Portugal · Work
Portugal Graduate job search
First stay: 1 yr
Residence authorization for graduates searching for work or starting a company (Art. 122(1)(p) REPSAE)
First checked against official sources on Rule changed 18 May 2026Change log
Key facts
Graduate job search is a work route for Portugal. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Government fees
- €133 ≈ $150 · €114 ≈ $130
- Processing
- Up to 90 days
- First stay
- 1 yr
Cost, time and long term
To apply: 2 government fees listed below; decision: up to 90 days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government fees€133 ≈ $150 · €114 ≈ $130
- EUR 133 (≈ $150)Application review fee for the residence permit; EUR 99.80 (≈ $110) when the application is filed digitally.
- EUR 114.3 (≈ $130)Fee for granting or renewing the temporary residence permit; EUR 85.80 (≈ $96) when applied for digitally.
Renewal1 year max in total
The job-search or company-creation period lasts at most one year; staying longer needs another residence permit, such as a work permit.
Permanent residenceAfter 5 years of residence
Permanent residence needs five years on a temporary residence authorization, no serious recent conviction, means of subsistence, housing and basic Portuguese.
CitizenshipAfter 10 years of residence
Naturalisation needs 10 years of legal residence on any residence title or visa (7 years for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries and EU states), plus Portuguese language and culture, and means of subsistence.
ProcessingUp to 90 days
AIMA must decide a residence permit application within 90 days, extendable by 30 days in exceptional cases; renewals within 60 days.
Where to applyInside the country
Apply at AIMA in Portugal without a new residence visa after finishing a master's, doctorate or research stay on a Portuguese permit.
Presence rulesStay rule
A temporary permit can be cancelled if you are away from Portugal without good reason for 6 consecutive months or 8 months in total during its validity, unless you worked or ran a business abroad.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Time on this route is capped at 1 year in total
- Needs earlier residence or an existing status in Portugal
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- The applicant held a higher-education student permit under Art. 91 or a research permit under Art. 91-B.
- The applicant has completed the studies or research project.
What you must show1
- Means of subsistence shown by an employment contract or promise, a service contract or a tax-authority start-of-activity declaration.
Documents3
- Declaration from the institution or the research project entity confirming completion.
- A declaration that the applicant wants the maximum one-year period to search for work.
- Authenticated criminal record.
Steps1
- The application is made in Portugal without a residence visa.
What happens at day 183
How Portugal decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 1 year in total
- Tax residence
- More than 183 days in any 12-month period starting or ending in the tax yearResidence by presence.
- Foreign-source income
Resident individuals are taxed on worldwide income, including foreign-source income, at progressive rates from 12.5% up to 48% on the 2026 brackets set by the 2026 State Budget (Lei 73-A/2025: first bracket up to EUR 8,342, (≈ $9,320) top rate above EUR 86,634 (≈ $96,800)), plus an additional solidarity rate of 2.5% on taxable income above EUR 80,000 (≈ $89,400) and 5% above EUR 250,000 (≈ $279,000); non-residents are taxed on Portuguese-source income.
All tax rules for Portugal Tax records checked
Full official text
Residence authorization without a new visa for people who finished higher-education studies or research on a Portuguese permit and want up to one year to find work or set up a company matching their qualifications. 1 2 3 4 5
What you must show and pay
- A fee of EUR 133 (≈ $150) · Application review fee for the residence permit; EUR 99.80 (≈ $110) when the application is filed digitally. 3
- A fee of EUR 114.3 (≈ $130) · Fee for granting or renewing the temporary residence permit; EUR 85.80 (≈ $96) when applied for digitally. 3
Requirements
- The applicant held a higher-education student permit under Art. 91 or a research permit under Art. 91-B. 2 1
- The applicant has completed the studies or research project. 1
- Means of subsistence shown by an employment contract or promise, a service contract or a tax-authority start-of-activity declaration. 1
- Declaration from the institution or the research project entity confirming completion. 1
- A declaration that the applicant wants the maximum one-year period to search for work. 1
- Authenticated criminal record. 1
- The application is made in Portugal without a residence visa. 2
Stay
- The search period is a maximum of one year.
- Initial permitted stay: 12 months.
Nationality
Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Work
Holder may look for work or start a company in Portugal for up to one year.
Family
Spouse or partner, minor or dependent children, unmarried adult children studying in Portugal, dependent parents and minor siblings under guardianship can apply for family reunification once the holder's permit has been valid for two years; the wait does not apply to minor or dependent children. Your spouse or partner may work in Portugal without a separate permit.
Official sources
- Graduates and researchers who wish to work or search for work, Art. 122(1)(p) · AIMA · checked 2026-10-10
- Lei n.º 23/2007 (Foreigners Law, REPSAE), consolidated text current to Lei n.º 62/2026 of 10 September 2026 · Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa (consolidated legislation) · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2026-09-10
- AIMA table of fees for residence and stay procedures (Portaria 307/2023 as consolidated, in force from 1 March 2026) · Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2026-03-01
- AIMA family reunification, Article 98(2) in Portugal · AIMA · checked 2026-10-10
- Lei n.º 61/2025 of 22 October (amends Law 23/2007, Arts. 98-105) · Diário da República · checked 2026-10-10
- Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026 of 18 May (amends the Nationality Law, Law 37/81) · Diário da República / Assembleia da República · checked 2026-10-11
Graduate job search and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate job search | – | 1 yr | – |
| Blue Card | Needs income from €1,726 a month ≈ $1,930 | 2 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Cultural activity permit | – | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Highly qualified permit | Needs income from €1,074 a month ≈ $1,200 | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Intra-company transfer | – | 1 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Graduate job search?
A fee of EUR 133 (≈ $150). Application review fee for the residence permit; EUR 99.80 (≈ $110) when the application is filed digitally. A fee of EUR 114.3 (≈ $130). Fee for granting or renewing the temporary residence permit; EUR 85.80 (≈ $96) when applied for digitally.
How long can I stay on the Graduate job search?
The search period is a maximum of one year.
How long does the Graduate job search take to process?
AIMA must decide a residence permit application within 90 days, extendable by 30 days in exceptional cases; renewals within 60 days.
Can I work on the Graduate job search?
Holder may look for work or start a company in Portugal for up to one year.
Can I bring my family on the Graduate job search?
Spouse or partner, minor or dependent children, unmarried adult children studying in Portugal, dependent parents and minor siblings under guardianship can apply for family reunification once the holder's permit has been valid for two years; the wait does not apply to minor or dependent children.
Who can apply for the Graduate job search?
Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Does the Graduate job search lead to permanent residence in Portugal?
Time on the Graduate job search counts toward permanent residence in Portugal, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Graduate job search counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 10 years of residence.
More in Portugal
Work visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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An AI assistant answers from the published records on this page and cites them. It can't assess your personal eligibility. Don't include personal details.
How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 6 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Graduates and researchers who wish to work or search for work, Art. 122(1)(p) · AIMA · checked 2026-10-10
- Lei n.º 23/2007 (Foreigners Law, REPSAE), consolidated text current to Lei n.º 62/2026 of 10 September 2026 · Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa (consolidated legislation) · checked 2026-10-10
- AIMA table of fees for residence and stay procedures (Portaria 307/2023 as consolidated, in force from 1 March 2026) · Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) · checked 2026-10-11
- AIMA family reunification, Article 98(2) in Portugal · AIMA · checked 2026-10-10
- Lei n.º 61/2025 of 22 October (amends Law 23/2007, Arts. 98-105) · Diário da República · checked 2026-10-10
- Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026 of 18 May (amends the Nationality Law, Law 37/81) · Diário da República / Assembleia da República · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.