A Portuguese residence permit allows you to travel freely in Europe and spend up to 90 days out of 180 in Schengen countries. The citizenship allows you to live in any of the EU countries and enter 172 countries, including the USA, UK, Japan and Australia, without visas.
The Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) tax incentive programme exempts from taxation income earned outside Portugal. Until 2023, all new residents were entitled to benefit from this regime for 10 years. Although this rule has been abolished since the beginning of 2024, this beneficial treatment is still available to tax residents of Mallorca and the Azores, as well as a number of highly qualified professionals and employees of start-up companies.
The country is among the top 10 in the Global Peace Index’s ranking of safest countries to live and work in. Portugal’s healthcare system is among the best in the world. According to the WHO, Portugal ranks 12th in the ranking of health care efficiency.
Portugal has some of the lowest requirements for obtaining a residence permit in Europe. You can apply for citizenship in as little as 5 years after applying for a residence permit. And the Golden Visa allows you to maintain residency status by staying in the country for only 7 days a year.
It is a chance to get a residence permit through investment. The investment must be for a minimum of 5 years. The visa is issued for 2 years, after which the residence permit can be extended twice more for two years. In order to retain residency status, you must spend only 7 days a year in the country.
Together with the investor his husband or wife, as well as financially dependent children and parents can apply for a residence permit. After 5 years after applying for a Golden Visa, it is possible to apply for permanent residency status or Portuguese citizenship.
In 2023, the Portuguese government abolished the possibility of obtaining a residence permit for property investments.
You can apply for a Portuguese Golden Visa if you fulfil the following requirements:
It is created for those who want to start a business or open a branch of their company in Portugal. This type of visa is issued for a period of 4 months. This time is given to enter the country, register a company and apply for residency. After two years, the residence permit can be renewed for 3 years. However, to maintain residency status, you must spend at least 6 months a year in Portugal.
Allows you to bring your family members to Portugal. After 5 years of life in the country allows to apply for permanent residency and citizenship.
Issued for an innovative start-up. To qualify for this visa category, you need to secure the support of one of the Portuguese business incubators that will accelerate your project in the future and apply to the Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation (IAPMEI).
One application allows 5 team members and their families to qualify for the startup visa.
In order to obtain an entrepreneur visa, it will be necessary to:
This visa is required if your study in Portugal lasts more than 90 days. Category D4 is suitable for students of undergraduate programmes, student exchange programmes and professional internships. Category D5 is designed for students of Master’s programmes and PhD students.
The visa is issued for 4 months and allows you to apply for residency status for 1 year upon arrival in the country. After a year the status can be extended for up to 5 years. Student visas allow you to bring only your immediate family members: husband, wife or civil partner, as well as minor children. Do not lead to permanent residency or citizenship.
Two visa categories are suitable for those wishing to move to Portugal for work:
To qualify for this visa category, an official invitation to work from a Portuguese company is required. The invitation must be supported by a confirmation from the IEFP employment centre that there are no suitable candidates for the position in Portugal and EU countries. Issued for 1 year and renewable for 2 years. Allows you to bring family members, including adult children and parents who depend on you financially.
In order to qualify for this visa category, a work invitation from a Portuguese company for a highly skilled speciality must be obtained. The contract must be for a minimum of 12 months with a salary of at least 1.5 times the national minimum wage. The position offered must also match your qualifications. The visa is issued for 4 months, which are given to come to the country and apply for the Blue Card, which grants the status of a resident of the country for 2 years. After 5 years it allows you to apply for permanent residency and citizenship.
To be eligible for a Blue Card in Portugal, you need:
Designed for family reunification. Allows Portuguese residents to bring close relatives: husband, wife or civil partner; children, parents and, in some cases, siblings.
Designed for passive income holders wishing to relocate to Portugal. To qualify for this visa category, you must buy or rent a property in Portugal and provide proof of a stable passive income above the minimum wage of €820. To this amount you need to add another 50% if you plan to bring your spouse to Portugal and 30% if you are travelling with a child.
The visa is issued for a period of 4 months. This period is given to enter the country and apply for residency. It is assumed that at least 16 months of the two years for which the residence permit is granted, the applicant will spend on the territory of Portugal. This visa allows you to apply for permanent residency and citizenship after 5 years of life in the country.
Suitable for those who work remotely for a foreign company. This visa will require proof that your monthly income exceeds €3,040 if you are granted a long-term residence permit, or €3,280 if the visa is for up to a year.
It is issued for up to one year and can be renewed up to 4 times for one year each. Does not allow you to bring family members with you to Portugal.
Issued for 4 months. This period is given to enter the country and apply for residency. Residency on this visa is granted for 2 years with the possibility of renewal for another 3 years. Allows you to bring family members. After 5 years it allows you to apply for permanent residency or citizenship.
After 5 years of legal and continuous residency in Portugal, citizens of non-EU/EEA or Swiss jurisdictions and their families can apply for citizenship and a European passport. To qualify for Portuguese citizenship, it is necessary to:
Portugal recognises dual citizenship, so there is no need to renounce your first citizenship when obtaining a Portuguese passport.
Licensed company
Imperial & Legal is regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) UK to the highest, third-class licence. This licence is a guarantee of the quality and transparency of our work. Our legal representatives in Portugal have official licence which allows them to work in the country.
99% success rate
Before signing a contract, our experts carefully study each case. In case of a high probability of rejection, we always explain the risks in detail and offer other possible solutions that can guarantee a positive result.
Individual approach and full support
We will select the right type of visa and provide full legal support throughout the visa application process. Our specialists will develop an individual solution and take care of communication with the immigration service. If necessary, we will help you organise your relocation.
An international student must be approved by the Portuguese Immigration Service before taking up employment.
Therefore, you should first find out what the work requirements are for international students. The essence of these requirements is that your work activity must not interfere with the main purpose of your stay in the country – education.
If you have found a suitable employer, the signed employment contract or service agreement is submitted to the immigration office so that you can be granted another residence permit that allows you to combine study and work.
No, the D2 visa is designed exclusively for the businessman himself. It does not allow you to include your dependents. However, this does not mean that the businessman’s family will not have the opportunity to move to the Portuguese Republic. The D2 visa holder is entitled to apply for a residence permit in Portugal for his wife and child on the basis of the D6 immigration category for family reunification.
The standard immigration route of a foreign passive income holder can be divided into several stages:
Here is the minimum list of documents and information required to apply for a Digital Nomad visa:
The letter from the police must have a certified Portuguese translation. The applicant’s covering letter can be written in English. If you are experiencing difficulties in the process of collecting and preparing supporting documents for a D8 visa, please contact Imperial & Legal for advice.
We offer full relocation support for you and your family and help with obtaining Portugal residence and passport. Get in touch today to discuss your requirements.
Residence by investment
European passport
Citizenship by Investment