Just found out the average digital nomad visa costs way more than I thought

I was looking into moving to Portugal for a bit and digging into their D7 visa process. I always figured these visas were maybe a few hundred bucks, you know, like a tourist visa. But I found a breakdown on a government site that listed the actual fees. The application itself is 83 euros, but then you need to show proof of income, which for Portugal is about 760 euros per month minimum. That's not a fee, but you have to prove you have it. Then you need health insurance, which can run another 300-600 euros for a year. Plus, you often need a local tax number, maybe a rental contract, and sometimes legal help if you don't speak the language. All in, before you even book a flight, you're looking at over 1,000 euros just to get the paperwork sorted, and that's for one of the cheaper programs. It really changed my view on how accessible this lifestyle is for people starting out. Has anyone else been shocked by the hidden costs of making a move official?

3 comments

3 Comments

kevin_hernandez832mo ago

Guess that's the "freedom" tax.

dylanward2mo ago

Yeah, I saw a piece on that, @kevin_hernandez83.

hugo_cooper20d agoMost Upvoted

The 17% tax on digital services in that proposal hit my buddy's freelancing invoice last week. He charges $50 a logo and after taxes and fees he's keeping maybe $38 of that. It adds up fast when you're doing volume work like that. They talk about supporting creators but then nickel and dime every transaction until there's nothing left.