How to get a Work Permit and Visa for Portugal

Determine whether you require a visa before applying for one in Portugal. How to get a Work Permit and Visa for Portugal EU citizens must register with local authorities even though they are not needed to get a ticket or authorization. Usually, non-EU nationals require a visa to enter the nation and, once inside, must apply for a temporary residency permit. Please get to know SEF, Service de Estrangers e Frontiers, as you will need to contact them for any purposes relating to your temporary or permanent residence permits. SEF handles all visa applications and processing. As of 2019, you can make appointments to manage processes for residence permits as well as submit visa applications online via their electronic portal. Most Portuguese visa and permission requirements are relatively simple, and the official government websites include all the details you want. Remember that you must also submit a Portuguese translation that has been notarized when offering papers in other languages. Usually, visas will cost about 80 EUR (88 USD). The price of a residency permit must also be included; it is around the same amount. By far, the most expensive is the visa and residence permit fees in Portugal for investors, which are about 500 and 5,000 EUR (550–5,500 USD), respectively.

Table of Contents

Work Permits and Visas Based on Employment

The initial and most crucial stage in moving to Portugal is getting a work permit and an employment visa. You only need your national identification card if you are an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen and wish to enter the country. All other foreign nationals must obtain a visa to enter Portugal. For this reason, Portugal is known as the entrance to Europe, so generally speaking, getting a visa is relatively easy. Read on to learn more about the criteria and application process for the work and employment-based visas that this section focuses on. This article goes into further detail on visas for temporary residence.

Work visas and requirements for Portugal

Your nationality and the reason for your visit will determine the specifics of your visa application. Typically, you must submit an application for a visa in order to receive a residency permission (vista para obento de autorizaço de residencies). The four-month validity of this visa. You must enter the nation within that time frame (you are permitted two entrances) and then apply for resident access to SEF, the Portuguese Immigration and Border Services.

Visa categories

residency permit for workers (including sports activities)
a residency permit for self-employment
residency permit for businesspeople
residency permit for professors, artists, or highly skilled workers
To submit a visa application, you must visit a Portuguese diplomatic or consular office overseas. Understand where to submit a visa application based on your nationality or current residency. A different option is to start your application process online at SAPA Portal, the automatic pre-scheduling system.

You must fulfill the following conditions:

No indication of non-admission in the SEF’s information system, the Schengen Information System, or any other system that could prevent you from obtaining a visa and not being convicted of a crime and forbidden from entering Portuguese territory.

The following documents must be presented:

Visa application for Portugal (available in both Portuguese and English)
A passport that is at least three months longer valid than the length of your intended stay
two-sized passport photographs and active travel insurance
if applying from a nation other than your place of origin, evidence of your legal right to be there
A term of responsibility signed by a Portuguese citizen or resident or proof that you have the resources to support yourself while you are here.
You’ll also need these things for employment visas.

A written employment agreement (or promise of employment), an employer’s expression of interest, a certification from Portugal’s Institute of Employment and Professional Training (IEFP), and documentation of your job-related qualifications.

Spanish bureaucracy

Portugal’s bureaucratic procedures are renowned for needing to be more convenient and occasionally slow. This is frequently the most frustrating part of moving to Portugal. When applying for your visa, for instance, you can be requested to present documentation that is frequently missing from the list of requirements, such as an airline ticket or a trip schedule from a travel agency. This is necessary so the embassy can accurately determine how long to extend your visa. It is best to inquire in advance through email or phone with the Portuguese embassy and diplomatic mission in your place of residence about all the regulations that apply to you to be secure.

New Adjustments Have Simplified the Immigration Procedure

It will be simpler to apply for residency or extend your stay thanks to certain recent modifications to Portuguese immigration procedures:
Before applying at SEF, you must no longer have a criminal record certificate. You don’t need to visit the Portuguese criminal record services in advance; you need to grant SEF permission to access your registration on the day of your appointment. (Please note that not all citizens entering from outside the EU may experience this.)
When requesting a visa, SEF will immediately schedule an appointment for you. All you have to do is let your consulate or embassy know when you intend to visit Portugal.
Regardless of where you live, you can schedule an appointment with any SEF directorate or regional delegation.
SEF will reuse existing documents, preventing unneeded trips to SEF headquarters.
If you register at SEF Portal in Myself, you can request an extension of stay or renew your residence permit online.
For humanitarian reasons, immigrants unable to demonstrate that they entered Portugal legally can have their immigration status regularised under the unique system. They must comply with all legal qualifying conditions, have worked in Portugal for more than a year, and be paying social security contributions.
A Portuguese translation notarized must be included with documents written in another language.

How Much Do Work Visas In Portugal Cost

It costs 83 EUR to submit a request for a long-term work visa (91 USD). For this kind of visa, the residence permit costs EUR 72. (79 USD). To apply for an EU Blue Card, you must pay 107 EUR (117 USD) plus an additional 100 EUR (110 USD) for the residence permit after your visa has been granted. The cost of photocopying certificates or other papers may be 17 EUR (18 USD).

