From India to Porto: Arun and Meera’s D7 Visa Story

Arun and Meera applied for their D7 at a VFS office in India in October 2025, with no flat in Portugal yet and a marriage that had never come with a certificate. Their visas arrived by post 35 days later.

In March 2026 both of them were granted residence in Porto at the same appointment, on the same morning.

We’ve changed their names and some details at their request.

Arun retired after a long academic career in India. He and Meera wanted a slower life somewhere warm, walkable and safe, and Porto fit. Here’s how their application went.

A D7 built on more than one income

The D7 is the visa for people who live on passive income. For many retirees that’s a single pension, but Arun and Meera’s income came from several places: pensions, rental income and interest on savings.

That’s common, and it’s fine, but it needs explaining. A consulate wants to see regular income that will keep arriving. Savings and deposits count differently from income, so a file with several sources needs to make clear which is which. Our team went through every source with them and helped them present it as one clear picture.

No flat yet

They hadn’t found a home in Portugal when they applied. The D7 needs proof of accommodation, but that doesn’t have to be a lease. A friend in Portugal agreed to host them, and a signed host declaration from the friend covered it.

If you have friends or family in Portugal, it’s worth asking. It means you can apply first and look for a flat once you’ve arrived.

A marriage with no certificate

Meera applied as Arun’s dependent, so the file needed proof of their marriage. But they married in 1990, and at the time no marriage certificate was issued. What they had was a later document legally recognising the marriage.

The way through had three parts:

• They got the recognition document apostilled.
• They started an application for the official certificate in parallel.
• They added a short letter explaining why there was no original certificate.

At the appointment, VFS accepted the file, kept the letter, and told them the certificate application wasn’t needed.

Worth knowing if you’re applying from India: every civil document you submit, not just the police certificate, needs an apostille.

35 days from the VFS appointment to D7 visas in the post.

How applying from India works

• You apply at a local VFS office. The file is then sent on to the Portugal visa centre in Delhi.
• The visa comes back by post. You don’t collect it.
• The police clearance certificate needs an apostille too, on the original. A notarised copy isn’t enough.

Getting the AIMA appointment

Their visas arrived in November, but unlike in some countries, no residence appointment came with them, and the AIMA phone line didn’t help. What worked was an email to AIMA asking for an appointment. The date came through about four months later: March 2026, in Porto, where they wanted it.

At AIMA, both of them were seen the same morning, half an hour apart, and both were approved on the day. Each got a provisional certificate to use until the residence card arrives in the post. Arun’s card came a few months later. Meera’s, from the same appointment, took longer, which is common.

If you’re applying from India

• Apostille every civil document, including marriage and birth certificates, not just the police certificate.
• If an official certificate was never issued, use what you have, get it apostilled, and add a short explanatory letter.
• No flat yet? A host declaration from a friend or relative in Portugal can cover accommodation.
• If your income comes from several sources, expect to explain which is regular income and which is savings.
• Visas come back by post, and you may need to email AIMA for your residence appointment.

Names are pseudonyms, used at the clients' request, and some dates and details have been changed. Images are illustrative. Every application is different, and consulate requirements and timelines change. Novomove is a relocation technology platform that coordinates licensed Portuguese lawyers, not a law firm.