Portugal · Work
Portugal Researcher permit
First stay: 2 yrs
Residence authorization for researchers (Art. 91-B REPSAE)
Checked against official sources on Rule changed 18 May 2026Change log
Key facts
Researcher permit is a work route for Portugal. Checked 2026-10-12 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.
RenewalRenewable
Valid two years and renewable for equal periods, or the length of the hosting agreement if shorter than two years.
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 applyAbroad or in-country
Apply with a residence visa from the consulate, or without a visa at AIMA if you entered and stay lawfully (Art. 91-B).
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.
- Needs a job offer from an employer in Portugal
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports
What you'll need
Who can apply3
- The applicant holds a doctorate or a higher-education qualification giving access to doctoral programmes.
- A recognised research centre admits the applicant through a contract, grant or hosting agreement.
- The applicant holds a research residence visa, unless already lawfully in Portugal.
What you must show2
- Researchers at recognised centres are exempt from proving means of subsistence.
- The national visa fee of EUR 110 (≈ $120) is waived for visas for highly qualified research activity.
Documents2
- Employment or service contract and health insurance or National Health Service cover.
- Valid passport and authenticated criminal record.
After you arrive2
- The permit is valid two years and renewable, or the length of the hosting agreement if shorter.
- Family reunification is available to the researcher.
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 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
What you need to arrange
- Health insurance
Employment or service contract and health insurance or National Health Service cover
- Police certificate and civil documents
Valid passport and authenticated criminal record
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
Residence authorization for researchers admitted to an officially recognised research centre under an employment contract, service contract, research grant or hosting agreement. 1 2 3 4
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 holds a doctorate or a higher-education qualification giving access to doctoral programmes. 2
- A recognised research centre admits the applicant through a contract, grant or hosting agreement. 1 2
- The applicant holds a research residence visa, unless already lawfully in Portugal. 1 2
- Researchers at recognised centres are exempt from proving means of subsistence. 1 2
- The national visa fee of EUR 110 (≈ $120) is waived for visas for highly qualified research activity. 5
- Employment or service contract and health insurance or National Health Service cover. 1
- Valid passport and authenticated criminal record. 1
- The permit is valid two years and renewable, or the length of the hosting agreement if shorter. 1 2
- Family reunification is available to the researcher. 2
Stay
- The permit is valid two years and renewable in equal periods, or the length of the hosting agreement if shorter than two years. Mobility-programme researchers receive two years or one year if the visa conditions were not met.
- 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
Research at the admitting centre.
Family
Family reunification is available to the researcher. Your spouse or partner may work in Portugal without a separate permit.
Official sources
- Residence authorization for researchers, Art. 91-B · 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
- National visa fees · Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Portuguese visa portal · checked 2026-10-12
- 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
Researcher permit and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Researcher permit | – | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| 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 Researcher 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 Researcher permit?
The permit is valid two years and renewable in equal periods, or the length of the hosting agreement if shorter than two years.
How long does the Researcher 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 Researcher permit?
Research at the admitting centre.
Can I bring my family on the Researcher permit?
Family reunification is available to the researcher.
Who can apply for the Researcher 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 Researcher permit lead to permanent residence in Portugal?
Time on the Researcher permit counts toward permanent residence in Portugal, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Researcher permit counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 10 years of residence.
How are Researcher permit holders taxed in Portugal?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Researcher permit. The standard rules apply: 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.
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.
Ask the AI about this route AI
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 2026-10-12 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.
- Residence authorization for researchers, Art. 91-B · 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
- National visa fees · Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Portuguese visa portal · checked 2026-10-12
- 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.