Find out what are the main conditions to apply for and obtain a work visa for Portugal from this article and make sure to reach out to our team if you have any questions.
We are experienced professionals who can help you with immigration to Portugal, depending on your nationality as well as your purpose of stay in the country.
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How can EU nationals work in Portugal?
EU/EEA and Swiss citizens can freely enter and take up employment in the country without needing to obtain a work visa for Portugal. However, when their employment is for more than three months, they will need to register with the authorities and obtain a residence certificate.
EU citizens (and their family members, if applicable) will apply for the registration certificate no later than 30 days after they complete the first three months spent in Portugal. The following information on the registration certificate is useful for applicants:
- the application fee is EUR 15 for adults;
- children of EU nationals pay a reduced fee of EUR 7.5;
- the registration certificate issued to an EU national who will be working in Portugal is valid for 5 years from its issue date (or less, for the duration of the work-related stay in Portugal).
If you are an EU national and wish to apply for this registration to obtain a residence permit for Portugal, related to your work purposes, our team will guide you through your application before or after you arrive in the national territory.
If you are a UK national interested in working in Portugal, our team will give you details about the conditions that apply in your case.
How can non-EU citizens work in Portugal?
Non-EU nationals who wish to move to Portugal for work purposes will need to apply for a residence permit that will be linked to their purpose of stay in the country (i.e., the type of work they will be engaging in).
The process starts with the procedures to obtain a work visa for Portugal (a process during which the employer is also involved, as applicable), followed by the application for a residence permit that grants a lawful stay in the country.
The duration of the employment, as well as the type of work, will influence the general documentation needed for the application. You can choose to obtain a work visa for Portugal for employed work, work as an entrepreneur, or a digital nomad visa for Portugal.
What types of Portuguese work visas are available?
Individuals can obtain a work visa for Portugal for the following purposes:
- subordinate work activities: for employees who have signed an employment agreement for a Portuguese company;
- self-employed work: for those who will be engaging in independent work activities;
- highly qualified work: included in this category are also teaching purposes, cultural activities;
- job seeking purposes: this visa is issued to those who will enter the country and remain for a period of 120 days for the purpose of looking for a job; it can be renewed for another 60 days, however, it is a single-entry visa.
What are the documents required to obtain a work visa for Portugal?
The general documents submitted for an application to obtain a work visa include:
- the filled-in visa application form;
- two passport-sized photographs;
- the passport or other valid travel document;
- valid travel insurance;
- criminal record;
- proof of financial resources, as applicable.
If you want to know more about the conditions to obtain a work visa for Portugal or are interested in other types of visas and residence permits, do not hesitate to ask our Portugal immigration specialists for more information.
If you are a foreign national who has been living in Portugal for at least five years, we can tell you how you can obtain citizenship in Portugal through naturalization.
Foreigners working in Portugal
Our immigration lawyer in Portugal highlights a set of statistical data presented by the European Commission regarding immigrant workers in the country:
- in 2023, Portugal had the 5th highest rate of labor market activity by foreigners in the EU;
- the labor market activity by foreigners in Portugal was 18.7% higher than that of citizens in 2022;
- also in 2022, 7.5% of the total resident population was comprised of foreign nationals living in the country.
Contact us as soon as you decide to apply for a work visa or residence permit for employment purposes.