Work Permit requirements
As is the case in many other nations around the world, Portuguese work permits are closely linked to entry and residence visas. This means that everyone who wishes to take up employment in Portugal has to apply for a visa type that facilitates this. Visas can only be applied for from within your country of residence, well before you actually come to work in Portugal. Expats from within the EEA enjoy freedom of movement and are thus exempt from visa and work permit regulations.
The two main categories of visas that cater to expats’ needs are the Temporary Stay Visa and the Residence Visa. Both allow the holder to work in the country, the former having the obvious limitation of being rather short-term.
Third-Country Nationals: Quota and Application
Both visas are based on similar principles and have similar requirements. Not every job offer in Portugal is open to third-country nationals (i.e. countries outside the EEA and countries with which there is no agreement on the free movement of persons). The Portuguese government has set up an annual quota of job opportunities that are available to people who are not residents of an EEA country. If employers want or need to extend their job offers to include third-country nationals, for example because there were no suitable applicants to be found locally or nationally, they can apply for evaluation of the job offer at the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP). In case everything works out as desired, the IEFP advertises the available job offers on their website. The offers are also passed on to Portuguese embassies and consular posts.
If you have found a job offer that speaks to you, simply send the employer your application. If everything goes well, you should receive either a work contract or a promise thereof, accompanied by a statement by the IEFP that the position was included in the quota and could not be filled by a candidate with preferential status. This includes Portuguese citizens, EEA citizens, and third-country nationals who already are residents of Portugal.
Further Requirements and Details
The Temporary Stay Visa and the Residence Visa share a number of other requirements as well. To apply for either one, you must supply:
Proof of sufficient means of subsistence
Proof of travel insurance
A valid travel document
A ticket that ensures your return travel
The abovementioned actual or promised work contract
Please note that the temporary stay visa is issued for the duration of three months, or the period of your work contract. Portugal also has a visa for temporary intra-company transfers, for example for expats who need to carry out a short-term project in Portugal. The requirements remain very much the same as with the Temporary Stay Visa for employees. However, this type of visa is only open to executives or management level employees, as well as those with special technical knowledge.
The Residence Visa, on the other hand, is not much more than a stepping stone on the way to the actual goal: a residence permit. With the visa, you can stay in Portugal for four months, in which time you should apply for a residence permit with the Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (SEF). The usual waiting time for the decision from the SEF is 60 days. Note that the visa itself does not yet make you a resident. For further information, please see the SEF website.
Climate
Those of you who have visited the country as tourists before shaping up plans of living there for a number of years will already know what Portugal has in store weather-wise. Portugal is among the warmest countries in Europe – average temperatures you are likely to encounter will only rarely fall into the single digits. While there are considerable changes in temperature between the different regions of the country depending on altitude, proximity to the sea, and other factors, you will mostly encounter mild to hot weather. If you choose to live in the country’s southern or eastern regions, you can expect the heat to be more oppressive than elsewhere in Portugal.
Life in Portugal is not all sunshine, though: while they are still fairly mild, winters are typically very wet, especially in coastal areas. Don’t leave the house without an umbrella or, even better, rain gear. In the wintertime, you might even catch a glimpse of snow here and there, although not too often or for too long.
Population
The population of Portugal is fairly small, with just less than 10.8 million inhabitants. The majority is concentrated around the northern part of the west coast, between the country’s largest cities Lisbon and Porto. Almost half the population lives in those metropolises and their immediate metro areas. Apart from the west coast, the world-famous Algarve at the southern end of the country is a preferred region for people interested in living in Portugal. As a general rule, however, you can assume the job market – as vulnerable as it is at the moment - in the large cities and their surroundings to be much more promising.
Apart from ethnically Portuguese people, there are larger numbers of people of Eastern European descent living in the country, who mainly came to Portugal in times of labor shortages towards the end of the 1990s and made a new home there. There are also sizeable communities of people from former Portuguese colonies in Africa and South America, as well as from the EU. Numbers of Chinese citizens living in Portugal are also on the rise. It is estimated that about 5% of the population today are immigrants from other nations.
Language
While English is very widely spoken among the educated population, you should prepare thoroughly for your new life in Portugal by learning at least a little bit of basic Portuguese. Any effort from expats trying to adapt to the language and communicate in the mother tongue of the locals will be met with positive reactions – apart from obviously making your life in Portugal a lot easier. A satisfying, rich experience abroad is always partly dependent on how deep you immerse yourself in the local culture, of which language is an indelible part – living in Portugal is no different in this respect.
A word of warning, though: no matter how similar the languages might appear to untrained ears, you should definitely abstain from using Spanish when living in Portugal. Although the two neighboring nations are on much friendlier terms today than they used to be in the past, you always need to remember that they are very distinct countries with their own heritage, culture and language, and equating them will invariably come across as ignorant.
