---
title: "Portugal Graduate work permit requirements 2026: 2-year stay"
url: https://settleanywhere.com/countries/portugal/graduate-work-122o/
lang: en
updated: 2026-10-11
---

Portugal · Work

# Portugal Graduate work permit

**First stay:** 2 yrs

Residence authorization for graduates starting work (Art. 122(1)(o) REPSAE)

First checked against official sources on 11 Oct 2026 [Rule changed 18 May 2026](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/2026-05-18-portugal-c53a9d/) [Change log](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/)

- **First stay:** 2 yrs (The temporary residence permit is valid two years from issue and renewable in three-year periods.)
- **Who can apply:** Most passports (Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals)
- **Spouse work:** Can work (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.)

## Key facts

Graduate work permit 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:** 2 yrs

## 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.

**Renewal: Renewable**

Valid two years from issue, then renewable in successive three-year periods while subsistence, housing and tax and social-security conditions are still met. File renewal at least 30 days before expiry.

[Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa](https://www.pgdlisboa.pt/leis/lei_mostra_articulado.php?nid=920&tabela=leis) [AIMA](https://aima.gov.pt/pt/trabalhar/tendo-beneficiado-de-ar-para-estudantes-do-ensino-secundario-ou-de-ar-para-estudantes-do-1-o-ciclo-do-ensino-superior-e-concluid)

**Permanent residence: After 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.

[Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa](https://www.pgdlisboa.pt/leis/lei_mostra_articulado.php?nid=920&tabela=leis)

**Citizenship: After 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.

[Diário da República / Assembleia da República](https://files.diariodarepublica.pt/1s/2026/05/09500/0000200020.pdf)

**Processing: Up to 90 days**

AIMA must decide a residence permit application within 90 days, extendable by 30 days in exceptional cases; renewals within 60 days.

[Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa](https://www.pgdlisboa.pt/leis/lei_mostra_articulado.php?nid=920&tabela=leis)

**Where to apply: Inside the country**

Apply at AIMA in Portugal without a new residence visa after finishing studies on a Portuguese student permit.

[Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa](https://www.pgdlisboa.pt/leis/lei_mostra_articulado.php?nid=920&tabela=leis) [AIMA](https://aima.gov.pt/pt/trabalhar/tendo-beneficiado-de-ar-para-estudantes-do-ensino-secundario-ou-de-ar-para-estudantes-do-1-o-ciclo-do-ensino-superior-e-concluid)

**Presence rules: Stay 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.

[Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa](https://www.pgdlisboa.pt/leis/lei_mostra_articulado.php?nid=920&tabela=leis)

## Why this route may not fit

Check this before you apply.

- Needs earlier residence or an existing status in Portugal
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports

### What you'll need

#### Who can apply

- The applicant held a student residence authorization under Art. 91 for first-cycle studies or Art. 92 for secondary studies.
- The applicant has completed the study plan.

#### What you must show

- Means of subsistence shown by an employment contract or promise, a service contract or a tax-authority start-of-activity declaration.

#### Documents

- School declaration confirming completion of the studies.
- Authenticated criminal record.

#### Steps

1. 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:** **2 years at first, renewable**
- **Tax residence:** - **More than 183 days in any 12-month period starting or ending in the tax year** Residence 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](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/portugal/tax/) Tax records checked 11 Oct 2026

**Full official text**

Residence authorization without a new visa for people who finished secondary or first-cycle higher-education studies on a Portuguese student permit and now wish to work, employed or self-employed. (sources 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. (source 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. (source 3)

#### Requirements

- The applicant held a student residence authorization under Art. 91 for first-cycle studies or Art. 92 for secondary studies. (sources 2, 1)
- The applicant has completed the study plan. (source 1)
- Means of subsistence shown by an employment contract or promise, a service contract or a tax-authority start-of-activity declaration. (source 1)
- School declaration confirming completion of the studies. (source 1)
- Authenticated criminal record. (source 1)
- The application is made in Portugal without a residence visa. (source 2)

#### Stay

- The temporary residence permit is valid two years from issue and renewable in three-year periods.
- Initial permitted stay: 24 months.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.

#### 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

Employed or self-employed professional activity.

