How to get a residence visa for Portugal

What it is

If you're not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, you usually need a residence visa (visto de residência) to move to Portugal. You get it from the Portuguese consulate (or its visa centre) in the country where you live, before you travel.

It's only a first step. The visa allows two entries and is valid for four months. During that time you apply to AIMA, the immigration agency, for your residence permit: see that guide.

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens don't need a visa: they register their residence at the câmara municipal instead.

Which visa?

Residence visas exist for many reasons, including:

• work for an employer (with a job contract or promise);
• independent work or starting a business;
• highly qualified work, teaching and research;
• remote work for employers or clients abroad (often called the digital nomad visa);
• study, training and internships;
• family reunification (this needs AIMA's approval first);
• retirement or passive income (rent, investments, pensions).

Each has its own conditions, for example a minimum income, often linked to the Portuguese minimum wage. Check the visa portal for yours.

Before you start

You'll usually need:

• A passport valid for several months beyond your stay.
• The application form and photos.
• Proof of your reason: a job contract, admission letter, business plan, proof of pension or income.
• Proof of means of subsistence and accommodation in Portugal.
• Travel and health insurance.
• A criminal record certificate from your country (and any country you lived in recently).
• Often a Portuguese NIF (tax number) and a Portuguese bank account.

Steps

1. Pick the right visa type on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa portal.
2. Book an appointment with the Portuguese consulate or visa centre for your country.
3. Hand in your application and documents, and pay the fee.
4. Wait for the decision. When the visa is issued, it often comes with an AIMA appointment date.
5. Travel to Portugal within the visa's validity.
6. Apply for your residence permit at AIMA before the visa's four months end.

Cost

A visa fee, shown when you apply, plus documents, translations and insurance.

Common pitfalls

• Coming as a tourist first. You generally can't switch to a residence permit from a tourist stay.
• Letting the four months run out before your AIMA appointment or application.
• Untranslated or out-of-date documents. Criminal records and certificates often need to be recent, apostilled and translated.

When to ask a helper

Ask someone from your country who got the same visa type recently: they'll know what their consulate asked for and how long it took.