Portugal Work Visa From Bangladesh
Bangladeshi citizens and residents who wish to work in Portugal may need to obtain a Portuguese Work visa before entering the country.
To get advice and help with your Portuguese work visa application, call Total Law at +44 (0) 333 305 9375 or contact us online.
Portuguese Work Visas for Bangladeshi Nationals and Residents
A Portuguese Work visa allows holders to legally live and work in Portugal for a specific period of time.
Bangladeshi citizens and residents who want to work in Portugal must apply for a Portugal visa from Bangladesh before travelling to the country.
Once you have been granted entry, you should then apply for a residence permit with Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (SEF) if you wish to stay for longer than 90 days.
If you are a national or resident of a country with a bilateral agreement with Portugal, such as Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, or the USA, you may be able to apply for a visa at the point of entry.
EU, EEA, and Swiss nationals or residents do not need to obtain a Portuguese Work visa before travelling to Portugal, but they are required to register for a Certificado de Registo (Residence Certificate) once in Portugal if they plan to stay and work for longer than 90 days.
After holding a temporary residence permit for 5 years, you may then be able to apply for permanent residency and Portuguese citizenship.
Page Contents
- Portuguese Work Visas for Bangladeshi Nationals and Residents
- Types of Portugal Work Visa for Bangladeshi Citizens and Residents
- Eligibility Criteria for Portuguese Work Visas
- How to Get a Portuguese Work Visa
- Documents Required to Apply for a Portuguese Work Visa
- How Much Does a Portuguese Work Visa Cost?
- Portuguese Work Visa Processing Time
- How Total Law Can Help
- Frequently Asked Questions
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Types of Portugal Work Visa for Bangladeshi Citizens and Residents
Overview
Bangladeshi citizens and residents can apply for 2 different types of Portuguese Work visas, depending on how long they wish to live and work in Portugal.
You should apply for a Temporary Stay Work visa if you plan to stay and work in Portugal for more than 90 days, but less than 1 year.
The types of work eligible for a Temporary Stay Work visa include:
- Subordinate seasonal work in the following industries:
- Agriculture, livestock, hunting, forestry, and fishing
- Hospitality and restaurants
- Food, liquor, and tobacco
- Construction
- Land transport
- Independent work
- Highly qualified activity
- Digital nomads and remote work
- Professorial activity
- Amateur sports activity
- Inter-company transfer where you have worked for the company for more than 1 year
- Investigations such as scientific research
Alternatively, if you wish to stay and work in Portugal for more than 1 year, you should apply for a Portuguese Residency visa.
Residency visas are valid for an initial period of 2 years, with the opportunity to renew your visa for an additional 3 years.
The types of work eligible for a Residency visa include:
- Independent work and entrepreneurs
- Professional sports activitiesactivites
- Teaching purposes
- Investment
- Research
- Long-term employment in a Portuguese company
- Long-term transfer to a Portuguese branch of a multinational company.
The 4 most popular types of Portuguese Work visas are discussed in further detail below.
Portugal Job Seeker Visa
Bangladeshi citizens or residents who wish to travel to Portugal without an employment offer may be able to apply for the Portuguese Job Seeker visa.
Holders of the Job Seeker visa may enter Portugal for 120 days in order to look for a job.
Once this initial period has expired, you can renew your visa for an additional 60 days.
You will only be able to enter Portugal once while holding the Job Seeker visa, and you must leave Portugal if you haven’t found a job during this period.
You can reapply for a Portuguese Job Seeker visa 1 year after your last Job Seeker visa expires.
If you find employment while in Portugal, you may be able to apply for a residence permit with SEF, allowing you to live and work in the country for longer.
The Independent Work Visa
Also known as a Digital Nomad visa, an Independent Work visa allows you to live in Portugal while working remotely for an employer who is based outside the country.
To be eligible for a Digital Nomad visa, you must have a contract for remote or freelance work and receive a monthly income of at least 4 times the Portuguese minimum wage, approximately €3,040.
You will not be able to work for a Portuguese employer while holding the Independent Work Visa.
If you live in PortugalPortgal for longer than 183 days, you will be eligible for tax residency status and can apply for Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) status, giving you tax benefits for 10 years.
The Highly Qualified Work Visa
Also known as the D3 visa, the Highly Qualified Work visa grants highly qualified professionals permission to undertake an employment contract with a Portuguese company for at least 1 year.
Highly qualified work is generally considered to include:
- Management and leadership positions
- Experts in intellectual and scientific activities
To be eligible, you must provide evidence of:
- Your educational qualifications and experience, showing your expertise, and
- Your estimated annual pay of at least 1.5 times more than the gross national average salary in Portugal or 3 times the Index of Social Support (IAS). As of October 2023, this figure is approximately €480.43.
