Employment visa to Portugal

Issuance of an employment visa of Portugal

Thanks to its warm climate, developed infrastructure, low crime level and transparent taxation, Portugal is a popular destination for migration. Just over 600,000 inhabitants of the country do not have Portuguese roots, which is about 6.5% of the total population.

Most immigrants live in major cities such as Lisbon, Faro, Setúbal and Porto. There are many Chinese and Europeans living in the country, especially from the UK, Ukraine, Russia and France. The immigration system of Portugal is similar to the immigration system of many other countries that are members of the EU.

EU citizens have freedom of travel and Portugal is a part of the Schengen area. Non-EU citizens can move to Portugal for work, study, family reunification or retirement if they meet certain criteria. There is also a Golden Visa program which aims to attract foreigners with money to invest in the country.

According to the UN Migration Management Profile, Portugal provides good access to residential services, social security and education, although these are lacking in some areas such as political rights, foreign residents cannot vote in local elections, for example.

One of the most popular ways to obtain a residence permit with the subsequent registration of permanent residence and citizenship is an employment visa of Portugal. There are two main types of visas, D1 and D3, each of them has its own characteristics and is selected based on the specific situation.

It is important to understand that applicants who are non-EU residents need to confirm and document their permission to be employed in the country. Moreover, such permission is a consequence of the concluded employment contract or offer of appointment. After obtaining the D1 visa, the applicant, under certain conditions, can count on obtaining a residence permit and subsequent naturalization with obtaining  a passport.

It should be understood that the labor market in Portugal for non-residents of the European Union has been seriously affected by high unemployment in the last few years. Many local specialists cannot find employment in their profession, so there are certain quotas and restrictions on possible vacancies for foreign applicants.

Most vacancies must be announced to Portuguese and EU citizens a month prior the Portuguese Institute of Employment and Vocational Training transfers them to the category of vacancies to which foreign job seekers can apply.

D1 visa to Portugal

A key point to consider is that obtaining an employment visa to Portugal of type D1 is possible for subordinate employees. This is a form for citizens with an employment contract in the country, with sufficient income to support themselves during their stay in Portugal and meet other requirements defined in articles 59 or 88 of the Law 23/2007.

Who is eligible for this type of visa? It is appropriate for any non-resident who has entered into an employment contract (or has an offer of an employment contract) with a Portuguese company. The applicant applies for a visa at the embassy of the place of residence. The vacancy to be filled must match the profile of the candidate.

Requirements for the D1 visa to Portugal

How to get the D1 employment visa to Portugal? To begin with, it should be understood that this type of visa is for staying in the country for more than one year and is intended for professionals who have already received a job offer.

It is important to emphasize that it will also be necessary to present an IEFP (Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional) opinion, which shall be sent by the hiring company and serves to confirm that the vacancy has been previously advertised, but has not been filled by any Portuguese or European Union citizen.

The D1 employment visa to Portugal for Ukrainians and CIS citizens is applied when the foreign applicant already has a job offer. It is not appropriate for situations where you are going to search for employment in Portugal.

Documents that will be needed to issue the D1 visa:

1. Employment contract with the employer in Portugal, signed by both parties;
2. A letter from the employer explaining why hiring a visa applicant is important to the company and what characteristics make the applicant indispensable for filling the vacancy, as well as for hiring any other worker;
3. A photocopy of confirmation of your academic and professional background, accompanied by a curriculum vitae;
4. An IEFP opinion on your employment contract (this opinion must be requested by the company that intends to hire you);
5. Declaration signed by the applicant explaining the reasons for the request, indicating the place of residence (permanent or temporary) and the period for which he or she intends to stay in Portugal;
6. Confirmation of means of support in Portugal for the period of stay or a photocopy of the latest tax statement;
7. Residence can be confirmed by presenting one of the following documents:

– confirmation of residential lease by the applicant;

– letter of invitation from a citizen who legally resides in Portugal stating that he will receive the applicant for as long as necessary. If you do not have any of the above documents, you will be able to confirm temporary residence through a hotel reservation within at least one week.

1. International medical travel insurance valid for the period of your stay in Portugal. The insurance policy must include coverage for medical repatriation, emergency medical care, and hospital care. Private health insurance may be a substitute for this document, depending on your country of origin.
2. Certificate of no criminal record (issued for a period not exceeding 3 months);
3.  Photos of the applicant (color, sized 3 by 4 cm);
4. Passport.

Photocopies of all pages of the passport valid for more than 3 months after the visa expires are required. If you are married, you must provide a copy of your marriage certificate. If you have children, copies of their birth certificates are required.

