EuropeSelect the passports you hold to see short-stay access and per-route eligibility for Portugal.
Short stays: tourism, transit, business trips, medical, pilgrimage.
Tourist Visa
Electronic travel authorisation for visa-exempt nationals (e.g. US, UK, Canada, Japan). Valid 3 years for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. We apply on your behalf end-to-end. Fees illustrative.
Tourist Visa
Short-stay visa for tourism: up to 90 days within any 180-day period. We prepare your forms and documents; you attend the consulate/VFS appointment to submit biometrics. Government fee EUR 90 (illustrative).
Transit Visa
Required by some nationalities to pass through the international transit area of a Schengen airport without entering. Whether you need one depends on your nationality. Government fee EUR 90 (illustrative).
Business Visitor Visa
Short-stay visa for business trips (meetings, conferences, negotiations): up to 90 days within any 180-day period. We prepare forms and documents; you submit at the consulate/VFS. Government fee EUR 90 (illustrative).
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Universities, language courses, internships and exchanges.
Student Visa
For stays over 90 days to study. Issued under national rules -- apply at the consulate of your destination country. We guide you; submission is in person. Fees and processing times vary by country.
Student Visa
Residence visa for non-EU students admitted to a Portuguese higher-education programme (or research, internship or volunteering) lasting more than one year. Financial means equal to the minimum wage (EUR 920/month in 2026, about EUR 11,040/year) must be shown, though students at officially recognised institutions are exempt from some insurance/subsistence documentation. Converts to a student residence permit valid for the study period; students may later switch to work permits, and study time counts (partially) toward residence for citizenship.
Language Course Visa
Temporary stay visa for study programmes, language or academic/professional training courses, student exchanges and similar activities lasting between 3 and 12 months. Multiple-entry and valid for the full duration of the stay; it does not convert to a residence permit. Requires enrolment proof, subsistence means and accommodation.
Internship / Trainee Visa
For trainees accepted by a Portuguese company or certified training facility: internships under 12 months use a temporary stay visa, while programmes over a year use the residency-type internship visa. Requires an acceptance letter, training contract/calendar and a means-of-subsistence statement (which may be provided by the host organisation). Unpaid internships and volunteer programmes follow a similar checklist.
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Digital nomad, freelance, skilled employment and company transfers.
Digital Nomad Visa
For non-EU remote employees and freelancers working for employers/clients outside Portugal. Requires average monthly income over the last 3 months of at least 4x the Portuguese minimum wage (4 x EUR 920 = EUR 3,680/month in 2026) plus savings of about EUR 11,040. The 4-month double-entry visa converts to a 2-year residence permit, renewable for 3 years, with permanent residence possible after 5 years; a temporary-stay (up to 12 months) variant also exists.
Self-Employment Visa
For non-EU nationals starting or relocating a business, investing in a Portuguese company, or working as self-employed professionals/freelancers with a services contract. No fixed minimum investment, but applicants must show executed investment operations or funds available in Portugal, a viable business plan, and subsistence means of roughly one year of minimum wage (about EUR 11,040). Leads to a 2-year residence permit renewable for 3 years, with permanent residence or citizenship eligibility thereafter.
Startup / Entrepreneur Visa
Residence route for founders of innovative, scalable startups who sign an incubation contract with an IAPMEI-certified Portuguese incubator; IAPMEI evaluates innovation, scalability and the potential to reach EUR 325,000+ turnover or asset value 5 years after incubation. No fixed capital requirement, but applicants must show subsistence funds (about EUR 5,147 per person per IAPMEI guidance). IAPMEI decides certification within 30 business days; the visa then leads to a 2-year residence permit renewable for 3 years.
Skilled Work Visa
For stays over 90 days to work. Requires employer sponsorship / a work permit before you can apply, so eligibility is conditional. Issued under national rules -- apply at the consulate of your destination country. Fees and processing times vary by country.
Skilled Work Visa
For non-EU nationals with a Portuguese employment contract or binding promise of contract. Law 61/2025 (in force 23 Oct 2025) tightened labour migration, ending the post-entry 'manifestation of interest' regularisation, so a work visa obtained before arrival is now the standard route. The 4-month visa converts to a 2-year residence permit, renewable for 3 years, counting toward permanent residence after 5 years.
Skilled Work Visa
Law 61/2025 replaced the general job-seeker visa with a visa restricted to highly qualified professionals (higher education plus relevant experience), valid 120 days and extendable by 60 days (180 total), allowing the holder to enter Portugal, seek and take up highly qualified work, with proof of funds of about 3x the minimum wage (EUR 2,760 in 2026). IMPORTANT: as of June 2026 the official visa portal states it is NOT yet available at consular posts, pending regulation of Article 57-A of the Foreigners' Law. If no employment is found, the holder must leave and may only reapply one year after the previous visa expires.
Skilled Work Visa
For highly qualified professionals (higher-education degree or equivalent specialised experience) with a Portuguese job offer. The D3 requires pay of at least 1.5x the national average gross annual salary or 3x the social support index (IAS); the EU Blue Card variant requires 1.5x average gross salary (reduced to 1.2x/1.0x for listed shortage occupations under Directive 2021/1883). Leads to a residence permit renewable toward permanent residence; Blue Card holders are exempt from the 2-year wait for family reunification.
