Case · A Retired Beijing Couple Lands in Cascais on a D7
A retired couple from Beijing built a solid file from their pensions plus rental income back home. From first enquiry to receiving their D7 residence cards took about 8 months. Here's the full timeline — including three points where it nearly came unstuck.
This case is a representative, composite scenario. Client details have been anonymised, and the timeline and decision points reflect patterns we typically see across similar cases. Actual approval outcomes, document requirements and processing times depend on the latest rules of the Portuguese authorities and on each individual case.
Client profile
- Main applicant: Mr Wang, 60, retired, former state-enterprise executive
- Co-applicant: Mrs Wang, 58, retired
- Household income: combined pensions of about €1,400/month + ~€18,000/year net rent from two properties in China + some dividends
- Assets: property and savings in China; limited assets abroad
- Goal: settle in Portugal long term, near the Atlantic, ideally in or around Cascais
- Target: enter Portugal within 9 months
Why D7 rather than D8 / the Golden Visa
D8 doesn't fit: the D7 accepts pension + rent — income "not dependent on work"; the D8 requires income from remote employment or serving overseas clients. Mr Wang is retired, so the path is wrong.
The Golden Visa is unnecessary: their goal is to genuinely live in Portugal, not to swap minimal presence for residence rights. The ARI minimum (€500,000 into a fund) ties up far too much capital for them, and the route is slower and policy-volatile.
D7 is a clean match: passive income ✓, long-term residence ✓, spouse included ✓.
Timeline (about 8 months)
| Stage | Time | Milestone |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1–2 | First assessment | A 30-minute video call; lawyer confirms D7 |
| Weeks 3–6 | Funds file | Tidying scattered pension / rent / dividend income into clean 6-month bank statements |
| Week 4 | NIF | Done remotely via FastNIF, ~3 business days |
| Weeks 6–8 | Portuguese bank account | Chose Millennium; remote opening coordinated by the firm |
| Weeks 8–10 | Apostilles | Notarisation + apostille of birth, marriage and criminal-record certificates in China |
| Weeks 10–12 | Portuguese address | Signed a 14-month lease on a Cascais apartment in advance |
| Week 14 | Consulate interview | Successful |
| Week 18 | Enter Portugal | 4-month entry visa |
| Week 22 | AIMA appointment | Biometrics, lawyer present |
| Week 32 | Cards arrive | Valid 2 years, renewable |
Three points where it nearly stalled
1. Format of the China rental records
Mr Wang first provided hand-written rent receipts from the tenant — no invoices, no bank transfers. Portuguese reviewers like "a fixed amount you can see in the bank statements." We had Mr Wang sign a formal lease with the tenant and route all rent through bank transfer for the next 6 months, to back up the statements.
Lesson: the consulate doesn't judge "stability" by a single number — it looks at whether that number is visible in the bank statements and clears the bar for 6 consecutive months.
2. A translation stamp rejected
The first criminal-record translation came from a Chinese translation company; the stamp wasn't compliant and the Portuguese side asked for a redo. We then used a local Portuguese certified translator (tradutor certificado) and it passed first time.
3. The landlord got cold feet on the 14-month lease
With the Cascais lease signed, the landlord suddenly wanted a higher rent before the visa came through. The lawyer stepped in; in the end the price held, with a clause added to "adjust for inflation at renewal." The lease must be in force at the time of the visa application — it can't be "rent it once the visa is granted," and that trips up a lot of clients.
Total cost (for reference)
- Legal fees: €XX,XXX (staged by scope of work)
- Portuguese bank deposit (proof of living costs): €18,000 (meeting the annual minimum-wage requirement)
- Apostilles + translation: ~¥6,000
- FastNIF: €XX
- Cascais lease, first instalment + deposit: ~€4,500
Legal fees are quoted to your family's situation and any add-on services (accompaniment / renewals / company services). We charge nothing before a formal engagement is signed.
What the client valued most (in their words)
"We didn't dare run this ourselves — our biggest fear was spending the money and the time and then getting rejected. The firm's greatest value was telling us, at every step, 'here's what happens next, how long it takes, and what could change.' That clarity was worth more than the cost itself."
Want to know if D7 fits your situation?
- Free online assessment — a suggested direction based on your family, income and time window
- Talk to an adviser — a case review by our legal team
- Get your NIF online with FastNIF — the first step of a D7
Turn this article into action
Run our free online assessment, talk to an advisor for case-specific advice, or get your NIF online via FastNIF.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Documents, thresholds and outcomes follow the latest official Portuguese rules; Shijia Portugal Service Group makes no guarantees on outcomes.
