Portugal Highly qualified permit

Residence authorization for highly qualified employed or self-employed work, held with a highly-qualified-activity residence visa. Employees need a contract at or above the salary floor, or a certified-company responsibility statement. ^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7}

What you must show and pay

• Income of at least EUR 1,611.39 a month (≈ $1,800) · Employee floor under Art. 61-A(1)(a), one of two alternatives: 3 times the IAS; the 2026 IAS is EUR537.13 (≈ $600), so 3 x 537.13. ^{1 3}
• Income of at least EUR 2,157 a month (≈ $2,410) · Alternative employee floor under Art. 61-A(1)(a): 1.5 times the national average gross annual salary, stated by AIMA as EUR2,157 (≈ $2,410) per month (2023 reference). Meeting either this or the IAS-based floor is enough. ¹
• Income of at least EUR 1,074.26 a month (≈ $1,200) · Shortage occupations in ISCO major groups 1 and 2 designated by the Council of Ministers, one of two alternatives: 2 times the IAS; the 2026 IAS is EUR537.13 (≈ $600), so 2 x 537.13. ^{1 3}
• Income of at least EUR 1,725.6 a month (≈ $1,930) · Alternative floor for those shortage occupations: 1.2 times the average gross salary, stated by AIMA as EUR1,725.60 (≈ $1,930) per month. ^{1 2}
• A fee of EUR 133 (≈ $150) · Application review fee for the residence permit; EUR 99.80 (≈ $110) when the application is filed digitally. ⁴
• A fee of EUR 114.3 (≈ $130) · Fee for granting or renewing the temporary residence permit; EUR 85.80 (≈ $96) when applied for digitally. ⁴
• A fee of EUR 110 (≈ $120) · National visa processing fee. ⁵

Requirements

• The applicant holds a residence visa for highly qualified activity. ^{1 2}
• The work is highly qualified employment or self-employment. ¹
• Highly qualified means a higher-education diploma or at least 5 years of comparable professional experience. ²
• Employee contract salary of at least 3 times the IAS, EUR1,611.39 (≈ $1,800) per month in 2026, or EUR2,157 (≈ $2,410) per month (AIMA, 1.5 times the average salary); either is enough. ¹
• Shortage occupations in ISCO groups 1 and 2: 2 times the IAS, EUR1,074.26 (≈ $1,200) per month in 2026, or EUR1,725.60 (≈ $1,930) per month; either is enough. ¹
• Valid passport, authenticated criminal record and proof of Portuguese address. ¹
• Tax and social-security registration. ¹
• Certified qualification or proof of specialisation. ¹
• Employees: employer declaration of a contract at the salary floor. ¹
• Independents: proof of activity start with the tax and social-security authorities, plus a service contract, company certificate or recent invoices. ¹
• The EU Blue Card and the certified-company Tech Visa regimes apply in preference where they fit. ¹
• The permit is valid two years and renewable in three-year periods. ¹

Stay

• The residence permit is valid two years from issue and renewable in successive three-year periods. The residence visa is valid four months with two entries.
• Initial permitted stay: 24 months.
• Visa validity: 4 months. Validity is the window to use the visa, not the length you may stay.
• 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

Highly qualified employment or independent 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; the two-year wait for the permit does not apply to holders of this permit. Your spouse or partner may work in Portugal without a separate permit.

Checked 2026-10-12

Official sources

1. Residence authorization for highly qualified activity, Art. 90 · 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 · Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa (consolidated legislation) · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2026-09-10
3. Portaria n.º 480-A/2025/1: IAS 2026 EUR537.13 · Diário da República · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2025-12-30
4. 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
5. National visa fees · Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Portuguese visa portal · checked 2026-10-12
6. AIMA family reunification, Article 98(2) in Portugal · AIMA · checked 2026-10-10
7. Lei n.º 61/2025 of 22 October (amends Law 23/2007, Arts. 98-105) · Diário da República · checked 2026-10-10
8. 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