Visa
Work permit in Portugal
Portugal's main work route for foreign employees is a residency visa for subordinate work, applied for with an employment contract, a promise of one or an employer's individual expression of interest. The portal sets no euro income test for an ordinary employee; AIMA then grants a two-year residence permit.
- Official names
- Visto de residência para exercício de atividade profissional subordinada (residency visa for subordinate professional activity); Autorização de residência para exercício de atividade profissional subordinada, artigo 88.º, n.º 1 (residence permit for employed work); Residence visa for employment (checklist file named D1 in Washington)
Sources: Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal), Embassy of Portugal in Washington, Agency for Integration. Checked 16 October 2026.
Who it’s for
- The route is for employees. You show an employment contract, a promise of an employment contract or an individualised expression of interest from the employer, plus proof of professional qualification when the profession is regulated in Portugal.
- A separate residency visa covers highly qualified work. It needs a contract or promise of at least six months with pay of at least 1.5 times the national average annual gross salary or three times the social support index (IAS), or 1.2 times and two times for certain listed professions, plus proof of qualifications. The pages we read give no euro value for either measure.
- Law 61/2025 created a visa for qualified job search for people with specialised technical skills, to be defined by ministerial order. Its holder may practise highly qualified work until the visa ends or a permit is granted. The visa carries an appointment date with the residence authority within its 120 days, and after starting work in that period the holder can apply for a residence permit. If no work starts, the holder must leave and can apply again only a year after the visa expires.
Sources: Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal), Embassy of Portugal in Washington, Consulate General of Portugal in Toronto, Assembleia da República. Checked 17 October 2026.
Money tests
- The portal sets no euro income test for an ordinary employee. It accepts the means shown by a work contract or promise, or a term of responsibility from the employer that takes the worker in, and the Washington and Toronto checklists say the same.
- For the qualified job-search visa, Toronto's checklist from July 2025 asked for funds of at least three times the national minimum wage, with three months of bank statements, or a sponsor's term of responsibility. On the 2026 wage of €920 that works out at about €2,800; to be safe, have more than €2,800. Law 61/2025 has since redefined the visa, so confirm the current test.
Sources: Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal), Embassy of Portugal in Washington, Consulate General of Portugal in Toronto, Directorate-General for Employment and Labour Relations (DGERT). Checked 16 October 2026.
Documents
- The visa application needs a signed national visa form, two recent photographs, a passport valid at least three months beyond the planned stay, valid travel insurance with repatriation cover, a criminal record certificate with a Hague apostille or legalisation, the contract documents above and proof of means.
- After arrival, AIMA's permit request takes your passport, the valid work visa, the employer's honour declaration of the labour link, your home address declaration with a land-registry certificate or landlord's declaration, and proof of registration with the tax authority and with social security.
Sources: Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal), Embassy of Portugal in Washington, Consulate General of Portugal in Toronto, Agency for Integration. Checked 16 October 2026.
Timing
- You apply at a Portuguese consular post. The deadline to decide a residency visa is 60 days and, for the job-search visa, 60 days, except where the law says otherwise.
- A residency visa allows two entries and is valid for 4 months, and within that time you must apply to AIMA for a residence permit, by appointment at an AIMA store.
Sources: Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal), Agency for Integration. Checked 16 October 2026.
Fees
- The national visa application fee is €110, with children under 6 exempt, and an appeal against a decision carries a separate fee of €75.
- AIMA's table lists €133.00 to receive and analyse a request for a temporary permit for professional activity and €114.30 for its grant or renewal, in person; the digital or assisted column lists €99.80 and €85.80. Changing from employed to independent activity costs €123.50 in person, and urgent card issue adds €47.80. The table is indexed each 1 March, with a 2.2% update in 2026, so the charge can differ slightly.
Sources: Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal), Agency for Integration. Checked 16 October 2026.
How long it lasts and renewal
- The first residence permit for professional activity is valid for two years from the date the card is issued and is renewable for successive periods of three years. A holder of an employed-work permit can switch to independent work by asking an AIMA store, by appointment, to replace the card.
- Under Law 61/2025, family reunification opens after two years of valid residence, with exceptions for minor or incapable dependants, a spouse or equivalent who is the parent of a dependent minor, and relatives of holders of permits under articles 90 (teaching, highly qualified or cultural activity), 90-A or 121-A.
Sources: Agency for Integration, Assembleia da República. Checked 17 October 2026.
Path to permanent residence
- Permanent residence is open after 5 years on a temporary permit. AIMA asks for means of subsistence, a home address declaration, proof that tax and social security duties are met, basic Portuguese and no sentence above one year in the last 5 years. The permanent card has no limit of validity and is renewed every five years; AIMA's table lists €351.10 to grant it and €61.90 to renew it.
- Citizenship is a separate step: under Organic Law 1/2026, in force since 19 May 2026, nationals of countries other than EU states and Portuguese-speaking countries need 10 years of legal residence and a language and culture test.
Sources: Agency for Integration, Assembleia da República. Checked 16 October 2026.
