Portugal Work Visa from UK

As a member of the Schengen Agreement, Portugal does not require citizens of EU and EEA nations, and Switzerland, to hold a work visa to live and work in the country. However, they will need to get hold of a Certificado de Registo (Residence Certificate) if they are remaining in the country for longer than three months.

Nations with certain bilateral agreements with Portugal may also not require a Work visa. People from Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the USA, and more can apply for visas on arrival.

Portuguese Work visas are built for non-EU nationals from countries that don’t have such agreements with Portugal. They allow you to come to Portugal to live and work, but are only eligible for up to four months. This is enough time to obtain a residence permit from the Portuguese Immigration and Borders Service (SEF, Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras).

Page Contents

• When Will You Need a Portuguese Work Visa?
• Types of Portuguese Work Visas
• Portuguese Work Visas Requirements
• Required Documents for a Work Visa Application
• The EU Blue Card
• Portuguese Work Visas Application Process
• Applying for Portugal Work Visa with Total Law
• Portuguese Resident Permit
• Getting a Permanent Residence Permit and Citizenship
• How Can Total Law Help?
• FAQs

There are a host of standard requirements to get a Portuguese Work visa. Standard requirements include the following:

• You haven’t been convicted of crimes in Portugal or your home country.
• Your employer has obtained a work permit on your behalf.
• You earn a high enough salary for the visa requirements, usually at least Portugal’s national minimum wage.
• You don’t have admission restrictions for Portugal or the Schengen Agreement’s information systems.

Show that you meet the eligibility requirements by bringing together a broad range of documentation, including the following:

• A work permit.
• Passport-style photographs.
• Proof that you have enough finances to support your trip to Portugal.
• A valid passport.
• Travel details.
• Proof of health insurance coverage of at least 30,000 euros.
• A clean criminal record from your home country.
• Proof that you are a citizen of or have legal residence in the country from which you are applying.

These are the standard documents required across most Portuguese work visas. There will usually be additional documentation that you will need to provide based on the specific Work visa you apply for.

All documents must be in Portuguese or English. Get a certified translator to provide notarised translations of any documents that are in a different language. Some documents will also need to be legalised to show that they are authentic via your nation’s Portuguese Embassy.

Portuguese immigration authorities also require your employer to provide a range of documentation when they apply for a work permit on your behalf:

• The business’s tax records.
• Their social security registration.
• The employment contract signed by the employer and yourself.
• Evidence that the business couldn’t find a suitable EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen.

Your work permit will only be valid for work under the employer that obtained it for you. If you change employers in Portugal, you will need to obtain a new work permit.

Although not strictly a type of Portuguese Work visa, it is worth mentioning the EU Blue Card, as it can be used to work in Portugal. This card allows the most qualified and experienced workers to live and work in an EU country of their choosing for up to four years (excluding Denmark and Ireland). Each country distributes EU Blue Cards according to the needs of its economies, and each company needs to justify the hiring of EU Blue Card holders by showing they cannot fill the role with domestic or EU talent. Applicants need a valid employment contract or binding job offer that lasts at least a year to apply.

Alongside occupying a suitably highly skilled role, Blue Card holders in Portugal also need to earn a high salary. This is 1.5 times the gross average national salary, reduced to 1.2 times for the most in-demand professions.

A Portuguese EU Blue Card is issued for an initial eligibility period of two years, and you can decide to renew it for periods of an additional three years. You can expect processing to take 90 days.

Follow the four-step process detailed below to obtain your Portuguese Work visa.

1. Successfully apply for a role in Portugal and obtain a work permit from your prospective employer.
2. Gather your supporting documentation and fill in your application form. Invalid or incomplete documentation will put your application at risk.
3. Book and attend an appointment with your local Portuguese Embassy or Consulate.
4. Wait for your visa to be processed.

Any visa application process is time-consuming, but you can’t cut corners, as issues with your application will severely reduce your chances of success. Portugal’s work visas are no different. That is why plenty of applicants decide to get help from immigration lawyers and advisors, such as Total Law.

Our law firm offers an end-to-end service, starting by helping you to understand exactly which visa is most suited to your needs and characteristics. We can then guide you through the application process’s requirements, gathering all the necessary documentation and arranging translations as necessary. Next, we help you to submit your application and use our connections within the Portuguese government to keep you updated on your application’s process. Fast-track packages are also available if you have a tight deadline, such as if your work contract in Portugal has a rapidly approaching starting date.

Our assistance doesn’t end once you have received a decision for your application. We can help with appeals if you face a rejection, or can help you to resubmit your application and have amended any issues. Once you are in Portugal, we can help you get settled in through the residence permit application process. Then, after you have met the residency requirements, we can help you obtain a permanent resident permit and Portuguese citizenship.

Learn more about the range of services we offer for Portuguese work visas by visiting our website. You can then call us at +44 (0) 333 305 9375 to get connected with an expert in Portuguese immigration law who can get your application process started.

Most Portuguese work visas are a type of Portuguese residency visa. This is a pathway to living in Portugal, but it has a standard validity of just four months. During this time, you are expected to register for a Social Security number and apply for a Portuguese residence permit via SEF.

Make your application in Portugal. The standard application processing time is 60 days, so keep hold of the SEF’s confirmation of having received your application. You can use this if your visa has expired while you are waiting, and an official asks for evidence that you are legally working in Portugal.

As with your initial work visa, you need to make sure documents are legalised as needed and translated into Portuguese or English. The usual documentation required includes the following:

• A valid passport.
• Passport-style photographs.
• Proof that you have Portuguese National Health Service coverage or comprehensive health insurance.
• Your work visa.
• Proof of health insurance coverage or that you are eligible for Portuguese National Health Service care.
• Proof of good character, usually through a clear police certificate.
• Evidence of accommodation and the ability to support yourself and any dependents without needing welfare.

Your residence permit application will have a general fee of €90. This is also the fee paid when you renew your residence permit. After a successful application, a further issuance fee of €72 is also payable.

The residence permit card that you will receive when you first present yourself at a SEF office and apply for residency is known as a temporary residence permit card. It has limited validity and will need to be renewed for you to legally remain in Portugal. Once you have been in Portugal for at least five years, you can apply for a permanent residency permit. This status gives you the right to remain in Portugal for periods of up to ten years.

Another option is citizenship by naturalisation. This option will open up once you have lived continuously in Portugal for six years or longer. Becoming a Portuguese citizen is particularly appealing for many Britons now that the UK has left the European Union. It will allow you to live, work and study visa-free throughout the European Union. You may also be able to retain your original citizenship.

Your citizenship application will take a year to process and cost €250. Throughout this time, it is your responsibility to ensure that your temporary or permanent residence permit remains valid so that you don’t have to leave the country.

Obtaining Portuguese citizenship through this pathway will require you to show in your application that you fit the following requirements:

• Your Portuguese language capabilities have been assessed according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale at level A2 or higher. This level is known as pre-intermediate.
• You are integrated into your local community.
• You have shown good character by not breaking the law while a resident in Portugal.
• You don’t have unpaid tax.

Family reunification visas are valid for four months (i.e., 120 days). You must apply for a residence permit after arriving in Portugal on a D6 visa.

The validity of a family reunification residence permit usually depends on the legal status of the sponsor in Portugal. If the sponsor holds a temporary residence permit, the family reunification visa/permit will be valid until the said temporary residence permit expires. It can be renewed, however, provided the sponsor continues to reside in Portugal legally.

Usually, a Portuguese family residence permit is issued initially for one or two years, renewable thereafter depending on the sponsoring family member’s residency status in Portugal.