Portugal
D8 Digital Nomad Residence Visa: health insurance requirements
Yes — health insurance is required
Yes — Portugal's D8 Digital Nomad Visa requires health insurance with at least €30 000 of coverage, valid across the Schengen Area, including emergency care, repatriation, and the full visa period. Travel insurance alone is not accepted; the cover must be issued as long-term residency-grade health insurance.
The requirements at a glance
| Minimum coverage | €30,000 |
|---|---|
| Repatriation required | Yes |
| COVID-19 cover required | Not required |
| Minimum policy duration | Full visa period (initial 4 months, renewable into 2-year residency permit) |
| Local-licensed insurer required | No — compliant international IPMI is accepted |
| Accepted proof | Policy certificate showing ≥€30 000 coverage, Schengen-wide validity, repatriation, in-hospital care; English or Portuguese translation |
The €30 000 floor is the Schengen visa minimum that Portugal applies to the D8. Dependents must be covered for at least the first four months of residency. International IPMI from non-Portuguese insurers is accepted as long as the certificate meets the formal requirements — unlike Spain. Primary AIMA / MNE consular page was unreachable at verification time (ECONNREFUSED / HTTP 404); cross-referenced across GetGoldenVisa, CitizenRemote, Saily, Jobbatical, and Pacific Prime.
Our take
Portugal is much friendlier than Spain on insurance source: a compliant international IPMI (Cigna Global, GeoBlue, IMG, even SafetyWing's Complete tier) usually works for the D8 as long as the certificate clearly shows ≥€30 000, repatriation, and the policy dates cover the visa period.
Our take: don't downgrade to a thin policy just to hit €30 000. The D8 path leads to SNS (Portugal's public health system) registration eventually — but until you have your residence certificate (CRC) and NIF-tied SNS number, your private plan is your only line. Pick coverage that works in Portuguese private hospitals (Hospital da Luz, CUF, Lusíadas) with direct billing.
What happens if you get it wrong
Visa rejection or processing delay if the policy certificate doesn't explicitly show repatriation or doesn't cover the full visa duration.
Gap between visa approval and SNS registration — typically 3–6 months — during which you are uninsured under SNS and rely entirely on your private cover.
If you bring family, dependents need their own coverage for at least the first four months — easy to miss in the application.
FAQ
Reviewed by Lukas Schönberg — Founder & researcher, Nomad Insurance Broker OÜ
Source: getgoldenvisa.comLast verified
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