From Scotland to the Silver Coast: Graham and Alison’s D8 Visa Story

Graham and Alison run their own company in Scotland. At the end of January 2026 they drove five hours to VFS Manchester for their D8 visa appointment. The registration certificate for their Portuguese lease arrived the night before, and they printed it at the hotel.

Graham’s visa was issued 27 days later, Alison’s about a week after that. In the spring they drove to Portugal with their dog.

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

The D8 is often described as a visa for remote employees. Theirs shows how it works when you own the company that pays you.

Why the D8

Graham and Alison are both directors of their own UK limited company, and they planned to keep running it from Portugal, paying themselves salary and dividends as before. That’s remote work for a company outside Portugal, which is what the D8 covers. Alison applied as Graham’s dependent.

They started with a call with our team in autumn 2025, sorted their NIFs and a joint bank account first, and took our Premium visa package before the end of the year.

Proving income when you own the company

For an employee, income evidence is simple: a contract and payslips. When you own the company that pays you, the consulate wants to see that the business is real, that it will keep paying you from abroad, and that the money actually arrives. That takes more paperwork, and our team built the evidence pack with them.

One thing caught them out at the appointment: their last UK tax return showed less than they earn now. VFS asked for a letter from an accountant to explain it. The consulate let the file go ahead anyway, but if your tax return doesn’t match your current income, have that letter ready.

Two bookings, one trip

VFS UK wouldn’t book two applicants into one slot. The booking system kept returning “no multiple-applicant slots”. Edinburgh, the nearest centre, released nothing for weeks, so they booked two separate appointments at Manchester, about a week apart.

They took the first date and went together. VFS saw both of them and took both files at once, so the second appointment wasn’t needed. It doesn’t always happen, but it’s worth asking.

The week before the appointment

The last week was busy, as it is for most people:

• The marriage certificate needs an apostille. The original was still in the post on the day, so they brought a scan of the apostilled copy. VFS checked with the consulate and accepted it.
• The lease. They viewed a shortlist of flats in person over a weekend, signed a lease remotely, and our partner lawyer reviewed it. What VFS needs is proof the lease is registered with the tax office. The landlord registers it, and many want the deposit and first month’s rent before they do. That’s normal. Their registration certificate came through the night before the appointment.
• Bank account. Their Portuguese account opened two days before VFS.

27 days from VFS Manchester to an approved D8.

Driving to Portugal

They moved in the spring, by car, with their dog: the Channel Tunnel, then France and Spain. Arriving by land means there’s no passport stamp at an airport to prove when you entered. They got a stamped entry declaration from a local police station instead. A night in a hotel also works, because hotels report foreign guests’ arrival.

The residence permit stage

The visa is the first half. The second is the AIMA appointment in Portugal for the residence permit, and for them it was messy, for reasons nobody could control:

• Their appointment in Faro fell on a strike day, and the office was closed.
• Graham’s new date was assigned automatically, months later.
• Alison’s appointment was moved to another city without anyone telling her. AIMA had recorded her email address wrongly. They only found out by phoning the number on a notice at a closed AIMA office.

What we’d take from it: check AIMA’s own system for your appointment, because the slip in your passport may be out of date, and keep evidence of everything. A dependent who isn’t working doesn’t need a social security number (NISS) for AIMA.

If you’re applying from the UK as a company director

• Get your ACRO police certificate apostilled, and your marriage certificate apostilled too.
• Expect to prove more than payslips. Your income evidence has to show the company is real and keeps paying you.
• If your tax return shows less than you earn now, bring an accountant’s letter.
• Book two VFS appointments if you’re a couple, then try to attend together.
• Make sure your lease is registered with the tax office before the appointment.
• Driving in? Get a stamped entry declaration from the police.

Names are pseudonyms, used at the clients' request, and some dates 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.