Information reviewed October 2026.
If you live in the UAE and want to move to Portugal on a D7 (passive income), D8 (remote work) or D2 (business) visa, you apply for a Portuguese national visa, also called a residence visa. You don’t apply at an embassy counter in Dubai. Every application goes through VFS Global, and the decision is made by the Embassy of Portugal in Abu Dhabi. This guide walks you through each step, in the order that saves you the most time.
Who handles Portugal visas in the UAE?
The Embassy of Portugal in the UAE is in Abu Dhabi. There is no Portuguese consulate in Dubai. The Embassy has entrusted visa applications exclusively to VFS Global, which runs visa application centres in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The service is for people legally resident in the UAE.
You apply at whichever of the two VFS centres suits you. The Embassy then examines your file and decides. If you have a question about your case, the Embassy asks you to contact the VFS helpline first. It only answers by email once you can show you have already been in touch with VFS.
Step 1: Choose the right visa before anything else
Your document list depends on the visa category, so settle this first:
- D7: passive income. For people living on a pension, rental income, dividends or investment returns. The benchmark is Portugal’s minimum wage: €920 a month in 2026 for the main applicant, plus 50% for a spouse and 30% for each child. See our Portugal D7 visa page.
- D8: remote work. For employees and freelancers who work for clients or employers outside Portugal. Your average income over the last three months must be at least four times the minimum wage (€3,680 a month in 2026). See our Portugal D8 visa page and our D7 vs D8 comparison.
- D2: entrepreneurs and independent professionals. For people investing in a Portuguese business or providing professional services. The law sets no fixed minimum investment. See our Portugal D2 visa page and our D2 requirements guide for UAE company owners.
The Portugal Golden Visa works differently. It is a residence permit for investment that you request online from AIMA, Portugal’s migration agency, not a visa you submit at VFS. See our Golden Visa page.
Not sure which route fits? Our Portugal visas overview compares all four.
Step 2: Build your document file
Portugal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes the general list for residence visas. For each applicant, you will normally need:
- The national visa application form, filled in completely and signed. Complete it online and print it, because VFS doesn’t accept handwritten forms.
- Two recent, identical passport photos. VFS UAE asks for photos that meet the ICAO standard, are no more than six months old, and have a plain light background.
- A passport valid for at least three months after your planned return, plus a copy of the biographical page.
- Proof of your legal status in the UAE, valid beyond the end of the visa you are requesting. If your residence was renewed and there is no sticker in your passport, VFS asks for the online document that certifies your UAE residence and a copy of your Emirates ID.
- Travel insurance that covers medical expenses, including urgent care and repatriation.
- A criminal record certificate from your country of nationality, or from any country where you have lived for more than a year. For most UAE residents this means a UAE police clearance certificate as well. Applicants under 16 are exempt.
- Proof of means of subsistence, such as bank statements, pension statements, employment or service contracts, depending on your visa.
Then add the documents specific to your category: proof of passive income for the D7, proof of remote employment or service contracts for the D8, and investment or professional-activity evidence for the D2. Children who travel without both parents need the absent parent’s authorisation.
Step 3: Attest your UAE documents (MOFA and the Portuguese Embassy)
This is the step that delays most Dubai applicants.
The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so UAE-issued documents can’t be apostilled. Portugal asks for criminal record certificates “with the Hague Apostille (if applicable) or legalised”. For a UAE document, that means a two-stage chain:
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) attestation. You apply online with UAE Pass. Eligible UAE-issued digital documents can be attested digitally. Others go through an approved courier service.
- Legalisation by the Embassy of Portugal in Abu Dhabi. The Embassy certifies the MOFA attestation so the document is accepted in Portugal. You need an appointment.
Documents from your home country follow that country’s rules. If it is a member of the Apostille Convention (the UK and India are, for example), an apostille from its competent authority is normally enough.
Tip: start attestation as soon as your police clearance certificate is issued. It’s usually the longest-lead item in the whole file.
Step 4: Book and attend your VFS appointment
Book your appointment on the VFS Global Portugal website for the UAE, choosing the Dubai or Abu Dhabi centre. On the day:
- Every applicant attends in person, because VFS takes biometrics (fingerprints and a photo).
