consulate or Embassy in their home country. 

After the respective D2 visa has been issued, the applicant can travel to Portugal and make an appointment at the Portuguese Border and Immigration Service, called SEF. At this appointment, the applicant will submit their residence permit application, collect biometric data and deliver the documentation. 

After the appointment, the application is analyzed internally and the applicant is notified of the decision of approval. They then receive the residence card. 

The Entrepreneur route for the D2 visa: 

– Get a NIF (tax number in Portugal) 

– Set up a business bank account at a Portuguese bank

– Create a Portuguese limited company (LDA) 

– Appoint an accountant who understands the Portuguese tax system 

– Show evidence of having sufficient financial means to set up and run the company.  Incorporating a company in Portugal requires paying corporation tax every year as well as social security contributions.

The Independent service provider route for the D2 visa: 

– Get a NIF (tax number in Portugal) 

– Set up a bank account at a Portuguese bank

– Show proof of relevant experience or qualifications in your field, like an academic degree or CV 

– Show proof of a contract with one or more clients

🇵🇹 Portugal is calling for you...

Requirements for Entrepreneur Visa

There are a few main requirements. Firstly, if you plan to be entrepreneurial and launch a company, the business must be incorporated. If, however, you are a freelancer you can have a contract to provide services in a liberal profession, like a journalist, a lawyer or doctor.

Both types of D2 visa require a legal qualification to perform any independent professional activity.

Frequently Asked Questions

To apply for a D2 visa, you will need to complete an application form and gather the necessary supporting documents. This may include your passport, proof of employment or study in Portugal, and proof of sufficient funds. You will also need to pay a fee and schedule an appointment at a Portuguese consulate or embassy.

The D2 visa process can take several months to complete, so it is important to start the process as early as possible. Processing times may vary depending on the volume of applications and the specific consulate or embassy where you apply.

Yes, you can bring your family with you to Portugal on a D2 visa. Your spouse and children under the age of 18 can apply for a dependent visa to join you in Portugal.

Yes, you can work for multiple employers with a D2 visa as long as you have the necessary work permits and permissions. It is important to follow all applicable laws and regulations regarding employment in Portugal.

Yes, you can study in Portugal with a D2 visa if you are accepted into a degree program at a Portuguese university. However, you must also have a job offer or be self-employed in Portugal to qualify for a D2 visa.

 

Unmarried partners who can prove a long-term relationship can also apply as dependants.

Yes, you can apply for permanent residency in Portugal after living in the country for a certain period of time with a D2 visa. To be eligible for permanent residency, you must have lived in Portugal for at least 5 years on a continuous basis, or for a shorter period if you are married to a Portuguese citizen.

Our work is to make clients happy

We are a department formed by qualified legal experts who have been trained in the field of immigration law. We work on these requests every day and it’s our passion. For us, Lexidy is a way of life and what excites us the most is to be able to deliver the happiness and satisfaction of a successful immigration process. We want to help you achieve your goals and dreams.