Visa for business in Portugal

If you require a shorter business visa, you can apply for one for the following reasons: seasonal employment, independent employment, highly qualified activities (such as research, teaching, etc.), and employee transfers between corporate headquarters and offices (must have been working for the company for at least one year). You must visit the consular post and submit the necessary paperwork to apply for this visa. As an alternative, you can use the SAPA Portal to apply online.

Family Visas: Moving with Your Family

The right to family reunification is guaranteed to each foreign national with a current residency permit in Portugal. This includes minor siblings, parents who are under the resident’s or spouse’s care, minor adoptive children, and children of age who are unmarried and enrolled in a Portuguese educational institution. It also includes spouses or partners under common-law marriage. The resident must request a family reunion with SEF before the spouse, fiancé, or family’s visa application may be processed.

Documents You’ll Need to Submit You’ll need:

Evidence of your legal right to family reunion (e.g., a residence permit in Portugal or an EU blue card)
a visa or other document demonstrating legal entry into Portugal
Evidence of kinship (e.g., marriage certificate, birth or adoption certificate, etc.)
IDs of the spouse or family members, as well as copies
If applying at the SEF office in Olivella’s, Aveiro, or Braga, two passport-sized pictures with a white background
the passport or ID of the resident
evidence of accommodations
Evidence that the family has enough money to support itself
Permission for SEF to check the criminal records of the family members in Portugal
The criminal history of the family members from the nation in which they most recently resided
Official Portuguese translations are required for any papers written in another language. This can be completed at a Portuguese notary public, the consulate of your nation in Portugal, or a Portuguese consulate overseas.

After this application has been granted, the spouse or other family members may apply for a resident visa at a Portuguese consulate office.

Visas for Self-Employment

This section outlines the requirements, application form, and procedures you need to be aware of if you want to apply for a self-employment visa in Portugal. The resident visa for independent workers and the residence visa for entrepreneurs are the two possibilities for self-employment visas in Portugal.

You must fulfill the following conditions:

Have no indication of non-admission in the SEF’s information system, the Schengen Information System, or any other system that could prevent you from obtaining a visa—not being convicted of a crime—not being forbidden from entering Portuguese territory. Visit a Portuguese diplomatic mission or consular office in your city to apply for this visa. Depending on where you presently reside, find out where to submit a visa application. As an alternative, you can use the SAPA Portal to apply online.

The following documents must also be presented.

Application for a visa for independent work (available in both Portuguese and English)
A passport that is valid for three months beyond the length of your stay
two-sized passport photographs and active travel insurance
if applying from a nation other than your place of origin, evidence of your legal right to be there
A term of responsibility signed by a Portuguese citizen or resident or proof that you have the resources to support yourself while you are here.
Applying to work independently
These extra documents are required if you apply for a self-employment visa as an independent worker.

When necessary, evidence of having a contract for services or owning a business entity (such as a limited liability company, sole proprietorship, etc.) that certifies you are qualified to work in your industry applying as a business owner Instead, if you wish to apply for a self-employment visa as an entrepreneur, you must fulfill at least one of the following extra criteria:

Evidence that you’ve invested

Suppose you are applying for a startup visa. In that case, you must provide evidence that you have the necessary resources in Portugal and intend to invest there, such as a declaration from the IAPMEI indicating your company is housed in an incubator.
Which Type of Investment Is Necessary?
If you have made one of the following sorts of investments, each of which adheres to its conditions, you may apply for this visa:
capital transfer of at least one million euros (1,101,000 USD)
the development of at least ten new jobs
Purchase of real estate for at least 500,000 EUR (550,000 USD) and, under certain circumstances, the purchase of real estate or other capital assets for at least 350,000 EUR (385,000 USD).
Remember that a certified translation into Portuguese must be included with every document written in a foreign language.

What Is the Price of a Self-Employment Visa?

The same fees for ordinary visas are due when applying for a residence visa as an independent worker. A long-term visa request will set you back 83 EUR (91 USD), plus another 72 EUR for the residency permit to be issued (79 USD). A self-employment visa application will cost you 532 EUR (586 USD). The main expense appears when applying for a residence permit after the visa is granted. An investment visa residency permit costs 5,300 euros (5,840 USD).

Request for a Permit for Temporary Residence

Portuguese residency is not restricted to nationals of the European Union. Additionally, they are permitted to stay in Portugal for three months without registering. However, following the initial three months, EU nationals must register with the local city hall (samara municipal) to receive a Registration Certificate (Certificate de Regis to), primarily used to track population growth. A residence permit is required for non-EU nationals to live legally in the nation. They can enter Portugal after their visa has been approved, and they have four months to apply for a resident permit. You will receive a residence card, known as the Toul de Residencies, as a foreign resident. Your identity card in Portugal is this card, so you must always have it. Your permit to live here is suitable for a year. For a total of five years of residence, you can renew it for two years and two more after that. You can apply for permanent residency once you have lived in Portugal for those five years.