Procedure time for the D1 visa of Portugal

How long does it take to obtain the D1 visa to Portugal? After the application is submitted to our specialists, the process will be analyzed and, if everything is in order, it will be entered into the visa system. After that, it takes an average of 30-90 days to receive a decision from the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF).

Finally, the quality of life should not be discounted: Portugal is a wonderful country from this point of view. The climate, security, education systems, health care and infrastructure here are first-class, as hundreds of our fellow citizens who have received Portuguese citizenship have already seen.

Blue visa of Portugal. D3 Visa

The D3 employment visa of Portugal provides obtaining a work permit and a residence permit for highly qualified employees from countries outside the EU. The D3 employment visa of Portugal is valid for the period from one to four years and allows non-EU residents to work in 24 of 27 countries that are members of the European Union (excluding Denmark, Ireland and Great Britain).

After receiving the blue card, an applicant who has lived in Portugal for 18 months can apply for a residence permit for researchers or highly skilled migrants.

Requirements for the D3 blue visa to Portugal

The D3 employment visa of Portugal provides activity of a highly qualified non-resident specialist, but what does it imply? The Aliens Act defines high-skilled activities as work, the performance of which requires special technical skills of an exceptional nature or appropriate qualifications for the performance of this function.

In particular, the European Commission considers that highly skilled activities are carried out by professionals belonging to one of two groups:

• Managerial positions

Applicants may apply for such positions as head executives, executive and legislative officers, senior government officials, directors, administrative and commercial managers, service and similar managers, and company managers.

• Experts in the field of intellectual and scientific activity

These can be engineers and scientists, health professionals, teachers, business and management professionals, information and communication technology professionals, cultural professionals, lawyers. What is necessary to obtain the D3 visa? In order to apply for it at the embassy or consulate of Portugal, the applicant must already have an employment contract or undertaking to execute an employment contract, and must also fulfill the following specific requirements:

• The activity to be performed must be framed as a highly skilled job, and the applicant must confirm the qualifications and experience to carry it out.

• The employment contract shall be concluded for at least one year.

• Expected salary shall be at least 1.5 times higher than the national average gross wage or three times higher than the Social Assistance Index (IAS).

Occupations considered to be particularly in need of third-country nationals require  salary 1.2 times higher than the country’s average gross wage or double amount of the IAS. The Social Assistance Index is a reference value for calculating social security level in Portugal. Its value in 2020, for example, was 438.81 euros.

If the D3 visa applicant wishes to obtain the EU Blue Card as a follow-up, their salary should be slightly higher (1.5 times higher than the national average annual gross salary).

Required documents for an employment visa to Portugal include:

1. Photocopy of confirmation of the applicant’s academic and professional qualifications, accompanied by a curriculum vitae;
2. Declaration, signed by the applicant, explaining the reasons and purposes of the application (not mandatory, but recommended document);
3. Confirmation of means of support (confirmation of income or photocopy of latest tax statement, period of liability signed by the employer or host party);
4. Confirmation of residence (lease agreement, letter of invitation from a citizen legally residing in Portugal or hotel reservation);
5. Health insurance valid for the period of your stay in the country;
6. Certificate of no criminal record (valid for 3 months after issuance);
7. Two latest color photographs sized 3×4 cm;
8. A copy of the passport, as well as the applicant’s written consent to receive a passport by mail at the place of residence or receive it at the consulate;
9. A copy of the marriage certificate, if any;
10. A simple copy of the children’s birth certificate, if the applicant has any;
11. Printed, filled in and signed visa application.

After you fill in the online visa application, the application will be reviewed and, if approved, your passport will be attached to the application package. The visa will allow you to travel to Portugal and apply for a residence permit with the SEF (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras / Foreigners and Borders Service), which in this case could be an EU Blue Card.

The visa is valid only for 4 months, so the residence permit is the “final” document that entitles the professional to reside in Portugal.

Procedure time for the blue D3 visa of Portugal

The period of validity of the D3 visa of Portugal may vary depending on each visa application center responsible for the region in which the applicant resides. In general, if the process is organized correctly, it usually takes 30 to 60 days to complete it, with a decision being made.

However, if the applicant has not attached all documents or the forms have been incorrectly completed, this time may be significantly longer as the Visa Application Center will notify the applicant or may even call him in order to fill in the gaps or clarify any doubts.

If you are interested in the D3/D1 Visa, the specialists of our company are ready to provide any assistance in preparing and filling in the documentation. We will tell you the price of an employment visa to Portugal and how long the process in each case takes.