Big news has arrived

Yesterday, the 31st of March 2026, we received our first wave of NHR 2.0 (IFICI) approvals for Touchdown customers. It's a significant milestone for the team, and a genuine validation of the work our legal team has put into getting these applications right.

To date, we've received over 20 approvals, and we expect this number to grow significantly over the coming days. We've maintained a 100% approval rate on every IFICI application we've submitted. We intend to keep it that way.

What is the NHR 2.0 (IFICI)?

Portugal's Non-Habitual Residency regime, now in its second iteration, is considered one of the best tax regimes in the developed world. For ten years, it gives you a flat 20% tax rate on any working income earned in Portugal, and a full exemption on foreign-sourced income. 

That means capital gains, dividends, interest, and income from overseas entities are taxed at zero. If you have overseas entities generating dividends, assets earning interest, businesses you want to sell, or equities, stocks or crypto that you hold, the NHR is almost certainly worth your attention.

The window for 2026 applicants is already open

If you're going to be a Portuguese tax resident this year, the application window has already started. The deadline to apply is the 15th of January 2027, but as with most things tax-related, leaving it to the last minute rarely works in your favour.

You're considered a Portuguese tax resident if you spent more than 183 days in Portugal in 2025, or maintained a permanent residency here at any point during the year.

Three ways to qualify for the NHR 2.0

• NHR via company setup: open a Portuguese company, hire yourself, and invoice your clients globally.
• NHR via investment: a novel Touchdown product, in partnership with Ventures.eu, that allows you to qualify by obtaining a board seat in a certified Portuguese startup. No degree requirement, no active employment needed. You can read more about this here.
• NHR via Portuguese employment: hold a qualifying employment contract with a Portuguese employer in an eligible sector.

How Touchdown Helps

Portugal's tax regimes are world class: but only if you know how to make them work for you. That's where Touchdown comes in.

We specialise in relocation, tax strategy, and business setup for entrepreneurs, business owners, retirees and expats landing in Portugal.

If you'd like to understand which qualification route is right for you, book a free introduction call with our team and we'll walk you through it.