Portugal Job-search visa

Job-search visa that lets a person with specialised technical skills enter Portugal to look for qualified work. Once an employment relationship starts within the visa period, the holder can apply for a residence authorization. Consular applications are not yet open while Article 57-A awaits its implementing order. ^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8}

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. ⁵
• A fee of EUR 114.3 (≈ $130) · Fee for granting or renewing the temporary residence permit; EUR 85.80 (≈ $96) when applied for digitally. ⁵
• A fee of EUR 110 (≈ $120) · National visa processing fee. ⁶

Requirements

• The applicant holds specialised technical skills as defined by a ministerial order. ¹
• Consular posts do not yet accept applications because Article 57-A awaits regulation. ³
• The applicant shows means of subsistence as set by Portaria 1563/2007. ^{1 4}
• A valid travel document, travel insurance and a return ticket. ¹
• The visa is valid for 120 days, extendable by 60 days, with a single entry. ¹
• An appointment for the residence authorization is booked within the 120 days. ^{1 2}
• The residence authorization needs the job-search visa and the employer honour declaration of the employment relationship. ²
• Without starting work within the visa period the holder must leave and may reapply one year after expiry. ¹
• The resulting residence authorization is valid two years and renewable in three-year periods. ²

Stay

• The visa is valid 120 days, extendable by 60 days, with one entry. The resulting residence authorization is valid two years and renewable in three-year periods.
• 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

Third-country nationals with specialised technical skills. 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

The holder may work in highly qualified activity until the visa ends or a residence authorization is granted.

Family

Your spouse or partner may work in Portugal without a separate permit.

Fine print

A government notice of 30 September 2022 on the earlier job-seeker visa required means of subsistence equal to three monthly minimum wages and proof of a declaration of interest in registering with IEFP; whether these conditions apply to the qualified job-search visa is not confirmed until the Article 57-A order is published.

Checked 2026-10-12

Official sources

1. 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
2. Residence authorization with job-search visa, Art. 88(7) · AIMA · checked 2026-10-10
3. Qualified job-search visa · Ministry of Foreign Affairs (vistos.mne.gov.pt) · checked 2026-10-12
4. Means of subsistence for long-stay visas (2026 RMMG EUR920) · Ministry of Foreign Affairs (vistos.mne.gov.pt) · checked 2026-10-12
5. 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
6. National visa fees · Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Portuguese visa portal · checked 2026-10-12
7. AIMA family reunification, Article 98(2) in Portugal · AIMA · checked 2026-10-10
8. Foreigners Law amendments: digital nomad and job-search visa requirements · Portuguese Government · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2022-10-30