Over the past few years, more and more people from other countries have come to Portugal. This is because there are many ways to move to Portugal. Like the Job Seeker Visa, the Digital Nomad Visa, the retirement visa, and the work visa. After living officially in Portugal for 5 years, you can also apply for permanent residency. Today I’m going to talk about how to get a work visa in Portugal, the different types of visas they offer, and the standards for each.
A new type of visa also lets people from other countries come to Portugal to look for work. People who want to work in Portugal can get this visa. People who are not from the EU who want to work in Portugal need to get a work permit, a visa, and a pass to live there. You don’t need a visa to work in Portugal if you are from the EU/EEA or Switzerland. But if you want to stay longer than three months, you need to get a residence card.
Details of Portugal Work Visas
For long stays, the Portuguese government gives out Residency Visas and Temporary Stay National Visas.
- Temporary Stay National Visa: This type of visa is good for a long time. Valid for the whole stay and can be used more than once.
- Residency Visas: let you enter the country twice and are good for four months.
Types of Portugal Work Visas
You can do the following with a Temporary Work Visa:
- Seasonal Work: If you want to work during the summer for more than 90 days, you need a temporary stay visa.
- Temporary Work (D2 Visa): This visa is for people who have a legal work contract and a job offer in Portugal.
- Highly Qualified Activity (D3 Visa): a short-term stay visa for scientific study, teaching at a college or university, or highly qualified activities that last less than a year.
- Remote Work / Digital Nomad: Digital nomads who can work from anywhere are called “remote workers.”
- Amateur sports activity: a temporary stay visa for amateur sports activities.
- Intra-Company Transfer: This type of transfer is for employees who are moving from one branch of a global company to another branch in a different country.
Cost of Portugal Work Visa
It costs 90€ to process an application for a national visa, but this amount can vary from country to country.
Portugal Work Visa Requirements
- You must have a Job offer from the Portugese employer: For seasonally work or other short-term stay visas, you must have a job offer from a Portuguese company.
- Your employer needs: The person you work for needs to apply for a Work Permit on your behalf. They relate to the Labor Authorities in Portugal.
- Once your work contract or work permit is approved After getting your job offer or work pass, you can apply for a Portugal Work Visa and send all of your paperwork to the Portugal Embassy or VFS Global.
- Passport-size pictures
- Your employment contract.
- Clean Criminal record
Note: Some cards, like the Digital Nomad, Job Seeker, and Retirement Visa, don’t need job offers. Here are the documents you need for each type of work visa.
Document Guidelines
- You must send all of your papers in English or Portuguese. If they aren’t, you need to have a qualified translator translate them and then have them notarized.
- A diploma or a civil paper may need to be legalized before they can be used. This can be done with either an Apostille Stamp or the Portuguese Embassy in your country.
Processing Time
It will take about 30 days to process your application for a Temporary Stay Visa.
How to Apply for the Portugal Work Visa?
- As soon as you get a job offer. Do what it says below.
- Work Permit: The Work Permit is bought by your company.
- Fill out the national visa application form to apply for a work visa. Once you have a work permit, you must do this. See which Portugal office is closest to you. Follow this link to find out where to send your application. Set up a meeting. Send in your papers.
- Keep waiting for the visa decision. Once you get your visa, you can go to Portugal.
- Get a permit to live in Portugal. You must apply for your Residence Permit for Work at the Portuguese Immigration and Borders Service (SEF) once you are in Portugal. This is what lets you stay in Portugal for a long time.
National Visa Application Form
Please click on this page to fill out the national application form for a long stay.
Duration of a Work Visa
For one to two years, your work visa will be good. The permission to live there will also be good for two years. You can renew this permit at the SEF before it runs out as long as you still have a job in Portugal lined up.
Does a Work Visa Lead to Permanent Residency in Portugal?
Yes, you can apply for a permanent resident permit after living in Portugal with a temporary resident permit for five years. You won’t need to apply for a work pass anymore once you become a permanent resident.
You will get the same perks as a Portuguese citizen if you have a permanent resident permit. It also lasts longer and is easier to renew.
Helpful Links:
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work in Portugal as an international student?
Yes, students from other countries can work in Portugal. The hours you can work depend on your country of origin:
If you are from the EU, EEA, or Switzerland, you can work for as long as you want.
You can only work up to 20 hours a week (part-time) during the semester if you are not from the EU, EEA, or Switzerland. You could work full-time during breaks or vacation.Does a Work Visa Lead to Portuguese Citizenship?
If you have stayed in Portugal for at least six years, either permanently or temporarily, then you can apply to become a citizen of Portugal. You need to know a lot about the Portuguese culture and be able to speak Portuguese well.