The Highly Qualified Work visa is extremely sought after as it comes with many benefits, including the right to free movement, family reunification, and access to healthcare.
The visa is generally valid for the duration of your employment contract and allows for multiple entries into Portugal.
After you have held a Highly Qualified Work visa for 18 months, you may be eligible to apply for a European Union Blue Card.
The EU Blue Card
Highly qualified Bangladeshi citizens and residents who wish to work in Portugal may be eligible to apply for an EU Blue Card.
You will enjoy the same benefits as a Portuguese national while holding a Blue Card but you can only work in the industry your Blue Card was granted for.
To be eligible, you must:
- Have a work contract for highly qualified employment lasting at least 1 year.
- Meet the minimum annual salary threshold of at least 1.5 times more than the gross national average salary in Portugal or 3 times the Index of Social Support (IAS). As of October 2023, this figure is approximately €480.43.
EU Blue Cards are granted for an initial period of 1 year, renewable for successive 2 year periods thereafter.
Once you have had regular employment and held your EU Blue Card for 18 months, you will be able to relocate to another EU member state that recognises the scheme for employment. However, there may be additional criteria set by each member state you must meet.
Eligibility Criteria for Portuguese Work Visas
Bangladeshi citizens and residents are eligible to apply for a Portuguese Work visa if they meet the following criteria:
- You will earn a salary that is above Portugal’s national minimum wage.
- You have obtained the required professional qualifications and experience needed to carry out your intended employment.
- You have no criminal convictions.
- You are not prohibited from entering Portuguese territory.
- You have no admission restrictions in the Schengen or SEF information systems.
If you are being employed by a company:
- You must have obtained a job offer from an employer in Portugal that has been available for at least 1 month and could not have been filled by a Portuguese or EU citizen.
- Your Portuguese employer has obtained a work permit on your behalf.
If you are being transferred to Portugal by your employer, you must have worked for the company in your current country of residence for at least a month.
The requirement to prove sufficient financial resources to support your stay in Portugal may be waived if you provide a term of responsibility, signed by a Portuguese citizen or resident, guaranteeing food, accommodation, and repatriation costs, if required. The Portuguese citizen or resident must provide evidence of sufficient finances of at least 3 times the guaranteed minimum monthly salary.
How to Get a Portuguese Work Visa
Step 1: Obtain an Offer of Employment (If Necessary)
Unless you are applying for a Job Seekers visa or Independent Work visa, you should obtain an offer of employment before you apply for your Portuguese work visa.
Step 2: Your Employer Submits a Work Permit Application
Your employer must apply to SEF for a work permit (Autorização de Trabalho) on your behalf.
When submitting their application, they must provide:
- Your employment contract
- Company tax statements
- Evidence of registration with Portuguese Social Security
- Evidence that the job position has been available for 1 month and that an EU, EEA, or Swiss national could not have filled the position.
Obtaining a Portuguese Work Permit may take up to 60 days.
Step 3: Apply for a Work Visa
Once you have been granted a work permit, you are able to begin the application process for your Portuguese Work visa from the Consulate or the Embassy of Portugal in your country of residence.
In Bangladesh, the Portuguese Consulate is located in Dhaka.
After you submit your application, you should arrange an appointment at the Consulate, where you will need to provide documentation supporting your Work visa application.
Step 4: Travel to Portugal
If your application is successful and you are granted a Portuguese Work visa, you can travel to Portugal for your work.
Being granted a Portuguese Work visa does not guarantee entry into the country. The Portuguese Border Officials have full discretion to refuse entry if they believe you have provided inaccurate or false information.
Similarly, obtaining a Residence visa does not guarantee you will be able to live in Portugal. If you are granted this type of Work visa, you must apply for a residence permit once you are in Portugal.
Step 5: Apply for a Residence Permit
Bangladeshi citizens or residents who wish to remain in Portugal for longer than 90 days must apply for a residence permit with SEF within 4 months.
To do this, you should first open a Portuguese bank account and register at the Portuguese Social Security Office to obtain a tax number (NIF).
You can then book an interview appointment at SEF to apply for your residence permit. Prior to your interview, you should complete the application form and collect the required supporting documents.
If your application is successful, it should take approximately 2 weeks to receive your residence permit.
Documents Required to Apply for a Portuguese Work Visa
Bangladeshi nationals and residents must provide the following documents when applying for a Portuguese Work visa:
- A completed Portuguese Work visa application form
- A valid passport or travel identification document valid for 3 months after your estimated date of return. You should also include a photocopy of your passport showing biographical data.
