{"id":14690,"date":"2026-10-22T13:29:18","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T13:29:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novomove.com\/d7-visa-from-india-client-story\/"},"modified":"2026-10-22T13:29:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T13:29:18","slug":"d7-visa-from-india-client-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novomove.com\/pt\/d7-visa-from-india-client-story\/","title":{"rendered":"From India to Porto: Arun and Meera&#8217;s D7 Visa Story"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"nm-lede wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"nm-lede wp-block-paragraph\">In March 2026 both of them were granted residence in Porto at the same appointment, on the same morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large nm-client-photo\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1195\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-india-apostille-documents.jpg\" alt=\"An older family document and an apostilled certificate on a desk, with reading glasses and a cup of tea\" class=\"wp-image-14687\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novomove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-india-apostille-documents.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/novomove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-india-apostille-documents-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/novomove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-india-apostille-documents-1024x765.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/novomove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-india-apostille-documents-768x574.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novomove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-india-apostille-documents-1536x1147.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/novomove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-india-apostille-documents-16x12.jpg 16w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Illustrative image.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>We&#8217;ve changed their names and some details at their request.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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&#8217;s how their application went.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"nm-glance\">\n<style>\n.nm-ans{border-left:3px solid #F5C518;padding-left:22px;}\n.nm-ans p{color:#1B2A4A;}\n.nm-lede{font-size:20px;line-height:1.65;color:#1B2A4A;}\n.nm-client-photo img,.nm-break img{border-radius:18px;aspect-ratio:4\/3;object-fit:cover;width:100%;}\n.nm-glance{background:#fff;border:1px solid #EDEFF3;border-radius:18px;box-shadow:0 1px 3px rgba(10,15,30,.04);padding:26px 28px;margin:32px 0 8px;font-family:inherit;}\n.nm-glance .nm-g-k{font-size:12.5px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.1em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#5a6b8c;margin-bottom:18px;}\n.nm-glance .nm-g-grid{display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(2,minmax(0,1fr));gap:18px 28px;}\n.nm-glance .nm-g-l{font-size:13px;color:#5a6b8c;margin-bottom:2px;}\n.nm-glance .nm-g-v{font-size:16px;font-weight:600;color:#1B2A4A;line-height:1.45;}\n.nm-glance .nm-g-tl{display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;align-items:center;gap:10px 14px;margin-top:22px;padding-top:20px;border-top:1px solid #EDEFF3;}\n.nm-glance .nm-g-step{display:flex;flex-direction:column;}\n.nm-glance .nm-g-step span:first-child{font-size:13px;color:#5a6b8c;}\n.nm-glance .nm-g-step span:last-child{font-size:17px;font-weight:700;color:#1B2A4A;}\n.nm-glance .nm-g-line{flex:1 1 60px;min-width:40px;height:2px;background:#EDEFF3;position:relative;}\n.nm-glance .nm-g-days{position:absolute;left:50%;top:-11px;transform:translateX(-50%);background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #F2E6BE;border-radius:999px;padding:1px 10px;font-size:12.5px;font-weight:700;color:#8a6d00;white-space:nowrap;}\n.nm-pull{margin:36px 0;font-size:28px;font-weight:600;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:-0.01em;color:#1B2A4A;font-family:inherit;}\n@media (max-width:700px){.nm-glance .nm-g-grid{grid-template-columns:1fr;}}\n<\/style>\n<div class=\"nm-g-k\">Their move at a glance<\/div>\n<div class=\"nm-g-grid\">\n<div><div class=\"nm-g-l\">Visto<\/div><div class=\"nm-g-v\">D7 (pensions and other passive income), Meera as dependent<\/div><\/div>\n<div><div class=\"nm-g-l\">Applied from<\/div><div class=\"nm-g-v\">VFS India (processed in Delhi)<\/div><\/div>\n<div><div class=\"nm-g-l\">Servi\u00e7o Novomove<\/div><div class=\"nm-g-v\">Premium visa package<\/div><\/div>\n<div><div class=\"nm-g-l\">Where they live now<\/div><div class=\"nm-g-v\">Porto<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"nm-g-tl\">\n<div class=\"nm-g-step\"><span>VFS appointment<\/span><span>9 Oct 2025<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"nm-g-line\"><span class=\"nm-g-days\">35 days<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"nm-g-step\"><span>Visa received<\/span><span>13 Nov 2025<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"nm-g-line\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"nm-g-step\"><span>Residence approved<\/span><span>Mar 2026<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A D7 built on more than one income<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The D7 is the visa for people who live on passive income. For many retirees that&#8217;s a single pension, but Arun and Meera&#8217;s income came from several places: pensions, rental income and interest on savings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s common, and it&#8217;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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">No flat yet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They hadn&#8217;t found a home in Portugal when they applied. The D7 needs proof of accommodation, but that doesn&#8217;t have to be a lease. A friend in Portugal agreed to host them, and a signed host declaration from the friend covered it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you have friends or family in Portugal, it&#8217;s worth asking. It means you can apply first and look for a flat once you&#8217;ve arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A marriage with no certificate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meera applied as Arun&#8217;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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The way through had three parts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They got the recognition document <strong>apostilled<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They started an application for the official certificate in parallel.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They added a short <strong>letter explaining<\/strong> why there was no original certificate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the appointment, VFS accepted the file, kept the letter, and told them the certificate application wasn&#8217;t needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Worth knowing if you&#8217;re applying from India:<\/strong> every civil document you submit, not just the police certificate, needs an apostille.