Journey · Door 04 · D2

The D2 journey

From NIFs to a company and a residence card, with the visa and the LDA moving together.

Start D2 with LDA, $2,890 See the map

BOCEAN IMMIGRATION PORTUGAL, LDA · NIPC 519043731 · Payments by Stripe

At a glance

What you get, who decides, what it costs

What you get: A Portuguese LDA and the D2 visa: a 2-year residence card renewable for 3 more years
Who decides: The Portuguese consulate in your country, then AIMA. The registry and the notary handle the company.
Official timeframe: Months 6 to 12 to the card, as the service page describes. The authorities set the pace.
Reside fee: $2,890 for the D2 and the LDA together
Left out: IRN state fees in EUR, consulate and AIMA fees, share capital, translations, apostilles and accounting after year one

01 · The map

Every step, and who acts in it

01
NIFs for every shareholder
Month 1. Every shareholder needs a NIF before incorporation.
Reside
02
Business plan
Month 1. A viable plan, reviewed against what AIMA expects.
You
03
LDA incorporation
Months 1 to 2. Name reservation, articles, notary, NIPC, social security and VAT.
Reside
04
D2 filed at the consulate
Month 3. We prepare the full dossier and brief you for the appointment in your country.
You
05
Visa issued
Months 3 to 6. The consulate issues the visa. Most clients move between months 4 and 6.
Authority
06
AIMA and residence card
Months 6 to 12. AIMA appointment, then the residence card.
Authority

The label shows who acts in that step: You, Reside or the Authority that decides. In your client area the same path shows as Details, Documents, Sign and Filed.

02 · The steps

Each step in detail

What happens, what you do, what we do, and what the authority does.

NIFs for every shareholder

Reside

What happens: Every shareholder needs a NIF before the company can be incorporated. See the NIF journey.
Your part: Pay, sign the power of attorney, upload passport and proof of address for each shareholder.
Our part: We file a NIF for each shareholder.
The authority: The tax authority issues each NIF.
In your client area: Details, Documents and Sign steps with Received and Signed stamps.

ReceivedSigned

Business plan

You

What happens: The visa depends on a viable business plan with revenue projections, capital structure, your experience and what the business brings to Portugal. AIMA examines it closely.
Your part: Write the plan or tell us what you have. We help draft it if you do not have one.
Our part: We review the plan and advise on capitalisation at onboarding.
What can delay it: A thin plan or capital that is too low. Legally €1 is the minimum, in practice €5,000 to €10,000 reads more seriously.
In your client area: The plan appears in Documents with Received, then Checked.

LDA incorporation

Reside

What happens: We reserve the name, draft the articles in English and Portuguese, go through the notary, and obtain the NIPC. We then register the company for social security and VAT.
Your part: Sign the articles. Pay in the share capital.
Our part: We run the whole incorporation as one bundle with the visa.
The authority: The RNPC reserves the name. The notary and the IRN complete the registration.
What can delay it: The name reservation and the registry set the pace.
In your client area: The LDA case shows Signed, then Filed.

SignedFiled

D2 filed at the consulate

You

What happens: We prepare the full D2 dossier, with the company behind it, and brief you for the consulate appointment in your country.
Your part: Attend the consulate appointment. Arrange proof of accommodation in Portugal.
Our part: We prepare the dossier and brief you.
The authority: The Portuguese consulate in your country receives the file.
Documents: Business plan, criminal record, accommodation proof, subsistence funds of €11,040 in 2026, company documents.
What can delay it: A criminal record with a sentence of 1 year or more under Portuguese law, or missing accommodation proof.
In your client area: The D2 case shows Filed.

Filed

Visa issued

Authority

What happens: The consulate decides and issues the visa. Most clients move to Portugal between months 4 and 6.
Your part: Travel to Portugal.
Our part: We book your AIMA appointment.
The authority: The consulate decides.
What can delay it: The consulate sets the pace.

AIMA and residence card

Authority

What happens: You attend the AIMA appointment and receive your residence card by months 6 to 12, valid for 2 years and renewable for 3 more.
Your part: Attend the appointment.
Our part: We stay with the case for 12 months of case management.
The authority: AIMA takes biometrics and issues the card.
What can delay it: AIMA appointment availability.
In your client area: The case closes with the card delivered.

