The Fernshore Index
The factors retirees look at first.
Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.
Retirement
85 of 100Strong
Strong: a residence visa for retirement and passive income exists with no age minimum or deposit stated, and holders of temporary residence for at least 5 years can request permanent residence.
Source: Residence visa documents: remote work and retirement or passive income; Request a permanent residence permit (who can ask). Checked 15 October 2026.
Healthcare
76 of 100Strong
WHO UHC service coverage index 83 (2023).
Source: UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1). Checked 15 October 2026.
Cost of living
53 of 100Mixed
Price level 0.604 of United States prices (2025).
Source: Price level index (GDP), Portugal. Checked 15 October 2026.
Safety
75 of 100Strong
Global Peace Index 2026: 7th of 163.
Source: Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank. Checked 15 October 2026.
Community
76 of 100Strong
Expat Insider 2026 Ease of Settling In: 7th of 31.
Source: Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In. Checked 15 October 2026.
Climate
42 of 100Mixed
Braga, the main city: 6 comfortable months a year (April to September).
Source: Climate normals 1991–2020, Braga / Merelim. Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, United States passport
85 of 100Strong
A residence visa for remote work is open without a Portuguese job offer (proof of work for employers or clients abroad is enough), with no age minimum. The income test is four times the monthly minimum wage averaged over three months: about €3,700 a month, about €44,200 a year, about US$49,500 at 1.1208 US dollars per euro (ECB, 15 October 2026), under the US$60,000 line. To be safe, have more than €3,700 a month. Holders of temporary residence for at least 5 years can request permanent residence.
Source: Residence visa documents: remote work and retirement or passive income; Temporary stay documents: remote work; Guaranteed monthly minimum wage 2026; Euro foreign exchange reference rate, US dollar; Request a permanent residence permit (who can ask); Visa information. Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, Canada passport
85 of 100Strong
A residence visa for remote work is open without a Portuguese job offer (proof of work for employers or clients abroad is enough), with no age minimum. The income test is four times the monthly minimum wage averaged over three months: about €3,700 a month, about €44,200 a year, about US$49,500 at 1.1208 US dollars per euro (ECB, 15 October 2026), under the US$60,000 line. To be safe, have more than €3,700 a month. Holders of temporary residence for at least 5 years can request permanent residence.
Source: Residence visa documents: remote work and retirement or passive income; Temporary stay documents: remote work; Guaranteed monthly minimum wage 2026; Euro foreign exchange reference rate, US dollar; Request a permanent residence permit (who can ask); Residence visa in Canada. Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, Australia passport
85 of 100Strong
A residence visa for remote work is open without a Portuguese job offer (proof of work for employers or clients abroad is enough), with no age minimum. The income test is four times the monthly minimum wage averaged over three months: about €3,700 a month, about €44,200 a year, about US$49,500 at 1.1208 US dollars per euro (ECB, 15 October 2026), under the US$60,000 line. To be safe, have more than €3,700 a month. Holders of temporary residence for at least 5 years can request permanent residence.
Source: Residence visa documents: remote work and retirement or passive income; Temporary stay documents: remote work; Guaranteed monthly minimum wage 2026; Euro foreign exchange reference rate, US dollar; Request a permanent residence permit (who can ask); Where should you lodge a visa application. Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, New Zealand passport
85 of 100Strong
A residence visa for remote work is open without a Portuguese job offer (proof of work for employers or clients abroad is enough), with no age minimum. The income test is four times the monthly minimum wage averaged over three months: about €3,700 a month, about €44,200 a year, about US$49,500 at 1.1208 US dollars per euro (ECB, 15 October 2026), under the US$60,000 line. To be safe, have more than €3,700 a month. Holders of temporary residence for at least 5 years can request permanent residence.
Source: Residence visa documents: remote work and retirement or passive income; Temporary stay documents: remote work; Guaranteed monthly minimum wage 2026; Euro foreign exchange reference rate, US dollar; Request a permanent residence permit (who can ask); Where should you lodge a visa application. Checked 15 October 2026.
The country
The rest of the research on Portugal.
The country page grades every factor, with its sources.
PortugalQuestions from retirees about Portugal.
Which Portuguese visa is meant for retirees, and what does it ask for?