Tax
- You are tax resident in Portugal if you stay more than 183 days in any 12-month period that starts or ends in the tax year, or keep a home there as your habitual residence. Residents are taxed on all income, including income earned abroad, at general rates from 12.50% on taxable income up to €8,342 to 48.00% above €86,634.
- The IFICI incentive taxes qualifying Portuguese-source employment and business income at 20%, for people who were not tax resident in the previous five years and work in a listed activity; for several categories the authority says a job position implies an employment contract. The older non-habitual resident regime still applies only to people who met its conditions before the 2023 and 2024 cut-offs.
Sources: Portuguese Tax and Customs Authority. Checked 16 October 2026.
Your passport
If you hold a US, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport
What differs for each passport, from the same sources. A line that says there is no difference means the sources we read name none.
United States passport
- Washington's employment checklist asks for an FBI police clearance certificate issued less than 90 days before you apply and apostilled (the US has been party to the Apostille Convention since 15 October 1981) and proof of your US address, a lease or driver's licence. US citizens do not need a Schengen short-stay visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
- The US taxes its citizens on worldwide income wherever they live, and the convention's saving clause lets it tax them as if the convention had not come into effect; a US–Portugal social security (totalization) agreement exists. The posts are the Washington embassy, consulates general in Boston, Newark, New York and San Francisco, and a consulate in New Bedford.
Sources: Embassy of Portugal in Washington, Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), European Union (EUR-Lex), Internal Revenue Service, US Social Security Administration, Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal). Checked 16 October 2026.
Canada passport
- Toronto's checklist for employed work asks for a criminal record certificate with a Hague apostille or legalisation (Canada has been party to the Apostille Convention since 11 January 2024), the contract, promise or expression of interest, and proof of qualification for regulated professions.
- Canada and Portugal finalised a youth mobility arrangement in November 2018; the Canadian release describes Portuguese participants in Canada and sets no terms for Canadians in Portugal, so ask the consulate. A Canada–Portugal tax convention is in force, and a social security agreement has applied since 1 May 1981 for CPP and OAS only.
Sources: Consulate General of Portugal in Toronto, Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), Immigration, Department of Finance Canada, Government of Canada. Checked 16 October 2026.
Australia passport
- The portal names the Consulate General in Sydney and the Embassy in Canberra for Australian applicants. An AFP National Police Check costs $57, or $114 with fingerprints, and most are done within 48 hours; the AFP page does not mention apostilles, and Australia has been party to the Apostille Convention since 16 March 1995.
- Australia and Portugal signed a tax treaty on 30 November 2023, but Treasury's list of treaties in force, updated 24 March 2026, does not include Portugal.
Sources: Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal), Australian Federal Police, Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), Australian Treasury. Checked 16 October 2026.
New Zealand passport
- The portal names the Embassy in Canberra for New Zealand applicants. If you must hand over a police record yourself, NZ Police points you to a Ministry of Justice criminal record check, which the Ministry aims to answer within 20 working days; New Zealand has been party to the Apostille Convention since 22 November 2001.
- Inland Revenue lists a Portugal tax treaty as under negotiation, and Work and Income's list of social security agreements does not include Portugal.
Sources: Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal), New Zealand Police, New Zealand Ministry of Justice, Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), Inland Revenue (New Zealand), Work and Income (New Zealand). Checked 16 October 2026.
Other visas
Other visas in Portugal.
The country
More on Portugal.
Questions about Work permit in Portugal.
What do I need for Portugal's work visa as an employee?
An employment contract, a promise of one, or an individualised expression of interest from the employer, plus proof of qualification if your profession is regulated. You also need insurance, an apostilled criminal record certificate and proof of means from the contract.
Do I need a job offer before applying for Portugal's work visa?
Yes for the employee route: the portal asks for a contract, a promise of a contract or an employer's individualised expression of interest. A separate job-search visa for specialised technical skills exists under Law 61/2025, with terms set by ministerial order.
What salary does Portugal's highly qualified work visa ask for?
At least 1.5 times the national average annual gross salary or three times the social support index (IAS), under a contract of at least six months. Certain listed professions need 1.2 times or two times. The pages we read give no euro value for either measure.
How long is a Portugal work permit?
AIMA's first residence permit for professional activity lasts two years from the card's issue date and renews for successive three-year periods. The visa you enter on is valid for 4 months with two entries, and you ask AIMA for the permit during that time.
What are the government fees for Portugal's work visa?
The national visa fee is €110. AIMA's table then lists €133.00 to analyse the permit request and €114.30 to grant it, or €99.80 and €85.80 in the digital column. The table is indexed each 1 March, so the charge may differ slightly.
Can my family join me on Portugal's work visa?
Yes, but the route depends on timing. Relatives can apply with you on an accompanying-family visa. Family reunification for most permit holders opens after two years of valid residence under Law 61/2025, with exceptions for highly qualified permits and EU Blue Cards.
Sources
Official sources we used.
Government and official pages only, each with the date we checked it.
- Residence visa for employment (checklist file named d1), Embassy of Portugal in Washington, D.C.. Checked 16 October 2026. US applicants; checklist dated 10.11.2025 as printed; the code D1 appears in the file name only.