03 · Documents

What to have ready

Documents for the D2 journey
Document	What it is for	Where to get it	Format	Typical status in your area	Translation or apostille
Passport data page, each shareholder	NIF filing and incorporation	Each shareholder's passport	PDF, JPG or PNG, up to 10 MB	Missing, then Received and Checked	None listed
Proof of address, each shareholder	NIF filing	Utility bill or bank statement dated within the last 3 months	PDF, JPG or PNG, up to 10 MB	Missing, then Received	None listed
Business plan	Shows the business is viable and what it brings to Portugal	You, with our review	PDF, JPG or PNG, up to 10 MB	Missing, then Received and Checked	Depends on your case
Criminal record certificate	No conviction carrying a sentence of 1 year or more under Portuguese law	The authority in your country	PDF, JPG or PNG, up to 10 MB	Missing, then Received	Depends on your case. Apostilles are listed as billed at cost
Proof of accommodation in Portugal	Lease, ownership or invitation letter	Landlord or owner	PDF, JPG or PNG, up to 10 MB	Missing, then Received	Depends on your case
Proof of subsistence funds	€11,040 in 2026, 12 times the minimum wage	Your bank	PDF, JPG or PNG, up to 10 MB	Missing, then Received	Depends on your case
Articles of association	Create the LDA	We draft them in English and Portuguese	Signed in the portal	Waiting for your signature, then Signed	Prepared in both languages
Power of attorney	Lets us file and represent you	Prepared by us, signed in the portal	Signed in the portal	Waiting for your signature, then Signed	Not applicable

04 · Costs

Who charges what

One bundle. State fees, official fees and third parties are separate.

Reside fee

$2,890 for the D2 and the LDA together. The LDA alone is $1,190; the D2 is sold with the LDA as one bundle
Includes the business plan review, a NIF for every shareholder, the LDA incorporation, the D2 dossier and consulate briefing, the IFICI briefing and 12 months of case management with hand-off to a certified accountant for bookkeeping

Government and official fees

State fees for the incorporation (IRN), billed in EUR. See the LDA page
Consulate and AIMA fees. The amounts depend on your case
Each family member adds a small AIMA fee

Third parties

Share capital paid into the company, legally €1 at minimum, in practice €5,000 to €10,000
Certified translations and apostilles
Accounting after the first 12 months. Depends on your case

05 · Timeline

How long it takes

Month 1NIFs for all shareholders
Months 1 to 2LDA incorporated
Month 3D2 filed at the consulate
Months 3 to 6Visa issued. Most clients move between months 4 and 6
Months 6 to 12AIMA appointment and residence card

The authority sets the pace

The service page describes the card arriving by months 6 to 12 and most clients moving between months 4 and 6. These are ranges, not promises. The consulate and AIMA set the pace.

06 · After

What happens next

Run the company from Portugal. Bookkeeping is handed off to a certified accountant. Accounting after the first 12 months is billed separately.
Register for IFICI if your activity falls in a qualifying high-skill sector and you hold an EQF level 6 degree or higher: IFICI tax registration.
Bring your family: spouse, dependent children under 18 (up to 26 if students) and dependent parents over 65 can join the same application.
The card is valid for 2 years and renews for 3 more. After 5 years you can apply for permanent residency. Citizenship is a separate, later step. Under the Nationality Law in force since 18 May 2026 the qualifying residency period is 10 years for most foreigners and 7 years for nationals of CPLP countries, counted from the date the residence card is issued.
Use a Lisbon address for mail while you settle in.

07 · Risks

What goes wrong, and how to avoid it

A thin business plan. AIMA examines it closely.
Capital set at the legal minimum with no reasoning. In practice €5,000 to €10,000 is read more seriously.
A criminal record with a conviction carrying a sentence of 1 year or more under Portuguese law.
Subsistence funds below €11,040 in 2026.
Missing proof of accommodation in Portugal.
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not use the D2. They register under free movement.

08 · Glossary

Words you will meet

D2: Portugal's long-stay visa for entrepreneurs, self-employed professionals and founders.
LDA: Sociedade por quotas, a Portuguese limited company.
NIPC: The company's tax number.
RNPC: The registry that approves the company name.
IRN: The registry that records the company. Its state fees are billed in EUR.
AIMA: Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo, which takes biometrics and issues the card.

Questions

About this journey

Do I need a business plan?

Yes. AIMA and the consulate expect a viable plan with revenue projections, capital structure and your experience. We review it and help draft it if you do not have one.

How long does it take?

Month 1: NIFs. Months 1 to 2: LDA incorporated. Month 3: D2 filed. Months 3 to 6: visa issued. Months 6 to 12: AIMA appointment and card.

Is the LDA included?

Yes. The $2,890 bundle covers the D2 and the full LDA incorporation. State fees are billed separately in EUR.

How much share capital do I need?

Legally an LDA can be set up with €1. In practice AIMA reads the plan more favourably with €5,000 to €10,000.

What if the file is rejected because of an error on your side?

The fee is refundable on a filing error, as set out in the refund policy.

Go further

The service page and other doors

The service page has the full requirements and the price box: D2 founder visa with LDA, $2,890.

Not sure about a step? Book a free 15-minute call

Open door 04

Ready when you are

Start with the first step and the rest follows the map above.

Start D2 with LDA, $2,890