Best Ways to Legalise Your Stay in Portugal: Startup Visa vs. D7 Visa

Portugal offers multiple visa options for those looking to legalize their stay, with the Startup Visa and D7 Visa being popular choices. Both provide unique pathways to residency, catering to different types of applicants. While the Startup Visa focuses on entrepreneurs aiming to establish businesses, the D7 Visa is tailored for individuals with passive income sources.

Albert Ioffe, Legal and Compliance Officer at Immigrant Invest, breaks down the costs, and requirements for both visas, including the process to obtain Portugal Passive Income Visa, helping you decide which option suits your circumstances best.

How to Relocate to Portugal with a Startup Visa

The Startup Visa is designed for entrepreneurs. Portugal encourages the creation of innovative businesses that contribute to the country’s economy.

Costs. Setting up a startup in Portugal can involve initial investment costs, business incorporation fees, and other startup expenses. While no specific minimum investment is required, you need to prove you have the financial means to establish and sustain your business.

Additional costs may include legal fees for business setup, accounting services, and any initial hiring of employees.

Process. You begin by applying to a certified incubator in Portugal, which will assess the feasibility of your business idea. If accepted, the incubator will issue a certificate, allowing you to apply for the visa. Once you receive the visa, you can relocate to Portugal.

The entire approval process can take four months, so it’s important to apply well in advance.

Documents. Key documents to get Portugal Startup Visa include:

● a valid passport;
● proof of financial resources;
● a solid business plan;
● the incubator’s acceptance letter.

Supporting documents, such as a criminal background check and health insurance, are also required.

Requirements. Your business idea must be innovative, and you must intend to create jobs in Portugal. Also, your business should be technology-based or scalable. Entrepreneurs should also demonstrate financial viability, which could include showing bank statements or other proof of funding.

How to Immigrate to Portugal with a D7 Visa

The D7 Visa offers a path to residency for those with stable, passive income. This includes pensions, investments, or rental income. It’s a popular choice for retirees and individuals seeking a slower, less business-driven route to Portuguese residency.

Costs. The financial requirements for the D7 Visa depend on your income. You must demonstrate sufficient funds to support yourself while living in Portugal.

The general rule is that you need at least the equivalent of the Portuguese minimum wage, currently set at around €820 per month. If you are bringing a family, the income requirement increases by 50% for a spouse and for 30% for each dependent child.

Process. After gathering the necessary documents, you can apply for the D7 Visa at the Portuguese consulate in your country of residence. Once approved, you receive a temporary visa, allowing you to enter Portugal and apply for your residence permit.

The permit is usually valid for two years and can be renewed.

Documents. Required documents include:

● proof of passive income;
● a valid passport;
● health insurance;
● proof of accommodation in Portugal.

Additional documentation, such as tax returns, may also be required to demonstrate the sustainability of your income.

Requirements. You must have a regular passive income source that can sustain you and any dependents during your stay in Portugal. Your income should come from legitimate, verifiable sources, such as investments or rental properties.

Also, you must prove sufficient savings to cover living expenses for at least 12 months.

Portugal D7 Passive Income Visa vs. Startup Visa

The main difference between the two visas lies in their requirements and target applicants.

The D7 Visa is suitable for those with passive income, while the Startup Visa is geared towards entrepreneurs.

Eligibility. The D7 Visa requires proof of passive income, while the Startup Visa requires an innovative business idea accepted by an incubator. The Startup Visa also mandates a commitment to building a business that has the potential for scalability and job creation in Portugal.

Initial costs. The D7 Visa has lower initial costs since there’s no need to invest in a business. In contrast, the Startup Visa may involve more upfront expenses, including business setup costs.

However, entrepreneurs might be able to take advantage of business incentives and grants offered by the Portuguese government.

Flexibility. The D7 Visa offers more flexibility for retirees or those not wishing to run a business. On the other hand, the Startup Visa is ideal for entrepreneurs looking to develop a new venture.

Both visas, however, require proof of stable finances to ensure that applicants are not a burden on the Portuguese state.

Permanent Residency and Citizenship After D7 and Startup Visa

Both visas lead to residency in Portugal, and after five years, you can apply for permanent residency or citizenship.

Entrepreneurs who successfully maintain their business in Portugal can apply for permanent residency after five years. Continuous business operations and proof of financial stability are key.

Additionally, you must prove basic knowledge of Portuguese, which is typically demonstrated through a language test.

Similarly, D7 Visa holders who maintain their passive income stream and comply with Portuguese residency requirements can apply for permanent residency after five years. Both pathways allow for family reunification, offering residency to spouses and dependents.

Portuguese citizenship offers the additional benefit of visa-free travel within the EU and access to various EU rights.

Conclusion

Choosing the right visa depends on your circumstances. The Startup Visa is ideal for entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas, while the D7 Visa is better suited for those with stable passive income. Both pathways offer opportunities to gain permanent residency and eventually citizenship in Portugal.

Todayville Content Team

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Todayville Content Team works with a wide variety of clients to develop compelling content solutions. Our experienced team develops strategic campaigns that use video and storytelling, digital advertising and social media to help our clients position and distinguish themselves in the market.

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The bizarre story of Taro Tsujimoto

Published on March 28, 2025

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The National Hockey League (NHL) has seen its fair share of strange moments, but few compare to the bizarre and hilarious tale of Taro Tsujimoto, a player who never existed. His “selection” in the 1974 NHL Draft remains one of the most legendary pranks in hockey history. If you want to wager on actual players, making the 1xBet app download is definitely a great idea.

