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THE CITIZENSHIP DESK

Portugal Family Reunification Visa (D6)

Portugal PRT

Last verified 2026-07-07Official source

Portugal's Family Reunification visa (widely indexed as D6) lets the spouse, minor or dependent adult children, dependent parents, and certain other dependent relatives of a legally resident non-EU national join that person in Portugal. Unlike primary visas such as the D7 or D2, the joining family member does not need to independently meet an income or investment threshold; eligibility instead rests on the anchor's valid residence status and proof that combined household income can support everyone being reunified. Since AIMA absorbed SEF's immigration functions in October 2023, processing has slowed well beyond the official estimates, with real-world waits frequently exceeding a year in busy consulates. Successful applicants receive a residence permit tied to the anchor's status, with an independent five-year path to Portuguese permanent residency and citizenship.

Program Details

Category
Family
Processing Time
10 months
Application Fee
$180
Minimum Income
—
Minimum Investment
—
Family Included
Not applicable in the usual sense — this visa is itself the mechanism for adding dependents to an anchor's residence. Each spouse, minor child, or qualifying dependent relative/parent applies as a distinct case, and the anchor's demonstrated income must scale upward with each additional dependent.
Path to PR
Yes — 5 years
Path to Citizenship
Yes — 5 years
Physical Presence
Mirrors the anchor's residence permit category: at least 16 months of physical presence within the first 2-year permit period, and at least 28 months within each subsequent 3-year renewal period.
Dual Citizenship
Allowed
Tax Impact
Family members who spend 183+ days per year in Portugal, or who make it their habitual residence, become Portuguese tax residents and are taxed on worldwide income at progressive rates up to 48%. Dependents without independent income of their own typically see little direct tax exposure until they start working or earning locally.
Renewal Cost
$170

There is no separate income test for the joining family member. The Portugal-based anchor (a legally resident non-EU national, or in some cases a Portuguese/EU citizen) must show household income sufficient to support all reunified members, generally benchmarked to the Portuguese minimum wage (€870/month in 2024) plus roughly 50% per additional adult dependent and 30% per minor child.

Application Timeline

Apply

10mo processing

Visa Granted

Initial permit

Permanent Residency

After 5 years

Citizenship

After 5 years

Key Requirements

  • ✓Proof of the anchor's valid Portuguese residence permit (or citizenship) covering at least the duration of the reunification period
  • ✓Proof of family relationship: marriage/partnership certificate, birth certificates, or legal guardianship/dependency documentation, apostilled and translated
  • ✓Evidence that the anchor's household income meets the scaled minimum-wage threshold for the family size
  • ✓Proof of suitable accommodation in Portugal (rental contract or property deed) sized for the family
  • ✓Clean criminal record certificate from the applicant's country of residence for adult applicants
  • ✓Valid health insurance covering Portugal until enrollment in the SNS/public system
  • ✓Completed application submitted via the AIMA portal or at the relevant Portuguese consulate

Am I eligible for Portugal Family Reunification Visa (D6)?

Quick self-check based on the published criteria. Not legal advice. No data leaves your browser.

  • Nationality eligibility

    Select your nationality to check.

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This is a heuristic, not a determination. Final eligibility depends on full documentation and immigration-officer discretion.

Nationality Restrictions

This program restricts applications from nationals of: EU/EEA/Swiss family members of an EU/EEA/Swiss anchor generally use free-movement rules instead of this visa

Application Process — Step by Step

  1. 01

    Confirm anchor's eligibility and gather relationship documents

    home country

    Verify the anchor holds a valid Portuguese residence permit (or citizenship) with sufficient remaining validity. Collect marriage, birth, or dependency certificates proving the family relationship, then have them apostilled and professionally translated into Portuguese.

    Typical duration: 4-8 weeks

  2. 02

    Assemble proof of accommodation and household income

    destination

    Obtain a rental contract or property deed in Portugal sized for the incoming family members, plus bank statements or payslips showing the anchor's income meets the scaled minimum-wage requirement for the enlarged household.

    Typical duration: 2-4 weeks

  3. 03

    Obtain criminal record certificates and health insurance

    home country

    Adult applicants obtain a clean criminal record certificate from their country of residence (apostilled) and purchase private health insurance valid in Portugal until eligible for the SNS.

    Typical duration: 2-4 weeks

  4. 04

    Submit the reunification application

    home country

    File the application with AIMA if the anchor is already resident in Portugal and the family member is applying for a residence permit directly, or submit a visa application at the Portuguese consulate covering the applicant's place of residence if applying from abroad.

    Typical duration: Appointment wait 4-16 weeks

  5. 05

    Await decision

    home country

    AIMA (or the consulate, in coordination with AIMA) reviews the family relationship evidence and the anchor's financial capacity. Requests for additional documents are common and can extend timelines significantly given ongoing backlogs.

    Typical duration: 4-9 months

  6. 06

    Travel to Portugal and attend biometrics appointment

    destination

    Enter Portugal on the entry visa (if applicable) and attend an AIMA appointment for biometrics and issuance of the residence permit card, which is generally aligned in validity to the anchor's permit.

    Typical duration: 4-12 weeks for card issuance

Gotchas — Things to Watch For

  • ⚠AIMA backlogs mean the officially quoted timelines are routinely exceeded by many months in practice
  • ⚠The anchor's income requirement scales with each dependent added, so a family of four requires meaningfully more income than the anchor alone needed for their own visa
  • ⚠Adult children generally must prove ongoing financial dependency (e.g., full-time study) to qualify; working adult children usually do not qualify as dependents
  • ⚠Documents not apostilled or professionally translated are a leading cause of rejection or lengthy delays
  • ⚠Family members granted residence through reunification who later divorce or separate from the anchor may need to requalify under a different visa category to remain

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the joining family member need their own income or savings?+

No. The income test is applied to the anchor's household, not to the joining family member individually. However, the anchor must show their income is high enough to support the enlarged household, scaled per additional dependent.

Can I apply for family reunification from inside Portugal?+

Yes, if the family member is already legally present in Portugal on another basis (such as a visitor visa or an existing residence permit) they may in some cases apply directly through AIMA rather than via a consulate abroad, though rules have varied as AIMA has restructured processes since 2023.

How long before family members can get their own independent status?+

Family members hold a derivative residence permit tied to the anchor but can generally apply for Portuguese permanent residency after five years of legal residence, and citizenship after five years as well, independent of the anchor's own status by that point.

What happens if the anchor loses their residence status?+

Family members' permits are dependent on the anchor's status remaining valid. If the anchor's permit lapses or is revoked, dependents typically must find an independent basis to remain, though long-resident dependents may qualify for autonomous residence in certain circumstances.

Applying from a specific country? Your home-country tax rules, banking access, and dual-citizenship options affect every programme differently. Browse nationality guides → for tax obligations, renunciation rules, and second-passport routes.

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Sources & last verified

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