{"id":14697,"date":"2026-10-22T13:57:38","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T13:57:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novomove.com\/d7-visa-unmarried-couple-uk-client-story\/"},"modified":"2026-10-22T13:57:38","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T13:57:38","slug":"d7-visa-unmarried-couple-uk-client-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novomove.com\/pt\/d7-visa-unmarried-couple-uk-client-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Not Married, One Visa Each: Richard and Lucy&#8217;s D7 from London"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"nm-lede wp-block-paragraph\">Richard and Lucy applied for their D7 visas at VFS London in June 2026. They went in together, but with two separate files, because they aren&#8217;t married. Both visas were approved 17 days later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large nm-client-photo\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1275\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-unmarried-property-deed.jpg\" alt=\"Property paperwork, an old iron house key and a newer key on a wooden table in a stone house, with tea and reading glasses\" class=\"wp-image-14694\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novomove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-unmarried-property-deed.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/novomove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-unmarried-property-deed-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/novomove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-unmarried-property-deed-1024x680.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/novomove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-unmarried-property-deed-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novomove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-unmarried-property-deed-1536x1020.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/novomove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-unmarried-property-deed-18x12.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><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\">They live in the east of England. He&#8217;s retired. She owns a small company that she runs mostly from a laptop. They had already found a house in the north of Portugal, a couple of hours inland from Porto, and were buying it while the visa work went on. Their long-term goal is EU citizenship, and Portugal was the route they picked for it.<\/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 (passive income), two separate applications<\/div><\/div>\n<div><div class=\"nm-g-l\">Applied from<\/div><div class=\"nm-g-v\">VFS London, UK<\/div><\/div>\n<div><div class=\"nm-g-l\">Servi\u00e7o Novomove<\/div><div class=\"nm-g-v\">Premium visa package for each of them<\/div><\/div>\n<div><div class=\"nm-g-l\">Where they&#x27;re moving<\/div><div class=\"nm-g-v\">A house they bought in northern Portugal<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"nm-g-tl\">\n<div class=\"nm-g-step\"><span>VFS appointment<\/span><span>12 Jun 2026<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"nm-g-line\"><span class=\"nm-g-days\">17 days<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"nm-g-step\"><span>Both visas approved<\/span><span>29 Jun 2026<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"nm-g-line\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"nm-g-step\"><span>Next step<\/span><span>AIMA residence appointment in Portugal<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Not married means two applicants, not one<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most couples apply for a D7 as a main applicant plus a dependent. The dependent rides on the main applicant&#8217;s file, and the income needed for the second person is only half the minimum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That only works if the consulate recognises the relationship, which usually means a marriage certificate or a registered partnership.  Richard and Lucy have neither, so each of them applied as a principal with a full D7 file of their own:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>their own proof of income, meeting the full minimum on its own<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>their own savings in a Portuguese bank account<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>their own criminal-record certificate, insurance and supporting documents<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That sounds like double the work, and some of it is. But it also means neither visa depends on the other. Each file stands up by itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">One pension, one company<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The two files looked very different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Richard&#8217;s<\/strong> was the classic D7. He lives on his UK state pension and a private pension, paid every month. A consulate sees that kind of income as stable, and bank statements showing it arriving are most of the evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Lucy&#8217;s<\/strong> took more thought. She owns her company and pays herself a small salary plus dividends. She also works, so the question was whether she should apply for the D8 remote-work visa instead. We went through both with her. The D8 would mean proving remote work and earning four times the Portuguese minimum wage. The D7 needed her to show passive income that keeps arriving. Her company has employees who do the day-to-day work, and she had a steady record of dividends, so the D7 was the cleaner fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dividends from your own company do count as passive income for the D7. What the consulate wants is evidence that they&#8217;re real and regular, so her file included tax returns and company accounts as well as bank statements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"nm-pull\">17 days from VFS London to two approved D7 visas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Timing the paperwork<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They started early. Their first call with our team was in January, months before they planned to move, because they wanted the visas sorted before the summer. That lead time mattered for two reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The criminal-record certificate is only valid for 90 days,<\/strong> and it has to be apostilled too. Applying for it once you know your appointment date keeps it from expiring before you get there.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Six months of bank statements are better than three<\/strong> when part of your income isn&#8217;t a fixed monthly payment like a pension. Lucy&#8217;s dividends needed that longer history to look steady.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Owning the home already<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because they were buying a house, proof of accommodation was the property deed rather than a lease. If you&#8217;re buying in Portugal at the same time as applying, you&#8217;ll need a NIF for the purchase anyway, so it&#8217;s worth getting that done first. It&#8217;s needed for the visa, the bank account and almost everything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large nm-break\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1275\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-unmarried-village-street.jpg\" alt=\"A cobbled street of granite and whitewashed houses leading to a church bell tower in a northern Portuguese village\" class=\"wp-image-14695\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novomove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-unmarried-village-street.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/novomove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-unmarried-village-street-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/novomove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-unmarried-village-street-1024x680.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/novomove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-unmarried-village-street-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novomove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-unmarried-village-street-1536x1020.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/novomove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d7-unmarried-village-street-18x12.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Illustrative image.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What&#8217;s next for them<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the visas approved, the next step is the AIMA appointment in Portugal, where they give their biometrics and are granted residence. At that appointment you get a paper confirming approval, and the physical card follows by post, sometimes months later. That paper lets you travel, which mattered to them: they still have family in the UK, and one of their children was starting university in the autumn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you&#8217;re applying as an unmarried couple<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Check whether you can apply as main applicant and dependent.<\/strong> Without a marriage or registered partnership, you&#8217;ll probably need two separate applications.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Each of you needs the full income minimum<\/strong> and your own savings, not 150% between you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dividends from your own company count for the D7.<\/strong> Back them up with tax returns and company accounts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>If one of you still works,<\/strong> compare the D7 with the D8 before you decide. The D8 sets a much higher income bar.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Order the criminal-record certificate late,<\/strong> once you know your appointment date, and get it apostilled.<\/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-douro-vineyard-walk.jpg\" alt=\"A couple walking hand in hand through terraced vineyards above the Douro river on a sunny day\">\n<div class=\"nm-cta-body\">\n<span class=\"nm-cta-pill\">Applying as an unmarried couple?<\/span>\n<p>Two applications instead of one is very manageable when each file is clear. Book a 15-minute call with our team and we&#x27;ll look at how your incomes fit.<\/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>An unmarried UK couple applied for two separate D7 visas at VFS London, one on pensions and one on company dividends, and were approved in 17 days.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14693,"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-14697","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\/14697","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=14697"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/novomove.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14697\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novomove.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novomove.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novomove.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14697"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novomove.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}