Daniil Shaulov · Global Mobility
Portugal24 October 2026·5 min read

Portugal D8 renewal: days in country and the income floor

Portuguese D8 renewals are decided by two conditions that are easy to state and easy to miss: income measured at the moment of renewal, and physical presence measured over the whole period.

Ribeira district in Porto, Portugal

Condition one: income at the moment of renewal

The income requirement is not the figure you met when you applied. It is measured against the Portuguese minimum wage as it stands when you renew. If the minimum wage rose in between, the bar rose with it — and a file that was compliant two years ago can be short today.

Practical consequence Check the current minimum wage before assembling the renewal file, not after. It is the most common reason a D8 renewal needs rework.

Condition two: presence

To renew — and to avoid annulment — you must actually live in Portugal: at least half of each year, and at least 16 months across the two-year period. Entry and exit records are the evidence, so the border log is the document that matters, not the lease.

What the renewal file usually contains

The pattern worth planning for

Two years pass quickly when a case is running. The people who renew calmly keep income evidence continuous — they do not assemble a strong file at the end. Continuity is what a reviewer reads as residence.

Moving a team, not a person?

I run the check, assemble the vendors and keep the timeline. The first conversation is free.

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