Moving to Lisbon, Portugal — a guide for Chinese passport holders

里斯本 · 葡萄牙 · 中国护照移居指南

Last checked: · Compiled from official and public sources · sources & provenance

Good for foreign-income residency. 适合海外收入申请居留。

Digital nomad · English works · Good climate · 数字游民 · 英语可生存 · 气候好

Lisbon at a glance

Overall score79/100 (includes editorial components)
Long-term visa difficulty (Portugal)Medium — 45/100
Main route: D8 remote work / D7 income residence D8 远程工作 / D7 收入居留
Monthly cost¥29,000 CNY ≈ $4,032 USD
Nomads.com Cost for nomad, checked July 2026
Safety score87/100
Chinese community55/100
Median internet speed118 Mbps
Average temperature20°C
Local salary level54/100

Common questions 常见问题

How hard is it for a Chinese passport holder to get a long-term visa for Portugal? 中国护照申请葡萄牙长期签证有多难?

chufachufa rates long-term visa difficulty for Portugal as "Medium" (45/100, lower is easier) for Chinese passport holders. The most practical route is usually: D8 remote work / D7 income residence. We track 8 non-tourist routes for Portugal, each linked to its official source. See Portugal visa routes for requirements and official sources.

How much does it cost to live in Lisbon? 在里斯本生活一个月大概多少钱?

Nomads.com estimates its Cost for nomad at $4,032 USD per month. chufachufa displays this as about ¥29,000 CNY after conversion at 7.25 CNY/USD and rounding to the nearest ¥500 (checked July 2026).

Is Lisbon safe? 里斯本安全吗?

Lisbon scores 87/100 on our safety rubric, which combines UNODC homicide rates, petty-crime reporting, and travel advisory levels (rubric v1, July 2026).

Is there a Chinese community in Lisbon? 里斯本有华人社区吗?

Lisbon scores 55/100 for Chinese community size and services, and the common pathway there is remote income / eu residence. Higher scores mean established Chinese supermarkets, services, and social circles.

Visa routes for Portugal 签证路线

8 non-tourist routes tracked for Portugal, most recently reviewed . Full requirements, checklists, and official sources: Portugal visa routes.

D8 remote work visa · Remote income / digital nomad

Remote income + residence

For foreign employer, freelance, or company income earners.

Typical timeline / duration: 2-5 months

Official source: Portugal official source · last reviewed

D7 income residence · Remote income / digital nomad

Passive or stable income

For passive or stable foreign income; funds and housing proof matter.

Typical timeline / duration: 2-5 months

Official source: Portugal official source · last reviewed

Student or job-seeker route · Study

Study visa or job-seeker visa

For Portuguese, master’s, or local job-search planning.

Typical timeline / duration: 2-6 months

Official source: Portugal official source · last reviewed

Remote Work / Digital Nomad temporary-stay visa or residency visa · Remote income / digital nomad

Portugal national visa taxonomy includes Remote Work/Digital Nomad temporary-stay and residency visas. VFS checklist for temporary-stay remote work requires employment contract/promise/declaration or self-employment/service contract evidence, accommodation, return ticket, and tax residence certificate.

Typical timeline / duration: Temporary-stay and residency route differ; exact duration depends on visa type and residence-card process.

Official source: Portugal official source · last reviewed

Residence visa for study / residence permit for study · Study

A study-based route requiring admission to an eligible education provider.

Typical timeline / duration: Residence visa valid for two entries and four months to apply for residence permit; permits tied to study duration.

Official source: Portugal official source · last reviewed

D1 Residence Visa for subordinate work activity · Work / skilled

An employer-led or qualification-based work route.

Typical timeline / duration: Residence visa leads to residence permit process; work is for subordinate employment. Separate routes exist for independent work, highly qualified work and job seeker.

Official source: Portugal official source · last reviewed

See all 8 Portugal routes →

Compare with other cities

Explore Lisbon in the interactive app: 中文版 · English — filters, reviews, and route planning for all 61 cities.

Data sources & provenance

Source status: public_source. Overall and "liked" scores still include editorial estimates and will be replaced by member reviews as they accumulate. Visa rules change often — always confirm against the linked official source before acting.