The portal lists a fixed-residency visa for retirees and passive income, which the Toronto consulate labels D7. It asks for a document certifying your retirement amount, or income from property or financial assets. No euro figure or age minimum is stated on the pages we read: unknown here, so ask your consulate.
Can a retiree on a Portuguese visa get permanent residence?
Holders of a temporary residence permit for at least 5 years can request permanent residence, in person by appointment at an AIMA store. The page was updated 1 September 2026 and warns it may be out of date, so check AIMA's portal. The residency visa itself lasts 4 months, then you apply to AIMA for the permit.
What should a retiree know about healthcare in Portugal?
The WHO service coverage index is 83 of 100 (2023). An SNS user number is open to legal residents, but alone it does not guarantee the SNS pays. A private guide says US Medicare does not apply, and Portugal is on neither Australia's nor New Zealand's reciprocal lists. Insurance prices are unknown here.
How are pensions taxed between Portugal and my country?
The US convention says pensions for past employment are taxable only where you live, while US Social Security may be taxed by the US, which also taxes its citizens. Canada's convention is in force; Australia's is signed but not on Treasury's in-force list; New Zealand has none. Check your pension type with an adviser.
What do costs and settling in look like for retirees in Portugal?
Prices overall are about 0.60 of US prices (World Bank, 2025). Braga one-bedroom adverts asked €750 to €1,000 a month in early October 2026; utilities, groceries and insurance are unknown. Expat Insider 2026 ranks Portugal 7th of 31 for ease of settling in (a survey), and the Global Peace Index 7th of 163.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.
- [K1] Residence visa documents: remote work and retirement or passive income, Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal). Checked 15 October 2026. Lists remote work (digital nomads) with proof of average monthly income over three months of at least four times the monthly minimum wage, and a fixed residency for retirement or passive income; no age minimum, job offer or deposit is stated. The page gives no euro figure and no validity period.
- [R1] Request a permanent residence permit (who can ask), Portuguese Government (gov.pt), service of the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA). Checked 15 October 2026. Page updated 1 September 2026: holders of a temporary residence permit for at least 5 years; the page warns it may be out of date and points to the AIMA portal.
- [H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Portugal: 83 out of 100 (2023), read from the WHO Global Health Observatory API on 15 October 2026.
- [C1] Price level index (GDP), Portugal, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 60.37 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [S1] Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 15 October 2026. Portugal ranks 7th of 163 countries (score 1.427).
- [Q1] Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Portugal ranks 7th of 31 countries.
- [W1] Climate normals 1991–2020, Braga / Merelim, IPMA (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera). Checked 15 October 2026. Braga, the main city for Portugal's climate grade. Monthly highs 14.1 to 28.7 °C; April to September are 18 to 30 °C with under 150 mm of rain (6 comfortable months).
- [K3] Temporary stay documents: remote work, Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal). Checked 15 October 2026. Temporary stay visa for remote work: work contract, employer declaration or service contract, fiscal residence, and income of four times the monthly minimum wage averaged over three months; no age minimum stated. The page gives no stay length.
- [V1] Guaranteed monthly minimum wage 2026, Directorate-General for Employment and Labour Relations (DGERT). Checked 15 October 2026. €920 a month from 1 January 2026 (Decree-Law 139/2025); four times is €3,680. The 2027 figure is expected to rise, so the test needs reconfirming for 2027.
- [V2] Euro foreign exchange reference rate, US dollar, European Central Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 15 October 2026: 1.1208 US dollars per euro (14 October 1.1195); €44,160 is about US$49,500.
- [V3] Visa information, Embassy of Portugal in Washington, D.C.. Checked 15 October 2026. US applicants: the list of national visa forms includes 'Resident Visa - Retirees, Living on Income and Religious Purposes' and 'Resident Visa - Remote Work'.
- [V4] Residence visa in Canada, Consulate General of Portugal in Toronto. Checked 15 October 2026. Canadian applicants served by Toronto: residence visas include digital nomads and retirees or people living on passive income (D7).
- [V5] Where should you lodge a visa application, Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal). Checked 15 October 2026. Australia: Consulate General in Sydney or Embassy in Canberra; New Zealand: Embassy in Canberra.