Serious question, did you know Portugal's D7 visa needs you to show over 700 euros a month in passive income?
I was looking at official government sites for a move to Lisbon next year and that number really caught me off guard. I always thought the income part was more about having a remote job, not proving you already have money coming in without work. How do people even prove that if most of their income is from active freelance gigs?
Yeah, that passive income rule is a real gut punch for freelancers. In my experience, you'd need a solid stack of client contracts showing regular, predictable payments to even have a shot at proving stable income. It feels like they designed it for people with rental properties or big stock dividends, not the gig economy. My own plans got a serious reality check when I dug into the fine print. Your mileage may vary, but it's a much harder path if your cash flow changes month to month.
@patricia_king23 actually the D7 visa does accept active freelance income if you can show a history of consistent contracts not just passive stuff. @daniels42 don't feel too bad about that cleaning supply spending, the real trick is documenting 12+ months of regular client payments to prove stability. Portugal's official site says "stable and regular income" which can include freelance work as long as it's predictable enough.