- Bring originals and copies of everything, in the order of the checklist for your category.
- An incomplete file may not be accepted, so check the category checklist on the VFS site the week before.
- If someone else represents you for any step, the Embassy requires a power of attorney.
VFS passes your file to the Embassy in Abu Dhabi, and you can track it online. VFS doesn’t decide your application.
Step 5: Plan a realistic timeline
Portugal’s Foreigners Act sets a 60-day decision period for residence visas. For UAE applicants, though, the Embassy states that it needs at least 90 days after submission at VFS (or after an Embassy interview, if one is required), and that this can be extended if your file needs closer examination or extra documents.
A realistic plan for a well-prepared applicant in Dubai looks like this:
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Weeks 1–3 | Choose your visa, gather documents, request your police clearance certificate |
| Weeks 2–6 | MOFA attestation and Portuguese Embassy legalisation; Portuguese NIF and bank account, where needed |
| Week 6 onwards | VFS appointment in Dubai or Abu Dhabi |
| +90 days or more | The Embassy examines and decides |
Times vary with appointment availability and with how quickly each authority processes your documents. Treat this as a planning guide, not a promise.
Step 6: After the visa: arrive and complete the AIMA step
A Portuguese residence visa is valid for two entries and lets you stay in Portugal for four months. During that time, you request your residence permit from AIMA. Family members can apply for their residence visas at the same time as you.
Check your visa paperwork for an AIMA appointment. If your visa was issued without one, Portugal’s visa portal explains that you contact AIMA through its contact form after you arrive. A Portuguese bank account helps too: see our guide to opening a Portuguese bank account from Dubai.
Common mistakes we see from UAE applicants
- Starting MOFA attestation too late.
- Letting the UAE residence visa run close to its expiry date during the application.
- Using a handwritten form, or photos that don’t meet the specification.
- Income evidence that doesn’t match the category (D7 passive income vs D8 remote work).
- Booking the VFS slot before the file is complete.
How Baker & Co helps
Baker & Co. Associates works from Office 102 in the Dubai Supreme Court Complex, with its own team in Lisbon. We match you to the right Portuguese route, prepare and check every document with you, and stay with you through the AIMA step after you land.
Book your complimentary assessment. It’s confidential and carries no obligation. Prefer to talk? Call +971 4 584 9553 or WhatsApp +971 50 706 6734.
Information reviewed October 2026. Rules, figures and procedures change, so always check the official sources below before you apply.
Official sources
- VFS Global, Portugal visa information for the UAE: https://www.vfsglobal.com/one-pager/portugal/uae/english/
- VFS Global, Portugal visa application centres in the UAE: https://visa.vfsglobal.com/are/en/prt/
- Embassy of Portugal in the UAE, Visas: https://abudhabi.embaixadaportugal.mne.gov.pt/en/consular-section/consular-services/visas
- Embassy of Portugal in the UAE, Certification of documents: https://abudhabi.embaixadaportugal.mne.gov.pt/en/consular-section/consular-services/certification-of-documents
- Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MNE), Residence visas, necessary documentation: https://vistos.mne.gov.pt/en/national-visas/necessary-documentation/residency
- MNE, Means of subsistence: https://vistos.mne.gov.pt/en/national-visas/necessary-documentation/means-of-subsistence
- MNE, Residence visa issued without an appointment at AIMA: https://vistos.mne.gov.pt/en/highlights/residence-visa-issued-without-appointment-at-aima
- AIMA, Residence permit for investment (ARI): https://aima.gov.pt/pt/viver/autorizacao-de-residencia-para-investimento-art-90-o-a
- Lei n.º 23/2007 (Foreigners Act), arts. 58, 60 and 61-B: https://www.pgdlisboa.pt/leis/lei_mostra_articulado.php?nid=920&tabela=leis&ficha=1&pagina=1&so_miolo=
- DGERT, Minimum monthly wage for 2026: https://www.dgert.gov.pt/retribuicao-minima-mensal-garantida-para-2026
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Attestation: https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation/
- HCCH, Apostille Convention: https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/specialised-sections/apostille
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