#### 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.

Checked 2026-10-11

## Official sources

1. [Graduates of secondary or first-cycle studies who wish to work, Art. 122(1)(o)](https://aima.gov.pt/pt/trabalhar/tendo-beneficiado-de-ar-para-estudantes-do-ensino-secundario-ou-de-ar-para-estudantes-do-1-o-ciclo-do-ensino-superior-e-concluid) · AIMA · checked 2026-10-10
2. [Lei n.º 23/2007 (Foreigners Law, REPSAE), consolidated text current to Lei n.º 62/2026 of 10 September 2026](https://www.pgdlisboa.pt/leis/lei_mostra_articulado.php?nid=920&tabela=leis) · Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa (consolidated legislation) · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2026-09-10
3. [AIMA table of fees for residence and stay procedures (Portaria 307/2023 as consolidated, in force from 1 March 2026)](https://aima.gov.pt/documents/tabela-de-taxas-e-demais-encargos-a-cobrar-pelos-procedimentos-administrativos.pdf) · Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2026-03-01
4. [AIMA family reunification, Article 98(2) in Portugal](https://aima.gov.pt/pt/viver/reagrupamento-familiar-com-familiar-em-territorio-nacional-art-98-o-n-o-2) · AIMA · checked 2026-10-10
5. [Lei n.º 61/2025 of 22 October (amends Law 23/2007, Arts. 98-105)](https://files.diariodarepublica.pt/1s/2025/10/20400/0000900017.pdf) · Diário da República · checked 2026-10-10
6. [Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026 of 18 May (amends the Nationality Law, Law 37/81)](https://files.diariodarepublica.pt/1s/2026/05/09500/0000200020.pdf) · Diário da República / Assembleia da República · checked 2026-10-11

## Graduate work permit and its alternatives

| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Graduate work permit | – | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| [Blue Card](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/portugal/eu-blue-card/) | Needs income from €1,726 a month ≈ $1,930 | 2 yr, renewable | Limited |
| [Cultural activity permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/portugal/cultural-art90/) | – | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| [Highly qualified permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/portugal/highly-qualified-art90/) | Needs income from €1,074 a month ≈ $1,200 | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| [Intra-company transfer](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/portugal/ict-art124b/) | – | 1 yr, renewable | – |

## Questions people ask

### How much money do I need for the Graduate work permit?

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 work permit?

The temporary residence permit is valid two years from issue and renewable in three-year periods.

### How long does the Graduate work permit 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 work permit?

Employed or self-employed professional activity.

### Can I bring my family on the Graduate work permit?

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 work permit?

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 work permit lead to permanent residence in Portugal?

Time on the Graduate work permit counts toward permanent residence in Portugal, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Graduate work permit counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 10 years of residence.

## More in Portugal

[Working Holiday](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/portugal/working-holiday-youth-mobility/) [D8 nomad visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/portugal/d8-remote-work-residence/) [D8 nomad (temporary stay)](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/portugal/d8-temporary-stay-remote-work/) [Startup Visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/portugal/startup-visa-89-4/) [D2 freelancer visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/portugal/independent-d2-89-1/) [Researcher permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/portugal/researcher-art91b/) [Work permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/portugal/employment-residence-88-1/) [Teaching permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/portugal/teaching-art90/)

## Work visas elsewhere

[🇪🇸 EU Blue Card](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/spain/eu-blue-card/) [🇬🇪 IT sector permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/georgia/it-residence-permit/) [🇮🇹 Blue Card](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/italy/eu-blue-card/) [🇬🇷 Large-company director permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/greece/company-executive-b3/) [🇩🇪 Blue Card](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/germany/eu-blue-card/) [🇫🇷 Talent · Company officer](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/france/talent-corporate-officer/)

≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.

## 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.

1. [Graduates of secondary or first-cycle studies who wish to work, Art. 122(1)(o)](https://aima.gov.pt/pt/trabalhar/tendo-beneficiado-de-ar-para-estudantes-do-ensino-secundario-ou-de-ar-para-estudantes-do-1-o-ciclo-do-ensino-superior-e-concluid) · AIMA · checked 2026-10-10
2. [Lei n.º 23/2007 (Foreigners Law, REPSAE), consolidated text current to Lei n.º 62/2026 of 10 September 2026](https://www.pgdlisboa.pt/leis/lei_mostra_articulado.php?nid=920&tabela=leis) · Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa (consolidated legislation) · checked 2026-10-10
3. [AIMA table of fees for residence and stay procedures (Portaria 307/2023 as consolidated, in force from 1 March 2026)](https://aima.gov.pt/documents/tabela-de-taxas-e-demais-encargos-a-cobrar-pelos-procedimentos-administrativos.pdf) · Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) · checked 2026-10-11
4. [AIMA family reunification, Article 98(2) in Portugal](https://aima.gov.pt/pt/viver/reagrupamento-familiar-com-familiar-em-territorio-nacional-art-98-o-n-o-2) · AIMA · checked 2026-10-10
5. [Lei n.º 61/2025 of 22 October (amends Law 23/2007, Arts. 98-105)](https://files.diariodarepublica.pt/1s/2025/10/20400/0000900017.pdf) · Diário da República · checked 2026-10-10
6. [Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026 of 18 May (amends the Nationality Law, Law 37/81)](https://files.diariodarepublica.pt/1s/2026/05/09500/0000200020.pdf) · 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](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/), and the [methodology page](https://settleanywhere.com/methodology/) explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email [contact@stayglobe.app](mailto:contact@stayglobe.app?subject=Correction) with a link to the official source.