Do you need a Portuguese bank account for the D7 visa? What each consulate asks in 2026
Portugal’s visa portal sets the 2026 benchmark for D7 proof of means at €920 por mês, and its D7 document list never mentions a Portuguese bank account.[1][2]
Then you open your consulate’s checklist. The Portuguese Embassy in Washington DC asks pensioners and passive-income applicants for a “(Portuguese bank account)”.[3] The Manchester consulate wants a Portuguese bank statement showing at least €10,440, with your NIF.[6]
Same visa, different paperwork, depending on where you apply. This guide gives you what each consulate’s D7 checklist actually says, what “available in national territory” means for you, and how to get a Portuguese account in place before your appointment.
A versão curta
- Portugal’s visa portal doesn’t list a Portuguese bank account for the D7. It sets the 2026 benchmark at €920 por mês.
- Some consulates do ask for one: Washington DC’s English checklist, London, Manchester and Ankara.
- Manchester wants a Portuguese bank statement and your NIF. New Delhi and Goa recommend a Portuguese account.
- Toronto, Brazil and Cairo ask you to show your income is available in Portugal, without naming a bank account.
- You can’t open Revolut or Moey for this from abroad. Open a Portuguese account remotely once your appointment is booked.
If you already know you need one, our remote bank account service opens a Portuguese account with our partner bank while you’re still at home.
How much money do you need for the D7 in 2026?
You need to show at least the Portuguese minimum wage, €920 a month in 2026, for yourself.[1] Your family adds to it:[1]
- Your spouse or another adult adds 50%, so €460 a month.
- Each child adds 30%, so €276 a month.
The national portal asks for a document certifying your pension, or your income from property, intellectual property or financial assets.[2] Several consulates also ask for a year of funds in savings: Washington DC asks for “12 minimum wages in savings” for one adult, which is €11,040 at the 2026 rate.[3]
Which consulates ask for a Portuguese bank account for the D7?
Four of the checklists we read ask you for a Portuguese bank account or statement: Washington DC’s English checklist, London, Manchester and Ankara. Two more recommend one.
Asks for a Portuguese account
Washington DC, London, Manchester, Ankara
You show a Portuguese bank account, or a Portuguese statement, in your file.
Recommends one
New Delhi and Goa
A Portuguese account holding your year of funds is “welcomed” or “recommended”.
Funds “in Portugal”
Toronto, Brazil, Cairo, Newark
You prove your income is available in Portugal. No bank account is named.
No checklist of its own
New York, San Francisco, Boston, Montreal
They send you to VFS or to the national visa portal.
| Consulado | Checklist date | What it asks for | NIF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington DC (English) | 10 November 2025 | “(Portuguese bank account)” to prove your pension or income is available in Portugal, plus 12 minimum wages in savings[3] | Not mentioned |
| Washington DC (Portuguese), also used by Newark | November 2025 | Proof your income is available “em território nacional”, in Portugal, with no bank named[4] | Not mentioned |
| London | November 2025 | “Portuguese bank account”, plus 3 months of statements showing at least the minimum wage times your months of stay, up to 12[5] | Not mentioned |
| Manchester | 10 March 2025 | A Portuguese bank statement showing pelo menos €10.440 for one applicant[6] | Sim |
| Ankara | 4 June 2025 | Funds shown as available in Portugal, “in particular by opening a bank account”[7] | Not mentioned |
| New Delhi | January 2024 | A Portuguese account holding your year of funds “is welcomed”[8] | Not mentioned |
| Goa | August 2025 | A Portuguese account holding your year of funds “is recommended”[9] | Not mentioned |
| Toronto | 15 July 2025 | Proof your income is available in Portugal, with no bank named[10] | Not mentioned |
| Brazil (VFS, for Brasília) | 9 July 2025 | Proof your income is available in Portugal, with no bank named[11] | Not mentioned |
| Cairo | 9 December 2024 | Proof your income is available in Portugal, with no bank named[12] | Not mentioned |
What does “available in national territory” mean for you?
It means your checklist wants your money to be in Portugal. Washington DC’s English version spells it out with “(Portuguese bank account)” after the same line,[3] and Ankara says how: “in particular by opening a bank account”.[7]
A Portuguese bank account is the most direct way to show it. A statement from a bank in Portugal puts your funds in Portugal on paper.
Manchester’s figure uses an older minimum wage
Manchester’s €10,440 is 12 months at €870, the minimum wage its checklist names.[6] The 2026 minimum wage on the visa portal is €920,[1] so 12 months at the 2026 rate is €11,040.
Which consulates don’t have a D7 checklist of their own?
New York and San Francisco send you to VFS Global, and Boston links only to the national visa portal.[13][14][15] In Canada, Ottawa, Montreal and Vancouver point you to the e-visa system or the national portal.[16]
Check your consulate’s D7 checklist for
- ✓The words “Portuguese bank account” or “Portuguese bank statement”
- ✓“Available in national territory”, meaning your money has to be in Portugal
- ✓A minimum balance, and which year’s minimum wage it uses
- ✓Whether your NIF has to appear with the statement
- ✓The date on the checklist, so you know it’s the current one
If your consulate has no checklist of its own, work from the national portal’s list and ask VFS or the consulate what proof of means they want.
