Personnel relocation to Portugal is a process that takes place when a company opens a branch or a subsidiary in Lisbon or another Portuguese city, or when the company relocates to Portugal altogether. The relocation process is also required when the Portugal-based company decides to hire foreign employees.
Hiring foreign staff or relocating employees to Portugal means following the rules for obtaining a work permit and an entry visa for non-EU citizens.
Employee relocation to Portugal is simplified when the individual is an EU citizen, as he/she will only require a residence permit suitable for the duration of the stay (medium to long-term purposes).
Our Portugal immigration specialists can provide business owners with complete information on the relocation process. They can guide them through the steps needed to apply for the work permit and the entry visa (when required) for their new staff.
The main requirements for personnel relocation to Portugal
When relocating staff to Portugal, the employer is the one who will apply for the work permit. However, this is only one of the steps followed for this purpose. Our team summarizes the main stages below:
- Determine the need for personnel relocation to Portugal: this need is established internally when the company opens a branch/subsidiary, and it determines that one or more valuable employees will be required to work from Portugal;
- Prepare and sign the employment agreement: the agreement is prepared according to the Portuguese labour laws concerning minimum wages, working hours, employee benefits and protection, and more;
- Decide on any additional relocation benefits: the company can prepare a special relocation package for the employee(s) to cover all or part of the costs associated with the relocation arrangements and the initial rent for living in the country;
- Apply for the work permit: the employer will submit an application for the employee’s work permit with the labour authorities belonging to the Portuguese Immigration and Borders Service.
Once the foreign employee has arrived in the country, the company’s internal policies and regulations may require specialized training or courses for those individuals who undergo employee relocation to Portugal.
Living and working in Portugal
Many foreign nationals who have been living in Portugal as employees for several years (whether they relocated via tan intra-company transfer or via new employment with a Portuguese employer) can be interested in obtaining citizenship in Portugal. This is possible after a minimum lawful and uninterrupted stay of five years in the country, and if the applicant can also show that he/she meets several other conditions. Our team can give you more details.
The following data on Portugal’s population and labour market are relevant, as presented by the National Statistics Institute:
- The total resident population was 10,267,200 in the first quarter of 2022;
- The active population increased to 5,209,300 for the same period (an increase of 3.3% compared to the same period in 2021);
- The unemployment rate decreased to its lowest level in ten years, 5.9%.
For those who are interested in relocation to Portugal not as employees but as freelancers, our team can provide detailed information about the attractive regime of the nomad visa in Portugal.
Moving to Portugal is easier with our help. We offer services both to employers who wish to hire foreign staff or relocate employees to Portugal, as well as provide personalized answers to employees who will be relocating to the country via an intra-company transfer, or those who are simply looking for new employment opportunities in Lisbon or other cities.
In addition to services related to personnel relocation to Portugal, our team specializing in immigration has experience in guiding and assisting non-EU/EEA investors who are able to make a substantial investment in Portuguese real estate and wish to apply for a golden visa.
Contact us if you have additional questions about immigration or if you need assistance throughout the process of personnel relocation to Portugal.