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"nm-pull\">35 days from the VFS appointment to D7 visas in the post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How applying from India works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>You apply at a local VFS office.<\/strong> The file is then sent on to the Portugal visa centre in Delhi.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The visa comes back by post.<\/strong> You don&#8217;t collect it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The police clearance certificate needs an apostille too,<\/strong> on the original. A notarised copy isn&#8217;t enough.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Getting the AIMA appointment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their visas arrived in November, but unlike in some countries, no residence appointment came with them, and the AIMA phone line didn&#8217;t help. What worked was an <strong>email to AIMA<\/strong> asking for an appointment. The date came through about four months later: March 2026, in Porto, where they wanted it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At AIMA, both of them were seen the same morning, half an hour apart, and both were <strong>approved on the day<\/strong>. Each got a provisional certificate to use until the residence card arrives in the post. Arun&#8217;s card came a few months later. Meera&#8217;s, from the same appointment, took longer, which is common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large nm-break\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1195\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-india-porto-cafe.jpg\" alt=\"Two coffees and past\u00e9is de nata on a caf\u00e9 table in Porto with blue and white azulejo tiles\" class=\"wp-image-14688\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novomove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-india-porto-cafe.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/novomove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-india-porto-cafe-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/novomove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-india-porto-cafe-1024x765.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/novomove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-india-porto-cafe-768x574.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novomove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-india-porto-cafe-1536x1147.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/novomove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-india-porto-cafe-16x12.jpg 16w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Illustrative image.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you&#8217;re applying from India<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Apostille every civil document,<\/strong> including marriage and birth certificates, not just the police certificate.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If an official certificate <strong>was never issued<\/strong>, use what you have, get it apostilled, and add a short explanatory letter.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>No flat yet?<\/strong> A host declaration from a friend or relative in Portugal can cover accommodation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If your income comes <strong>from several sources,<\/strong> expect to explain which is regular income and which is savings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Visas come back <strong>by post<\/strong>, and you may need to <strong>email AIMA<\/strong> for your residence appointment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"nm-cta\">\n<style>\n.nm-cta{background:#1B2A4A;border-radius:20px;overflow:hidden;color:#fff;box-shadow:0 24px 60px rgba(10,15,30,.18);margin:48px 0 0;font-family:inherit;}\n.nm-cta img{width:100%;aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover;display:block;margin:0;}\n.nm-cta .nm-cta-body{padding:38px;}\n.nm-cta .nm-cta-pill{display:inline-block;background:#F5C518;color:#1B2A4A;border-radius:999px;padding:6px 14px;font-size:13px;font-weight:700;}\n.nm-cta p{font-size:17px;line-height:1.65;color:rgba(255,255,255,.86);margin:18px 0 22px;}\n.nm-cta .nm-cta-btns{display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:12px;}\n.nm-cta .nm-btn-p{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;background:#F5C518;color:#1B2A4A !important;padding:14px 24px;border-radius:12px;font-weight:700;font-size:16px;text-decoration:none;}\n.nm-cta .nm-btn-p:hover{background:#E3B30C;}\n.nm-cta .nm-btn-s{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;color:#fff !important;border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.4);padding:14px 24px;border-radius:12px;font-weight:700;font-size:16px;text-decoration:none;}\n.nm-cta .nm-btn-s:hover{background:#fff;color:#1B2A4A !important;}\n<\/style>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/cta-porto-crystal-palace-gardens.jpg\" alt=\"A retired couple walking arm in arm in the Crystal Palace gardens in Porto, above the Douro river\">\n<div class=\"nm-cta-body\">\n<span class=\"nm-cta-pill\">Retiring to Portugal from India?<\/span>\n<p>Older documents, income from several sources and no flat yet are all fixable. Book a free 15-minute call and we&#x27;ll go through your file with you.<\/p>\n<div class=\"nm-cta-btns\">\n<a class=\"nm-btn-p\" href=\"\/pt\/consulta-gratuita\/\">Book a Free 15-Minute Call \u2192<\/a>\n<a class=\"nm-btn-s\" href=\"\/pt\/assistencia-para-o-visto-d7-de-portugal\/\">See the D7 Visa Package<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"nm-legal wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;color:#8a94a6;border-top:1px solid #EDEFF3;padding-top:22px;margin-top:36px\">Names are pseudonyms, used at the clients&#x27; 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.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A retired Indian couple&#8217;s D7: a 35-year-old marriage with no certificate, no flat yet, approval in 35 days and residence in Porto.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14686,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[83],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-client-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novomove.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novomove.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novomove.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novomove.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novomove.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14690"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/novomove.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14690\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novomove.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14686"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novomove.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novomove.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novomove.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}