In the 1970s, the NHL Draft was a much less glamorous event than today. It was a tedious process conducted over the phone, with teams calling in their picks. The 3 biggest highlights of what happened during that year’s draft were:

the draft dragged on for hours;
there were multiple rounds and teams selecting unknown prospects from obscure leagues;
frustrated with the monotony, Buffalo Sabres general manager Punch Imlach decided to have a little fun.

As the 11th round approached, Imlach instructed his team’s representative to draft Taro Tsujimoto, a supposed forward from the Tokyo Katanas of the Japan Ice Hockey League. The name sounded authentic enough. The league officials, unfamiliar with Japanese hockey, accepted the pick without question. By downloading the 1xBet app you will also be able to wager on great NHL teams too.

A small problem

There was a small problem with all of this, as 2 things didn’t exist: Tsujimoto and the Tokyo Katanas. Imlach had completely fabricated the player as a joke, taking advantage of the NHL’s lack of verification. When it comes to NHL wagers, there is no better platform than the 1xBet Canada site.

For weeks, the league listed Tsujimoto as an official draft pick, and even some newspapers reported on Buffalo’s mysterious new Japanese prospect. Eventually, the Sabres admitted the hoax, and the NHL was forced to retroactively erase the selection from its records.

Despite being a fictional player, Taro Tsujimoto took on a life of his own. Buffalo Sabres fans embraced the prank, and over the years, his name has become a cult legend in hockey culture. Some fans even wore jerseys with “Tsujimoto” on the back. The joke persisted so much that when EA Sports released NHL video games, players could occasionally find Tsujimoto in the game’s draft pool as a hidden Easter egg.

More than just a prank, the story of Taro Tsujimoto highlights 2 things: the quirks of old-school sports management and the creativity of one of hockey’s most colorful executives. Today, with the draft process being highly scrutinized and broadcast live, such a prank would be impossible. But Tsujimoto’s legacy lives on as one of hockey’s greatest inside jokes. What is not a joke are the great rewards that a platform like the Canadian 1xBet site can give you.

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60% of Canadians gamble each month – why the industry is going from strength to strength

Published on March 26, 2025

Todayville Content Team

When it comes to regulating gambling, Canada has a somewhat relaxed approach. The Canadian Gaming Association oversees the industry, but it’s up to individual provinces to enact and enforce any laws relating to online casino gaming, sports betting, traditional casino gaming, and other forms of gambling.

Canada’s online casino gaming laws are not totally clear, but individual provinces are starting to put this right. Ontario was the first and did so when it launched its own regulated igaming market in April 2022. Now some other provinces have followed suit, creating a safer igaming environment for players in those provinces. Below is a look at gambling in Canada compared to other parts of the world, at gaming laws in Alberta compared to other provinces, and at the future of the Canadian, US, and UK gambling industries.

Canada: a forever love of gambling

Gambling in some form or other has always been popular in Canada. Way back in the 1990s, research found six in ten Canadians (60%) gambled every month. Additionally, four in ten (43%) spent between 1 and 20 Canadian dollars on gambling. Fast forward to today and the Canadian gambling market is worth 14.2 billion US dollars as of January 2024, according to data on the website of consumer and market data company Statista.

It seems Canada enjoys wagering just as much as two other countries that love a gamble: the US and the UK. Data on the Statista website shows that 49% of US adults took part in gambling activities in 2023. Fifty-six percent said their attitude towards gambling had relaxed, compared to the 50% of 2019.

The UK returned similar stats for the same year. Forty-eight percent of adults reported engaging in gambling activity. Online casinos generated the most gross gambling yield in 2023, but it was the nation’s National Lottery that people played the most.

Alberta: following Ontario’s lead

The regulatory developments in Ontario have triggered movement in Alberta. In May 2024, Bill 16, the Red Tape Reduction Amendment Act, made it through the process and later received Royal Assent to become law. The act removes the monopoly of gaming by a single government entity and will allow private operators, licensed by Alberta’s provincial regulator, to provide online gaming services in Alberta, meaning players will have a choice of more than one Alberta online casino to play at.

The regulation transforms Alberta into one of the more liberal provinces when it comes to online gambling, others being Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia.

Several provinces, such as Novia Scotia and Northwest Territories, have no provincially regulated online gaming sites. Some also restrict betting on horse racing and/or other types of sports betting, obliging citizens to use international betting sites for freedom from caps and betting on as many events as they wish.

What lies ahead for the Canadian, US, and UK gambling industries?

Canada’s appetite for gambling is clear, and the industry’s online sector is beginning to thrive. Ontario has enjoyed vast success by creating its own regulated market, one which, in just its first year, saw Canadians place billions in wagers and the industry itself generate more than a billion in total gaming revenue.

Canada can expect to see other provinces follow Ontario’s lead and allow private operators to provide services in the province under license. The purpose of the regulation is player protection. Any province that develops a regulated market will focus on this, so there will also be regulations around the advertising of gambling services.

The US

Gambling online is the future for the US, too, although states are slow to legalize it. As of September 2024, 38 states had legalized sports betting, following the US Supreme Court’s ruling that states could regulate sports gambling directly.

Despite allowing sports betting, some states only permit in-person betting, and only a few states allow online casino gaming. Operators believe online casino gaming is the future of gambling.

The UK

In the UK, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) will get bigger and bigger. Companies have realized AI can enhance players’ experience and are embracing it more and more. For instance, sports betting websites can use it to crunch data and provide iGamers with stats and other data to make better betting decisions. They’re also understanding they can use AI to prioritize content players are likely to be interested in and to personalize their offerings and services to players’ preferences.

Canada enjoys gambling as much as America and the UK. Although laws around igaming are more of a grey area in Canada, some provinces are clearing the issue up by creating regulated markets and experiencing great success. As time goes by, more are sure to follow.