Portugal Work Visa in 2026: the Job Seeker Visa Is Suspended and the Employer Now Applies

To work legally in Portugal, a non-EU citizen needs a work residence visa issued by a Portuguese consulate in the country of residence, obtained before travelling. Two points define the Portugal work visa in 2026. First, the popular job seeker visa is currently suspended. Second, the work visa process now begins with the employer, not the candidate. This guide explains the current routes, the requirements and what changed.

The change comes from Decree-Law no. 37-A/2024 and Law no. 61/2025, which set 31 December 2025 as the deadline for applications still pending. As the rules changed substantially in 2024 and 2025, a large part of the guidance still circulating online is out of date, so checking the date of any source is essential.

Is the Portugal job seeker visa still available?

No. This is the most searched route and also the one that changed most. Law no. 61/2025 amended Article 57-A of Law no. 23/2007 and removed the previous general job seeker visa. Since 23 October 2025, Portuguese consulates and the external visa centres, including VFS Global, no longer accept these applications, and appointments scheduled from that date were cancelled.

A new visa for qualified job search was created in its place, aimed at candidates with specialised technical skills. This new route cannot be requested yet. Applications will only be accepted once the category is regulated by a joint government order that will define which professions count as qualified. Until that order is published, the job search route remains closed at the consulates. In practical terms, in 2026 a formal job offer is required before travelling.

What types of work visa does Portugal offer?

There is no single work visa. The correct type depends on the nature of the activity and the qualification of the candidate. The main routes are:

• Residence visa for subordinate work, known as the D1, under Article 59 of Law no. 23/2007, for candidates with an employment contract or a promise of contract with a company based in Portugal;

• Residence visa for independent professional activity or entrepreneurs, under Article 60, for self-employed professionals and service providers;

• Residence visa for teaching, highly qualified or cultural activity, under Article 61, granted to those holding an employment contract, a service contract or an invitation letter from a teaching institution, research centre or cultural body;

• Residence visa for highly qualified subordinate activity, under Article 61-A, which corresponds to the EU Blue Card and requires a contract of at least six months and a salary that in 2026 is around 1,612 euros per month, three times the social support index, or alternatively 1.5 times the national average salary;

• Visa for qualified job search, under Article 57-A, currently suspended and pending the regulation described above;

• Residence visa for remote work performed for entities outside Portugal, the D8, under Article 61-B, the digital nomad route.

Choosing the wrong route at the application stage is one of the most common reasons for refusal. The last of these routes, for people working remotely for companies or clients based outside Portugal, has rules of its own and is covered in detail in our guide to the D8 digital nomad visa.

The work visa now depends on the employer

The most important change concerns the subordinate work visa, set out in Article 59 of Law no. 23/2007. The residence visa for subordinate work can be granted to a candidate who meets the general conditions and, in the alternative, either holds an employment contract or a promise of contract, or has suitable qualifications together with an individualised expression of interest from the employer. In either case, a concrete employer in Portugal is indispensable.

Once granted, the residence visa is valid for two entries and allows a four month stay, within which the residence permit must be requested from AIMA, the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum. The granting of the visa also issues a pre-authorisation of residence, which includes the provisional attribution of the tax, social security and national health service numbers. From the residence permit onwards, the stay no longer depends on the initial visa.

Requirements and documents

Documents vary by visa type, but the common core includes:

• A valid passport or travel document;

• A criminal record certificate from the country of origin and from any country of residence for more than one year, duly legalised or apostilled;

• Proof of sufficient means of subsistence for the period of stay;

• Travel insurance covering the stay;

• Proof of accommodation in Portugal;

• An employment contract, promise of contract or individualised expression of interest from the employer, for the subordinate work visa;

• Proof of entitlement to practise the profession, where it is a regulated profession in Portugal.

The reference figure for means of subsistence is linked to the guaranteed minimum monthly wage, set at 920 euros per month in 2026. Under Ordinance no. 1563/2007, it is counted as 100 per cent of that value for the first adult, plus 50 per cent for each additional adult and 30 per cent for each child under 18, and the residence visa must secure these means for a period of no less than twelve months. The consular authority may request additional documents depending on the individual case.