Lexidy Legal Tech
4.7
Based on 93 reviews
Brian Kean
Brian Kean
18:56 08 Sep 23
This law firm was good until I signed the contract and paid my first bill. To begin with, on the day I was signing, I had a FedEx package delivered to their office so that it would arrive while I was there. They refused to accept it, and while I sat in the conference room with the lawyer, who was trying to upsell me, the package was declined and shipped back to Germany--I ended up getting it five months later! Medicine for blood pressure! "It's not our policy" they said. My lawyer was Karla Morais. Wow! Thank God I had time on my hands that summer to do HER work because she did as little as possible. Everyone involved in my case was constantly going on vacation--and for like 3 and 4 weeks at a time--and all the while zero was being done on my immigration case. I have never seen such horrendous communication habits as at this firm. If you have 10 questions for a call, they will answer one and send a cut-and-paste note from Google with outdated information for the other 9 questions. Karla just ignored me and then was mad at me. It takes about 5 minutes to get a NIF--It took Lexidy 3 months and when I asked where it was, she insisted it had been sent to me--and then that day she emailed. It had been in her inbox for nearly 3 months. Finally, I was in New York to apply for my D7 visa and it turns out that residents from New Jersey don't use the NY office but the consulate in Newark, NJ. While I was there that day, no one from the agency checked in to see how things were going and my wife had to call from Portugal to the firm 20 times to finally get someone. "Next appointment they tell me, in November!" This was early September. I ended up solving the problem by myself with a very kind woman at the Consulate in Newark who let me in after the Consulate had closed! There is SO much more to this but suffice it to day: Lexidy owes me $2700 because I have no idea what I paid for and they were horrible and never once followed up...just always trying to sell me more and sending invoices. DO NOT USE THIS LAW FIRM!
Steve Pitt
Steve Pitt
17:32 26 Jul 23
Outstanding service. Knowledgeable, responsive team of attorneys that is easy to work with. We used them to purchase a property in Madeira Portugal and everything went great. We worked with Vasco, who was a pleasure to work with, very responsive, professional and knowledgeable. We're working with their immigration team now for our D-7 application and they've been great so far. Very helpful and providing the service and help we need to hopefully complete the process. Both my wife and myself have been very pleased with their service and highly recommend using Lexidy Law Boutique.
Fasy Ismail
Fasy Ismail
12:47 21 Apr 23
Excellent law firm with great immigration &and tax lawyers. They're very helpful and attentive. Loved working with them.Thank you Belissa, Déborah and Rodrigo. They're very knowledgeable lawyers. I do not hesitate to recommend them.
Ebrahim Yousefi
Ebrahim Yousefi
17:55 10 Feb 23
This companies defective consultation and solutions costed me and my partnes 150k , almost all legal advisors i talked with they had second or third job and not sure if they were legal advisors at all once one legal advisor told me if i have money to invest i can give it to her for cryto trade and investment she is doing this service for some of her clients , don't trust their solution or you will pay for it , almost every month employees and team structure is changing if you have an application you will meet tens of legal advisors and you'll face hundreds or errors in their service process, i appreciate anna carolina's defect immigration consultation, carolina herrera's attitude and childish behavior and successful management skills of mr Michael
Andrew Jones
Andrew Jones
16:05 25 Nov 22
Everyone was very friendly and helpful. Thank you Thabata Mota, Belissa Cunha, andMargarida Vieira.
James Newitt
James Newitt
11:19 20 Nov 22
Young law firm in Lisbon specialising in legal help for foreigners living in Portugal - tax, immigration, citizenship etc. The team are friendly, reliable and very clear with communication. Déborah Andrade was thorough and generous in helping negotiate applying for residency after Brexit. Would recommend their sevices.
Vladislav L
Vladislav L
09:38 19 Nov 22
Lexidy's great team made the process of relocation to Portugal flawless and seamless. They helped me with every essential process from real estate purchase, to residency visa, NHR status, family reunification and much more. I highly recommend this professional and friendly firm for all your relocation needs!
Reyhan Khan
Reyhan Khan
14:09 07 Nov 22
Lexidy law Firm assisted me with my D type visa process for Portugal. Being a Pakistani, the process is very tedious and Deborah Andrade helped me on every single step. Would recommend Lexidy 100%!
Ryan Rich
Ryan Rich
12:47 17 Aug 22
Lexidy has helped us so much in both the business and immigration side. We continue to use them for all legal needs and recommend them highly.
Martin Bortagaray
Martin Bortagaray
11:53 06 Aug 22
The Lexidy team provided a great service, taking most of the stress out of the bureaucracy of applying for residency. The team are all professional and friendly. My only issue is with the finance department who on two occasions tried to overcharge me and had me digging through past invoices to prove i'd already paid. Just make sure you keep track of that. Besides this, it was an overall very positive experience, highly recommended.
Sheila Simpkins
Sheila Simpkins