Full provenance notes

Safety: rubric v1 2026-07 (Portugal homicide 0.72/100k UNODC 2022; advisory L1; pickpocketing common in transit/tourist areas). Visa: D8 verified 2026-07 - income 4x min wage = EUR3,680/mo since Jan 2026 (up from ~3,040) + EUR11,040 savings. Community: ~27.9k Chinese residents nationally (AIMA 2023), >50% in Lisbon district. Cost: accommodation.js survey 2026-07. liked/score still editorial estimates. Monthly cost uses the Nomads.com Cost for nomad estimate (checked July 2026), converted at 7.25 CNY/USD and rounded to the nearest CNY 500. Long-term visa difficulty is a prototype country-level score based on the easiest plausible non-tourist route for Chinese passport holders, reviewed May 2026 with July 2026 refreshes; Thailand (DTV: 500k THB savings), Malaysia (DE Rantau: USD24k/60k income), and Portugal (D8: EUR3,680/mo + EUR11,040 savings) re-verified against official/current sources July 2026; Mexico (solvency ~USD4,400/mo or USD74k savings, UMA 2026) and Singapore (EP S$5,600 + COMPASS) also verified July 2026. Additional July 2026 verifications: Japan (student COE funds JPY2-2.5M/yr; JLPT N5 required from Oct 2026 intake - difficulty raised 44->46), South Korea (F-1-D workation needs 2x GNI ~KRW88.1M/yr; student/E-7 remain realistic routes), Uruguay (nomad permit ~USD10-20 fee, no income minimum, 180+180 days - confirmed easiest), Argentina (nomad visa ~USD2,000-2,500/mo expected), Germany (Chancenkarte 6-point system + EUR13,092/yr blocked account), UAE (remote-work income floor raised USD3,500->5,000/mo Apr 2026 + AED500k insurance - difficulty raised 32->38), Brazil (VITEM XIV USD1,500/mo or USD18k balance), Spain (telework 200% SMI = EUR2,849/mo gross 2026), Indonesia (E33G remote KITAS needs USD60k/yr - difficulty raised 38->46), Georgia (CN passports: visa-free only 30d/visit, 90d per 180 since May 2024, NOT the 1-year scheme; long stays need a permit - difficulty raised 24->34). Round 2 (July 2026): Estonia DNV EUR4,500/mo (42->48), Malta NRP EUR42k/yr (40->44), Greece DNV EUR3,500/mo (40->44), Croatia EUR2,539/mo confirmed, Hungary White Card EUR3,000 net/mo confirmed, Romania DNV 3x avg gross ~EUR5,550/mo (46->54), Italy DNV EUR28k/yr lowest in Europe (54->48), Czech zivno CZK156.5k + trade licence confirmed, Colombia DNV ~USD1,400/mo = 3x min wage (56->44), Ecuador USD1,446/mo confirmed, Costa Rica USD3,000/mo confirmed, Peru DNV announced but not yet operational (46 kept), Chile has no DNV and rentista excludes freelance income (46->50), South Africa DNV ZAR650,976/yr confirmed, Kenya DNV USD24k-55k reported (50->48), Turkey DNV USD3,000/mo + age 21-55 + degree confirmed, Philippines DNV USD24k/yr but check nationality reciprocity for CN passports (50 kept), UK GBP1,529/mo London maintenance, Canada GIC CAD22,895, Australia AUD29,710, New Zealand NZD20k/yr, US F-1 full-course funds all confirmed; France EUR615/mo official (consulates expect EUR800-1k), Netherlands IND EUR1,094/mo, Norway NOK151,690/yr, Sweden SEK13k/mo, Finland EUR800/mo confirmed. July 16 2026 spot update: UK HC 259 Immigration Rules published 2026-07-09; Australia Student visa page updated 2026-07-01 and fee/cap environment tightened; New Zealand Short-term Graduate Work Visa opens 2026-11-16 and some Level 7 graduate diplomas gain Post Study Work eligibility; Canada 2026-28 levels continue pressure on temporary study/work routes. Broader July 16 2026 official-source audit covered all 58 country sections; material route or process updates were applied where found, while remaining sections had no material change identified in this pass. Country-level difficulty is not a substitute for live nationality-specific eligibility, fees, quotas, or consular guidance.

Accommodation survey (updated ): web-survey-2026-07: T1 average ~€1,250/mo + furnished premium €100-200 (portugalist/investropa 2026); budget hotel ~€80/night; FX 1EUR=8.2CNY