Seasonal Work Visa
Temporary stay visa for seasonal work of 90 days to 9 months in listed sectors (agriculture/forestry/fishing, accommodation and catering, food/beverage industry, retail, construction and land transport). Requires a work contract or binding promise stating location, duration, salary and paid leave, plus accommodation and insurance. A simplified, prioritised procedure (15-day decision, fewer documents) applies to workers who held Portuguese seasonal work admission in the previous 5 years; the visa does not lead to a residence permit.
Intra-Company Transfer Visa
For managers, specialists and trainee employees transferred to a Portuguese entity of the same corporate group: prior employment of 3-12 months (managers/specialists) or 3-6 months (trainees) with the group is required. Permits are issued for up to 3 years (managers/specialists) or 1 year (trainees), are not renewable beyond those caps, and a 6-month cooling-off period applies before a new ICT assignment. EU mobility rules let ICT holders work at group entities in other member states.
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Golden visas, real estate, citizenship by investment, passive income.
Golden Visa (Residence by Investment)
Residence permit for investment activity, applied for directly to AIMA via the ARI portal (no consular visa needed for legal entrants). Main route is EUR 500,000 in a CMVM-regulated Portuguese investment/venture fund (non-real-estate); alternatives include EUR 250,000 cultural/heritage donation, EUR 500,000 in research, or creating 10 jobs. Requires only ~7 days/year average stay; permit issued for 2 years and renewable, with citizenship eligibility after 7 years (EU/CPLP nationals) or 10 years under the 2026 nationality law; separate AIMA analysis and issuance fees apply per person (several thousand euros).
Non-Lucrative / Passive Income Visa
For non-EU nationals living off stable passive income (pensions, rents, dividends, intellectual property, financial assets). In practice the threshold is the Portuguese minimum wage, EUR 920/month (EUR 11,040/year) in 2026, +50% for a spouse and +30% per dependent child. Grants a 4-month visa converting to a 2-year residence permit, renewable for 3 years; permanent residence/long-term status possible after 5 years.
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Retirement visas and working holiday schemes.
Retirement Visa
Retirement is handled under the D7 fixed-residency visa for pensioners: applicants must document their pension amount, with the practical benchmark being the Portuguese minimum wage (EUR 920/month in 2026, +50% spouse, +30% per child). Leads to a 2-year residence permit renewable for 3 years and eligibility for permanent residence after 5 years. A temporary-stay retirement visa (up to 12 months) also exists for non-permanent stays.
Working Holiday Visa
Portugal runs youth-mobility / working-holiday agreements with Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, New Zealand, Peru, South Korea, the USA and Uruguay, generally for ages 18-30 (18-35 for Canada and Uruguay, 18-34 for South Korea). The stay is up to 12 months, with work, training or study allowed on a secondary basis (work often capped around 6 months depending on the agreement). Requires subsistence funds or a return ticket, insurance and a clean criminal record; the visa is not renewable.
Reunification, spouse routes and ancestry-based repatriation.
Family Reunification Visa
For family members of non-EU nationals legally resident in Portugal; since Law 61/2025 the sponsor must generally have held a residence permit for at least 2 years (exemptions: families with minor/dependent children, Golden Visa, EU Blue Card and highly qualified permit holders; reduced 15-month wait after 18 months of proven prior cohabitation). AIMA must first approve the reunification request (decision within 9 months) before the visa is issued; eligible members are mainly spouses/partners, minor or dependent children and dependent ascendants. Certain family-reunification applicants (descendants of permit holders) are exempt from the EUR 110 visa fee.
Spouse / Partner Visa
Non-EU spouses, registered/de-facto partners, children and dependent relatives of EU citizens (and of Portuguese citizens residing in Portugal) apply to AIMA for a residence card under Law 37/2006 (transposing Directive 2004/38/EC), within 30 days after their first 3 months in the country. The card is valid for up to 5 years and gives full access to work; permanent residence is possible after 5 years. Spouses of Portuguese citizens may apply for citizenship after 3 years of marriage under the nationality law (subject to the 2026 reform's stricter connection requirements).
Ancestry / Repatriation
Children of Portuguese citizens acquire citizenship by attribution; grandchildren of Portuguese nationals qualify without ever living in Portugal but must show effective ties, presumed with A2-level Portuguese (CIPLE). The May 2026 reform (Lei Organica 1/2026) added a great-grandchild route requiring B1 Portuguese, demonstrated community connection and 5 years of legal residence in Portugal, while raising general naturalisation residence from 5 to 10 years (7 for EU/CPLP nationals). Applications are filed at IRN civil registries or Portuguese consulates.
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Talent, religious, humanitarian, media, official and permanent residence.
Long-Term Residence Permit
After 5 years of legal, continuous residence, third-country nationals can apply to AIMA for EU long-term resident status, showing stable resources, health insurance, accommodation and basic Portuguese (A2). The permit is valid 5 years and renewable, gives near-equal treatment with nationals and facilitates mobility to other EU states. Portugal also offers a parallel national permanent residence permit after the same 5-year period; both routes coexist with (now 7/10-year) citizenship eligibility.
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