NHR: closed
The non-habitual resident regime (2009–2023) taxed Portuguese income from listed professions at 20 % and exempted most foreign income for ten years, with foreign pensions at 10 % from 2020. It closed to new registrations on 1 January 2024; people registered by then keep their remaining years. A New Zealander arriving in 2026 cannot obtain it.
- Closed since 1 January 2024
- IFICI: 20 % on Portuguese income from listed activities for ten years; foreign income exempt with progression; pensions excluded
- No treaty: New Zealand NRWT of 30 % on dividends and 15 % on interest remains, with nothing Portuguese to credit against under IFICI
- 15 January registration deadline
IFICI: who qualifies
People who become resident without having been resident in Portugal in the previous five years, never held NHR, and earn income from a listed activity: higher-education teaching and research; qualified posts under contractual investment incentives or in companies under the RFAI regime; highly qualified professions in listed industrial and service companies exporting at least 50 %; qualified jobs in companies recognised by AICEP or IAPMEI; R&D staff eligible for SIFIDE; jobs and board seats in certified start-ups; activities in the Azores and Madeira. Registration with the competent body by 15 January of the year after arrival; usable once.
What it does with New Zealand income
| New Zealand-source income under IFICI | New Zealand | Portugal |
|---|---|---|
| Dividends (NZ companies) | NRWT 30 % (15 % on fully imputed dividends under domestic rules) — final | exempt (progression only) |
| Interest | NRWT 15 % (2 % approved-issuer levy where available) | exempt |
| Gains on NZ shares | none | exempt — where 28 % would otherwise apply |
| Rent from NZ property | NZ income tax, return required | exempt with progression |
| Salary from a NZ employer for work done in Portugal | none | 20 % only if the Portuguese activity is listed; a NZ employer with no Portuguese presence usually does not qualify |
| NZ Super, KiwiSaver withdrawals | none (paid gross abroad) | taxed at 12,5–48 % after 4 587 € — outside IFICI |
For a working Kiwi with a New Zealand portfolio, IFICI removes the Portuguese 28 % on dividends, interest and gains; the New Zealand NRWT is what it is, treaty or not. For a retiree, IFICI does nothing.
Retirees: the ordinary regime
NZ Super and KiwiSaver income at the progressive rates after the 4 587 € deduction, joint filing for couples, no New Zealand tax on the payments abroad, 28 % on capital income, no wealth tax, no inheritance tax between spouses, children and parents. A KiwiSaver withdrawal under the permanent-emigration rule before Portuguese residence stays outside Portuguese tax.
Steps
Five-year check
No Portuguese residence in 2021–2025 for a 2026 arrival; no NHR ever.
Qualify the job
Employer's certification or CAE code and the profession list checked before the contract — and before the visa, since the D1 or D3 file names the employer.
Register by 15 January
With the body responsible for your category.
Annual return
Annex A at 20 %, annex J with the exempt New Zealand items and the pensions taxed normally.
We check IFICI eligibility, align it with the visa route, file the registration and prepare the return with the exemptions and the New Zealand items in their categories. Ask whether your job qualifies.
Questions
Does IFICI reduce the New Zealand NRWT?
No. NRWT is a New Zealand domestic tax at the non-treaty rates; only a treaty could lower it. IFICI removes the Portuguese layer only.
Can I get IFICI as a remote worker on a D8 visa?
Only if the work is for a qualifying Portuguese entity — a certified start-up, a recognised company. A D8 visa holder working for a New Zealand employer is taxed at the ordinary progressive rates on the salary.
Is there any regime for my NZ Super?
No. Pensions are outside IFICI and NHR is closed. NZ Super is taxed here at the progressive rates after the 4 587 € deduction and paid free of New Zealand tax, so there is no double taxation to relieve.
Sources and official references
- Estatuto dos Benefícios Fiscais, artigo 58.º-A — IFICI: activities, 20 % for ten years, five years of non-residence, NHR beneficiaries excluded — checked 18.9.2026
- Portaria n.º 352/2024/1 — IFICI registration by 15 January — checked 18.9.2026
- Código do IRS, artigo 81.º n.º 4 — exemption with progression for IFICI beneficiaries' foreign income of categories A, B, E, F, G — checked 18.9.2026
- Inland Revenue — NRWT rates for areas without a DTA: 30 % dividends, 15 % interest and royalties — checked 18.9.2026
- Work and Income — NZ Super overseas: paid gross, no New Zealand tax while living abroad — checked 18.9.2026