How long does it take and how much does it cost?

The process is not immediate. The law sets 60 days for a decision on the residence visa application, counted from its submission, and 30 days for the visa for teaching, highly qualified or cultural activity.

As for cost, the consular fee for a residence visa is 110 euros, set by ordinance, to which the external service provider adds its own charge, which varies from country to country. Since 1 February 2025, the visa for teaching, highly qualified or cultural activity has been exempt from the consular fee, while the remaining charges still apply. In practice, what best avoids delays is filing a complete application from the outset.

Applying from India, Bangladesh or Nepal

For nationals of India, Bangladesh, Nepal and other South Asian countries, the route is the same as for any non-EU citizen. Applicants residing in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka or the Maldives fall under the Consular Section of the Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi. Since 15 April 2026, this consular section only accepts subordinate work visa requests submitted by the hiring company, which addresses the embassy and requests the appointment for its workers. Before that date the candidate could start the process directly; now the employer takes the first step. Those who currently work in the Gulf apply instead through the Portuguese consulate of their country of residence.

For candidates from India, Bangladesh or Nepal, the decisive first step is therefore a valid job offer from a Portuguese company, since the process now begins with the employer.

After arrival: the residence permit

The work visa is the entry point, not the final status. After arrival, the holder must request the residence permit from AIMA within the window granted by the visa. The grant must be decided within 90 days and the renewal within 60, and a separate fee applies, distinct from the consular one. That permit is what allows a longer stay and renewal. For Portuguese nationality, however, the period of legal residence counts from the moment the person is in Portugal under a valid visa, title or authorisation, and not only from the residence permit, under Article 15 of the Nationality Act. The subject is covered in the article on the new Portuguese nationality law.

Those who wish to live in Portugal without working, on their own income or a pension, have a separate route, the D7 visa. Those keeping a job or clients abroad and working remotely should read about the digital nomad visa. Those considering investment can read about the Golden Visa in Portugal.

Frequently asked questions

Can I enter Portugal as a tourist and then apply for a work visa?

No. In-country regularisation through work, the former expression of interest procedure, was revoked by Decree-Law no. 37-A/2024 of 3 June, in force since 4 June 2024, and Law no. 61/2025 confirmed the end of this route. The work visa must be requested at the Portuguese consulate in the country of residence, before travelling.

Do I need a job offer before applying?

In practice, in 2026, yes, an employer must be involved. The subordinate work visa rests on a contract or promise of contract with a company in Portugal or, for qualified candidates, on an individualised expression of interest from that company. The alternative that would waive the contract, the qualified job search visa, is suspended until its regulation is published.

Is the job seeker visa coming back?

Only the qualified version, and only once the government order defining the eligible professions is published. Until then, no job search visa is being issued at the consulates.

Can my family join me?

Yes, and there is no need to wait. Under Article 58 of Law no. 23/2007, the residence visa also serves the purpose of accompanying the applicant's family members, and both applications may be filed at the same time. Family members include the spouse, dependent minor or incapacitated children and dependent ascendants in the first degree.

Family reunification is a separate route, designed for those already residing in Portugal who wish to bring their family later. There, Law no. 61/2025 made the conditions more demanding: Article 98 now requires a residence permit valid for at least two years, with a shorter period of 15 months for a spouse or equivalent partner in certain cases and exceptions for dependent minor or incapacitated children.

How long is the residence permit valid?

The temporary residence permit is valid for two years from the date the document is issued and is renewable for successive periods of three years, under Article 75 of Law no. 23/2007. It must also be renewed whenever the identification details recorded in it change. The permanent residence permit has no validity limit, although the document itself is renewed every five years.

Assistance with your Portugal work visa

Choosing the right visa, filing a complete application and meeting the rules as changed between 2024 and 2026 determine whether a request succeeds. As the process now depends on the employer and the job search route is suspended, professional guidance has become more valuable, both for the candidate and for the hiring company. Dutra & Ferrari has handled many immigration cases for Portugal and assists at every stage, from the consulate to the residence permit. For a first assessment, it is enough to gather the passport, the professional documents and the job offer or the details of the employer in Portugal, and get in touch with the firm.