12:00 04 Aug 22
Thank goodness for Lexidy! They are extremely knowledgeable, professional and responsive. I would recommend them for any residency procedures.
Ali Delshad
Ali Delshad
11:49 26 Jul 22
First of all, I would like to appreciate all the team members of Lexidy for helping me to get my residency card.I had a great experience especially on the SEF appointment day with their kind and helpful Brazilian expert which made my experience smooth and without stress.When you decide to work with this law company you should notice that you don’t just pay for lawyers but also for the quality, respect and safety.I’m totally happy with the processes and quality of their job.
Aluísio Leite
Aluísio Leite
16:38 16 Jul 22
The Lexidy Team helped me enormously as I applied for a D7 visa and made the move from the US to Portugal. Highly recommended team of professionals!
Lexidy Law Firm is outstanding! I come from a family of four lawyers and a judge so I am quite discerning when it comes to law firms. From the first contact we made to now, we have received nothing but prompt, professional, gracious and competent service. I would particularly like to acknowledge and thank Karla Morais in the Immigration Department for her dedication to providing all the information we needed in order to make a decision about citizenship in Portugal. Thank you, Lexidy, and thank you Karla. You are excellent!
Kristen Wilkinson
Kristen Wilkinson
14:53 20 Oct 21
Update: While all of the initial responses were pretty quick, they started getting busy, so I had to constantly follow up. We have since sought assistance elsewhere.My husband and I plan to move from the USA to Porto, Portugal in the spring/early summer of 2023. We didn't know where to start or what to expect. I searched online and found Lexidy Law Boutique. Their website is intuitive, informative and inviting. I emailed the office and Lidiane responded within a few hours. Based on the information in my email, she emailed us appropriate information on our situation. She was very professional and offered to set up a web call if we wanted to. We ended up having our web call today and will be starting our journey of becoming Portuguese citizens. She informed us of the first steps, all of the documentation we need and what the law firm can do for us. Right after our call, she emailed us detailed information regarding pricing and what is entailed in that pricing. So far, the beginning of our journey is a positive one.
Hani Slim
Hani Slim
12:05 21 Sep 21
We met with Mrs. Lidiane Carvalho and her colleague yesterday at Lexidy Law Boutique and our experience was great! They were both very helpful, provided us with detailed information about our case, and explained how they can help us build a solid application. Highly recommended.
A Striniqi
A Striniqi
07:14 20 Sep 21
At the recommendation of a Portuguese friend of mine, I contracted the Lexidy Law Boutique in the period March - May 2021 for the purchase of real estate in Portugal. Due the pandemic, most of the communications and consultations happened online/remotely, but that did not have an adverse impact on their quality of services. After the first guidance and consultation on Portugal's immigration policies and real estate purchasing processes, the team handled efficiently the process of obtaining my NIF, the verification of legal and overall status of the property, the negotiation and drafting of the CPCV, the deed formalities and the registration of the transfer of ownership property with the municipal and tax authorities. Throughout the whole undertaking, the team was very helpful, passionate and thorough in answering all questions and provide clarifications and information as needed. They were very responsive and made sure they followed up the process in every step. I wish to thank particularly Bettino and Gabriel for their dedication, patience and valuable advice. Lexidy Law boutique is a trustworthy partner that will facilitate your immigration and real estate projects and I highly recommend them!!
Shikha Chand
Shikha Chand
11:53 17 Sep 21
Yesterday we had an hour call with Lidiane de Carvalho of Lexidy law Boutique. She was incredibly helpful in clearing all our doubts. So today we confirm to proceed with them. Highly recommend Lexidy law boutique because what we noticed dey lawyers are so much up to date with system of immigration and etc…
Narek Chomoyan
Narek Chomoyan
06:33 17 Sep 21
I have got a free consultation from Belissa Cunha, and I got very concrete and useful answers. The meeting was at very friendly atmosphere and professional.
Verónica Barina
Verónica Barina
15:16 14 Sep 21
I only had an initial communication, but Lidiane seemed very professional and provided really detailed information on the situation.
Caleb Wibbenmeyer
Caleb Wibbenmeyer
16:20 11 Sep 21
One stop shop for all things related to visas in Portugal (and taxes, etc). Great for digital nomads, retiree's or anyone interested in becoming an Portuguese expat. Looking forward to working more with Lexidy.
Greg C.
Greg C.
18:24 07 Sep 21
We had a brief call today with Lidiane de Carvalho of Lexidy Law Boutique. Lidiane was incredibly helpful. This firm specializes in working with people outside of Portugal. We found the session informative and valuable and we are looking forward to continuing to work with her.
Stella K
Stella K
17:43 07 Sep 21
My initial impression is a great one, I spoke to Lidiane de Carvalhon, one of the attorneys that works at Immigration Department for the Lexidy Law Group. She has is a cheerful, likable personality while explaining the visa process in a professional manner.