- Status table: Apostille Convention of 5 October 1961, Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH). Checked 16 October 2026. In force: Portugal 4 February 1969, United States 15 October 1981, Australia 16 March 1995, New Zealand 22 November 2001, Canada 11 January 2024.
- Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 (visa list), European Union (EUR-Lex). Checked 16 October 2026. Annex II lists Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States as exempt from the short-stay visa requirement; article 4(1): 90 days in any 180-day period.
- US–Portugal income tax convention, Internal Revenue Service. Checked 15 October 2026. 1994 convention with protocol; general effective date 1 January 1996.
- US citizens abroad: filing requirements, Internal Revenue Service. Checked 3 October 2026. US citizens living abroad.
- US–Portugal totalization agreement, US Social Security Administration. Checked 3 October 2026.
- Where should you lodge a visa application, Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal). Checked 16 October 2026. US: Washington embassy plus consulates in Boston, Newark, New York, San Francisco and New Bedford; Canada: Ottawa embassy plus consulates in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver; Australia: Sydney consulate general or Canberra embassy; New Zealand: Canberra embassy.
- Residence visa for subordinate professional activity (checklist), Consulate General of Portugal in Toronto. Checked 16 October 2026. Canadian applicants; scanned checklist in Portuguese, read by text recognition.
- Canada and Portugal youth mobility arrangement now in effect, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Checked 16 October 2026. News release dated 30 November 2018; describes Portuguese participants in Canada and sets no terms for Canadians in Portugal.
- Tax treaties in force, Department of Finance Canada. Checked 4 October 2026. Canada–Portugal convention signed 14 June 1999.
- Social security agreement, Government of Canada. Checked 4 October 2026. Agreement in force since 1 May 1981; CPP and OAS only.
- National police checks, Australian Federal Police. Checked 16 October 2026. Fees as shown on the page; the page does not mention apostilles.
- Treaty signed, Australian Treasury. Checked 4 October 2026. Signed 30 November 2023.
- Treaties in force, Australian Treasury. Checked 15 October 2026. Table last updated 24 March 2026; Portugal not listed.
- Vetting process for visas, New Zealand Police. Checked 16 October 2026.
- Criminal records, New Zealand Ministry of Justice. Checked 16 October 2026. Online service; the page states no fee and does not mention apostilles.
- Tax treaty status, Inland Revenue (New Zealand). Checked 15 October 2026. Portugal listed as under negotiation, not in force.
- Social security agreements, Work and Income (New Zealand). Checked 4 October 2026. Portugal not listed.
- Residence visa documents, Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal). Checked 16 October 2026. Lists documents for each residency visa type; gives no euro figures except the highly qualified salary multiples.
- Residence permit for subordinate professional activity, with residence visa (art. 88(1)), Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA). Checked 16 October 2026. Page in Portuguese, footer 2026.
- Residence visa for teaching, highly qualified or cultural activity (checklist), Consulate General of Portugal in Toronto. Checked 16 October 2026. Canadian applicants; scanned checklist in Portuguese, read by text recognition.
- Lei n.º 61/2025, de 22 de outubro (amends the foreigners law, Lei 23/2007), Assembleia da República, published in the Diário da República (1st series, no. 204). Checked 17 October 2026. Official text; articles 57-A, 98, 99 and 101 read.
- Means of subsistence, Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal). Checked 16 October 2026. Scale based on the 2026 minimum wage of €920, net of social security.
- Visa for job search, up to 120 days (checklist), Consulate General of Portugal in Toronto. Checked 16 October 2026. Checklist dated 7 July 2025, before Law 61/2025 renamed the visa for qualified job search.
- Guaranteed monthly minimum wage 2026, Directorate-General for Employment and Labour Relations (DGERT). Checked 15 October 2026. €920 a month from 1 January 2026 (Decree-Law 139/2025).
- Decision deadlines, Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal). Checked 16 October 2026.
- Visa types and entries, Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal). Checked 16 October 2026.
- National visa fee, Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal). Checked 16 October 2026.
- Table of fees and other charges for administrative procedures, Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA). Checked 16 October 2026. Undated table under Portaria 307/2023; two columns (in-person and digital or assisted service with the point XIV reductions); amounts are indexed each 1 March, so the charge can differ slightly.
- Permanent residence permit (art. 80), Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA). Checked 16 October 2026. Page in Portuguese, footer 2026.
- Organic Law 1/2026 of 18 May (amends the Nationality Law, Law 37/81), Assembleia da República, Diário da República 1st series, no. 95. Checked 16 October 2026. Enters into force the day after publication; procedures pending at that date stay under the earlier wording.
- Portuguese tax residence (article 16), Portuguese Tax and Customs Authority. Checked 15 October 2026. Includes the transitional note on the non-habitual resident regime (Law 82/2023, article 236).
- Worldwide income for residents (article 15), Portuguese Tax and Customs Authority. Checked 15 October 2026.
- General income tax rates (article 68), Portuguese Tax and Customs Authority. Checked 16 October 2026. Table as amended by Law 73-A/2025 of 30 December.
- IFICI regime: frequently asked questions, Portuguese Tax and Customs Authority. Checked 15 October 2026.