Do you need a NIF for your D7 bank account?
Yes. Portuguese banks ask for a NIF to open your account, and Portugal’s tax portal lists opening a bank account among the reasons you need one.[17] Manchester also wants your NIF alongside the bank statement.[6]
A nossa Serviço NIF gets you one online, before you do anything else.
How do you open a Portuguese bank account for the D7 from abroad?
Open it remotely, after you’ve booked your visa appointment. The app accounts don’t work for you yet:
- Revolut only opens a Portuguese account once you legally live in Portugal. Our Revolut in Portugal review explains why.
- Moey needs a Portuguese Citizen Card.
- ActivoBank opens by video call only with a Portuguese residence permit or a passport from seven European countries. Our Avaliação do ActivoBank has the list.
Your bank account for the D7, in order
You get your NIF
You book your visa appointment
You open your Portuguese account remotely
You move your year of funds into it
You print the statement for your visa file
Check your own consulate’s checklist first. It decides what proof it wants.
We help you open with nosso banco parceiro in two ways:
- The standard route costs €300, for a single or joint account, and usually takes 3 a 4 semanas. If you’re from outside Europe, the bank needs your visa appointment confirmation before it opens your account, and you can start before you book.
- The private bank route costs €500, or €600 for a joint account, and takes 2 to 3 weeks. It suits you if you don’t have a visa appointment yet.
Either way, a Portuguese law firm certifies your signature, so you don’t need an apostille or a trip to Portugal.
If your consulate asks for a Portuguese bank account, we help you open one with our partner bank before your appointment: €300, usually 3 to 4 weeks, no apostille and no trip to Portugal. No appointment yet? The private bank route costs €500, or €600 for a joint account. Our D7 visa guide covers the rest of your file.
Perguntas frequentes
Do you need a Portuguese bank account for the D7 visa?
It depends on your consulate. Portugal’s visa portal doesn’t list one, but the checklists for Washington DC (English), London, Manchester and Ankara ask for a Portuguese account or statement.
Does the Washington DC embassy require a Portuguese bank account?
Yes, on its English checklist of 10 November 2025. It asks pensioners and passive-income applicants for a Portuguese bank account, plus 12 minimum wages in savings for one adult.
Does the London consulate require a Portuguese bank account?
Yes. London’s November 2025 guide lists a Portuguese bank account for retirement and personal-income applicants, plus 3 months of bank statements.
How much money do you need in the bank for the D7?
At least €920 a month for you in 2026, plus 50% for another adult and 30% for each child. Several consulates ask for 12 months in savings, which is €11,040 for one adult.
What does Manchester ask for?
A Portuguese bank statement showing at least €10,440 for one applicant, with your NIF. That figure uses a €870 minimum wage; the 2026 rate is €920.
What does “available in national territory” mean?
It means your money has to be available in Portugal. Washington DC’s English checklist adds “(Portuguese bank account)” to the same line, and Ankara asks for it “in particular by opening a bank account”.
Do you need a NIF to open a Portuguese bank account?
Yes. Banks ask for your NIF, and Manchester wants it with your statement. Get it first.
Can I use Revolut for my D7 bank account?
Not before you move. Revolut only opens a Portuguese account once you legally live in Portugal.
Can I open a Portuguese bank account before my visa appointment?
Yes. You can start before you book, but if you’re from outside Europe our partner bank needs your appointment confirmation before it opens the account. The private bank route doesn’t need it.
Which comes first, the NIF, the appointment or the bank account?
The NIF first, then your appointment, then the account. You move your funds in and print the statement for your file.
Do New Delhi and Goa require a Portuguese bank account?
No, they recommend it. New Delhi says a Portuguese account with your year of funds “is welcomed”, and Goa says it “is recommended”.
What if my consulate doesn’t have its own D7 checklist?
Work from the national visa portal’s list, and ask VFS or the consulate what proof of means it wants. New York and San Francisco send you to VFS Global.
Sources and how we checked
We read every checklist below on 4 November 2026. Consulates update their checklists without notice, so check the date on yours.
- Portugal’s visa portal, means of subsistence: 2026 benchmark of €920 and the family percentages.
- Portugal’s visa portal, residency visa documents: D7 documents.
- Embassy of Portugal in Washington DC, D7 checklist (English), 10 November 2025.
- Embassy of Portugal in Washington DC, D7 checklist (Portuguese), November 2025, linked by the Newark consulate.
- Consulate General of Portugal in London, national visa guide (VFS), November 2025.
- Consulate General of Portugal in Manchester, D7 checklist (VFS), 10 March 2025.
- Embassy of Portugal in Ankara, D7 checklist, 4 June 2025.
- Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi, D7 checklist (VFS), January 2024.
- Consulate General of Portugal in Goa, D7 checklist (VFS), August 2025.
- Consulate General of Portugal in Toronto, D7 checklist, 15 July 2025.
- VFS Global Brazil, D7 checklist, 9 July 2025.
- Embassy of Portugal in Cairo, D7 checklist, 9 December 2024.
- Consulate General of Portugal in New York, visas.
- Consulate General of Portugal in San Francisco, visas.
- Consulate of Portugal in Boston, visas.
- Consulate General of Portugal in Montreal, visas.
- Portal das Finanças, apply for your NIF.