Mahsa M
Mahsa M
18:37 24 Aug 21
Very kind and helpful. I talked with Belissa Cunha. And she answered all my questions very precisely. I’m looking forward to work with them for immigration process of my family.
Mayur reddy
Mayur reddy
16:36 24 Aug 21
Had a good productive discussion with Lidiane.. highly professional and extremely helpful.
Lisa Martin
Lisa Martin
14:55 19 Aug 21
Joana and her team have made my move to Portugal absolutely seamless and stress free. I have been really impressed with the service, my tax affairs and residency were taken care of quickly and efficiently, without having to take any time off work or stress about the legalities. I couldn't recommend Joana and her team more highly. Thank you for a truly great service.
Jay G
Jay G
10:18 13 Aug 21
Had a very informative and productive conversation with Lidiane (for free) which was scheduled soon after my initial D7 visa enquiry (lodged via their website). Lidiane clearly has expertise in this area and was extremely generous with time and openly offering her advice. Not just that, she was extremely pleasant to talk to. TY !
Ernesto Arrocha
Ernesto Arrocha
17:41 11 Aug 21
Spoke to Lexidy Law Boutique to inquire about the process of applying for Portuguese citizenship (via Portuguese descent). Lidiane and Belissa did a great job of walking me through the process and answering all my questions. They were very professional, clear and concise while still providing information that was accessible to someone entirely unfamiliar with Portuguese immigration law. Would highly recommend the team for any inquiries re: the application process and eligibility for citizenship!
Ashwin Shirale
Ashwin Shirale
16:26 30 Jul 21
Belissa Cunha at Lexidy Portugal has been very professional, courteous, supportive and responsive in helping me secure a visa. The list of documents recommended was pretty exhaustive and was accepted without issues by the Portuguese consulate. My visa was approved by SEF in 9 business days. Without hesitation, I would recommend Belissa Cunha and Lexidy Portugal for a stress free and smooth visa process.
I had a positive and very informative conversation with Lidiane from Lexidy Law Boutique, which help answer all the questions that I had.
Habib Lion
Habib Lion
22:08 18 Jul 21
Few months ago, I decided to relocate to Portugal. Belissa took care of the rest.Belissa surprised me positively with her reactivity and professionalism. Since our first call, I knew I was in the perfect hands and my process will be successful 100%.If you need a 5* Lawyer, please get in touch with Belissa, your life will be much easier!Thank you my dearest Belissa!Finally, be reassured that you will get very reasonable fees with Lexidy law Boutique.Thanks,Habib
Caroline Brown
Caroline Brown
02:45 16 Jul 21
Lidiane was very professional and knowledgeable. She was well-prepared and provided thorough answers to all our questions. She also provide very timely follow up and communications. I highly recommend her and Lexidy.
Samarjeet Arora
Samarjeet Arora
05:50 14 Jul 21
Rafaela is very well informed about the immigration process and moreover she was able to understand my requirements and guide me according to my needs which was so satisfying experience.Thanks
Dennis Johnson
Dennis Johnson
17:41 23 Nov 20
Lexidy goes the extra mile every time. They helped us get our residential visas and TIE. They are proactive, they respond to emails at all hours, they follow up to make sure everything is perfect. Best of all - they are so nice. I will always recommend them. Laura and her team are wonderful.
Lynne Veenstra
Lynne Veenstra
14:37 19 Aug 20
From the very first contact with Carolina we had friendly ,professional service. Our business was concluded in a very speedy manner, I would certainly recommend Carolina, and all the team at Lexidy for their help, and experience with immigration matters. keep up the good work.
KALPANA SAKLA
KALPANA SAKLA
11:54 24 Jun 20
Bettino is a Gem, excellent service provided for my Portuguese Nationality by marriage.I will give 10 star if I can. Excellent service for all your legal & immigration matter, in Portugal & Spain, very attentive, accurate & multilingual, as I needed English speaking advocates. Higgly recommended to friends and family. Once again Thanks a ton to Bettino🙂
Linda
Linda
11:40 22 May 20
Bettino is a very, very professional lawyer who helped me get the residence card smoothly and encountered obstacles in the process of going to the immigration bureau. The staff of the immigration bureau firmly believed that it could not be continued. The immigration staff communicated, and finally the staff changed their attitude, which made me get the residence card smoothly. I sincerely thank Attorney Bettino for solving all the problems with his professional knowledge, ability, and confidence. The work is also very conscientious and attentive, patiently answering every question I have, the best wishes are presented to Bettino, the best lawyer in Lisbon 👍👍👍
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Vasco Dias

Vasco Dias

Lawyer
Thabata Mota

Thabata Mota

Legal Trainee
Diana Andrade

Diana Andrade

Lawyer, Head of Immigration Portugal
Gabriela Teruel

Gabriela Teruel

Legal Trainee
Karla Morais

Karla Morais

Lawyer
Alicia Vilafranca

Alicia Vilafranca

Legal Trainee
Margarida Vieira

Margarida Vieira

Legal Trainee
Marina Tomini

Marina Tormin

Lawyer
Bruna Duarte

Bruna Duarte

Legal Trainee
Ricardo Lopes

Ricardo Lopes

Lawyer

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