- 2 recent colour passport photos
- Evidence of sufficient funds to support yourself while in Portugal
- Evidence of a clear criminal record in the country of your nationality and anywhere you have lived for more than 1 year.
- Documents showing you have sufficient accommodation while in Portugal
- Permission for SEF to check your Portuguese criminal record
- Evidence of health insurance covering your stay in Portugal which includes urgent medical assistance and possible repatriation.
If relevant, you should also provide:
- Your employment contract showing the nature and duration of your work.
- An invitation from a research centre or educational institution.
- Proof that your role could not have been filled by an EU or Portuguese citizen
- Proof of return transport arrangements
- Proof of regular status if you are of a nationality other than that of the country where you are applying from, is valid for more than the duration of the visa
- Professional certificates where your profession is regulated in Portugal
- A declaration by competent authorities certifying professional competence for the referred activity
- Proof of investment operations executed and intention to invest in Portugal
- Work accident insurance provided by your employer
Depending on your circumstances, additional documents may be required. To find out what documents you may need to provide, call Total Law at +44 (0) 333 305 9375 or contact us online.
All documents must be translated into Portuguese or English by an accredited translator and certified at the Notario. You should provide both the translated document and the certified original document with your application.
If you are providing official documents such as a diploma or certificate, they may be required to be legalisedlegalized through an Apostille Stamp or the Portuguese Embassy in your country of residence.
How Much Does a Portuguese Work Visa Cost?
The cost of applying for a Portuguese Work visa depends on the type of visa you have applied for.
As of September 2023, the processing fees are:
- €75 for a Temporary Stay visa
- €90 for a Residency visa
- €140 for an EU Blue Card
You are exempt from paying the application process fee if your Work visa application is for highly qualified research activity purposes.
In addition to the Portuguese Work visa application costs, you should also consider additional costs such as:
- Certified translations of documents, if required
- The cost of legalising documents, if required.
- Residence permit application costs
Portuguese Work Visa Processing Time
The Portuguese Work visa application processing time varies depending on the type of visa you are applying for.
Processing time may vary depending on the volume of applications received and whether all of the necessary information has been submitted.
Generally, you can expect to receive a decision about your application in approximately:
- 60 days if you have applied for a Resident visa, except in circumstances stipulated by law; or
- 30 days if you have applied for a Temporary Stay visa.
Highly Qualified Work visas are given priority.
Once a decision has been made, it can take a further 2- months for the Embassy or Consulate to issue your Work visa.
How Total Law Can Help
With so many different types of Portuguese Work visas available for Bangladeshi citizens and residents, many find the application process overwhelming.
If you want to apply for a Portuguese Work visa from Bangladesh and would like advice about your personal circumstances, Total Law can help.
Our experienced team of lawyers and legal advisors is waiting to guide you through the entire application process.
Whether you’d like advice about your supporting documents or need help renewing your Work visa, we have years of experience helping Bangladeshi citizens live and work in Portugal.
For more information about how we can help you obtain your Portuguese Work visa, call Total Law on +44 (0) 333 305 9375 or contact us online today.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, both Temporary Stay visas and Residency Work visas can eventually lead to Portuguese permanent residency and citizenship.
Bangladeshi citizens and nationals who hold a temporary resident permit for 5 years may be eligible to apply for a permanent resident permit.
Permanent residency will give you more rights in Portugal and you will no longer need to apply for a work permit.
After living in Portugal for at least 5 years, you may also be eligible to apply for Portuguese citizenship if you meet the following criteria:
- You have sufficient knowledge of the Portuguese language.
- You have evidence of connection and integration into the Portuguese community.
- You have a clean criminal record.
- You have no overdue tax payments.
Your Work visa is granted for the specified type of employment. This means that if you change jobs while in Portugal, your visa will become invalid.
Your new employer should apply for a work permit and you must apply for another Work visa to remain in Portugal legally.
Yes. If your application for a Work visa in Portugal has been rejected, you will be given an explanation in the refusal letter. It’s important that you address this reason in your appeal.
If you feel that the visa decision was unfair or incorrect, you can:
- Write a letter of appeal to the Consulate or issuer within 15 days of the acknowledgement of denial.
- Appeal the decision within 3 weeks after notification for the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the Consulate.
- Bring an administrative action to a competent court within 3 months after the notification of denial, requesting the overruling of the refusal and the awarding of the visa.
These actions are not mutually exclusive, allowing you to move on to the next stage if you’re not happy with the decision. You may also appeal the decision and bring an action at the same time without waiting for the results of the appeal.
For more information about how to appeal your Portuguese Work visa decision, call Total Law at +44 (0) 333 305 9375 or contact us online.