Fees and Requirements for a Temporary Resident Permit
The following paperwork must be submitted in person along with the residence permit application at one of SEF’s regional delegations or directorates.
passport or another acceptable form of identification
Two recent color photos that are identical and have a white background (only for appointments in Olivella’s, Aveiro, or Braga)
legal residency permit
Evidence of appropriate lodging and sufficient means of subsistence
supporting document containing the necessary information for registration with the tax office, Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira, giving SEF authorization to check your criminal record in Portugal
proof of enrollment or ongoing Social Security payments
Temporary Resident Permit for Self-Employed Persons

When requesting a temporary residence visa for self-employment, you must provide the following:

Evidence that you legally founded a business or other entity; a service agreement with a company as a liberal professional; documentation that you made regular payments to social security during the tax exemption period; and, if necessary, a written statement from the relevant professional association attesting that you meet the requirements to join or a declaration attesting that you possess the required credentials.
If you are given this type of authorization, you are still allowed to work for a third party as long as you later apply for a permit for employed workers.
The cost of a temporary residency permit for employment purposes is 72 EUR (79 USD). It costs 33.50 EUR to renew (36 USD).
Getting Registered with Local Authorities
You must register with the junta de freesia (the neighborhood or parish) where you will be living after receiving your tituli de residencies. This is evidence that you reside in Portugal, as more than occasionally presenting a rental agreement is required.
To do this, you must present a valid ID and proof of address to the junta de freesia. It can be your lease or renting agreement or your NIF with your Portuguese address.

Witnesses: More bureaucracy in Portugal

Here’s where it gets tricky: you need two witnesses who are residents of your freesia (and Portuguese nationals) to attest to your residence there. They must accompany you and sign the form, so bring them (which can be a hassle, considering the offices are only open during regular working hours) Alternatively, you can bring the form back after having your witnesses sign it. However, you must submit a copy of the identification for each witness together with the condition. Intonations’ Settling-In Services may assist you in registering with the junta de freguesia and other local authorities in Portugal if you are concerned about this step of the residence procedure. Gaining Permanent Residence in Portugal How to Do It After legally residing in Portugal for five years, one may apply for permanent residence. You must have used and renewed your temporary residency permits to do this.

Application for Permanent Residency in Portugal

You must schedule a meeting with SEF in order to apply for permanent residency in Portugal. Bring the following items to this appointment A completed and signed standard application form; two recent, identical color photos with a white backdrop (only for appointments in Olivella’s, Aveiro, or Braga); a passport or other acceptable travel document; proof of suitable housing; consent for SEF to investigate your criminal history a valid temporary resident permit; evidence of a basic command of the Portuguese language; a certificate issued by a Portuguese official or officially recognized teaching institution; a certificate of successful completion of studies published by a teaching institution; a certificate of knowledge published by the Institute for Employment and Professional Training (IEFP) or by any other official or officially recognized teaching institution Visa Requirements for Portuguese Permanent Residents In addition to having lived in the country for a minimum of five years, a person must be eligible for permanent residency if they have not previously served any prison time, even if the sentence’s execution has been suspended.

Costs of Permanent Residency in Portugal

You must pay 220 euros for your permanent residency permit (240 USD). The physical card must still be renewed every ten years for EUR 40. (44 USD).
What Advantages Do Permanent Residents in Portugal Have?
When it comes to social security, tax benefits, union membership, the recognition of diplomas, certificates, and other professional qualifications, as well as the right of access to goods and services available to the general public and the application of provisions granting them special privileges, foreign nationals who have permanent residence in Portugal are entitled to the same treatment as nationals.

Reuniting with family, education, and study; working for pay; engaging in self-employed work; receiving professional supervision; receiving healthcare; and having access to the legal system and justice.

Family Reunification Visa Resident Permits

Once their visa has been approved, your family, spouse, or fiancé must apply for a residence permit if they intend to join you in the nation. The owner of the right to family reunification must use the online platform to make an appointment with SEF in order to do this. The resident must bring the following paperwork to SEF.

Two recent color photos that are identical and have a white background (only for appointments in Olivella’s, Aveiro, or Braga)
Evidence that you are eligible for a family reunion
verified proof of family relations in the form of documents
Verified copies of the family members’ identification documents
Proof that the applicant has a suitable space
a record of your ability to maintain yourself and your family financially
excerpt from the family member’s country of origin’s court records
In the case of children who are of legal age, single, and dependent, a certificate of incapacity of children of legal age, a certified copy of the adoption decision, a certified copy of the custody decision of minor siblings, a copy of the court order granting legal guardianship to the resident or spouse, and a full birth certificate, proof of economic dependence, and proof of enrollment in a Portuguese teaching establishment