Security
The ongoing harsh realities of everyday life in the wake of the deep recession and austerity measures following the international fiscal bailout in 2011 may raise questions on whether or not the country is a safe place to travel or live in these days. While protests are a common sight, they are only very rarely violent, so there is no cause for concern here. Generally speaking, you will experience a very peaceful nation while living in Portugal – a nation that, as every other country, sees its share of crime, but is not a dangerous place to live in. The general safety measures that you would adhere to in any metropolis in the Westernized world will be more than enough to ensure a secure life in Portugal.
As is the case in many other nations around the world, Portuguese work permits are closely linked to entry and residence visas. This means that everyone who wishes to take up employment in Portugal has to apply for a visa type that facilitates this. Visas can only be applied for from within your country of residence, well before you actually come to work in Portugal. Expats from within the EEA enjoy freedom of movement and are thus exempt from visa and work permit regulations.
The two main categories of visas that cater to expats’ needs are the Temporary Stay Visa and the Residence Visa. Both allow the holder to work in the country, the former having the obvious limitation of being rather short-term.
Third-Country Nationals: Quota and Application
Both visas are based on similar principles and have similar requirements. Not every job offer in Portugal is open to third-country nationals (i.e. countries outside the EEA and countries with which there is no agreement on the free movement of persons). The Portuguese government has set up an annual quota of job opportunities that are available to people who are not residents of an EEA country. If employers want or need to extend their job offers to include third-country nationals, for example because there were no suitable applicants to be found locally or nationally, they can apply for evaluation of the job offer at the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP). In case everything works out as desired, the IEFP advertises the available job offers on their website. The offers are also passed on to Portuguese embassies and consular posts.
If you have found a job offer that speaks to you, simply send the employer your application. If everything goes well, you should receive either a work contract or a promise thereof, accompanied by a statement by the IEFP that the position was included in the quota and could not be filled by a candidate with preferential status. This includes Portuguese citizens, EEA citizens, and third-country nationals who already are residents of Portugal.
Further Requirements and Details
The Temporary Stay Visa and the Residence Visa share a number of other requirements as well. To apply for either one, you must supply:
Proof of sufficient means of subsistence
Proof of travel insurance
A valid travel document
A ticket that ensures your return travel
The abovementioned actual or promised work contract
Please note that the temporary stay visa is issued for the duration of three months, or the period of your work contract. Portugal also has a visa for temporary intra-company transfers, for example for expats who need to carry out a short-term project in Portugal. The requirements remain very much the same as with the Temporary Stay Visa for employees. However, this type of visa is only open to executives or management level employees, as well as those with special technical knowledge.
The Residence Visa, on the other hand, is not much more than a stepping stone on the way to the actual goal: a residence permit. With the visa, you can stay in Portugal for four months, in which time you should apply for a residence permit with the Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (SEF). The usual waiting time for the decision from the SEF is 60 days. Note that the visa itself does not yet make you a resident. For further information, please see the SEF website.
Climate
Those of you who have visited the country as tourists before shaping up plans of living there for a number of years will already know what Portugal has in store weather-wise. Portugal is among the warmest countries in Europe – average temperatures you are likely to encounter will only rarely fall into the single digits. While there are considerable changes in temperature between the different regions of the country depending on altitude, proximity to the sea, and other factors, you will mostly encounter mild to hot weather. If you choose to live in the country’s southern or eastern regions, you can expect the heat to be more oppressive than elsewhere in Portugal.
Life in Portugal is not all sunshine, though: while they are still fairly mild, winters are typically very wet, especially in coastal areas. Don’t leave the house without an umbrella or, even better, rain gear. In the wintertime, you might even catch a glimpse of snow here and there, although not too often or for too long.
Population
The population of Portugal is fairly small, with just less than 10.8 million inhabitants. The majority is concentrated around the northern part of the west coast, between the country’s largest cities Lisbon and Porto. Almost half the population lives in those metropolises and their immediate metro areas. Apart from the west coast, the world-famous Algarve at the southern end of the country is a preferred region for people interested in living in Portugal. As a general rule, however, you can assume the job market – as vulnerable as it is at the moment - in the large cities and their surroundings to be much more promising.
Apart from ethnically Portuguese people, there are larger numbers of people of Eastern European descent living in the country, who mainly came to Portugal in times of labor shortages towards the end of the 1990s and made a new home there. There are also sizeable communities of people from former Portuguese colonies in Africa and South America, as well as from the EU. Numbers of Chinese citizens living in Portugal are also on the rise. It is estimated that about 5% of the population today are immigrants from other nations.
Language
While English is very widely spoken among the educated population, you should prepare thoroughly for your new life in Portugal by learning at least a little bit of basic Portuguese. Any effort from expats trying to adapt to the language and communicate in the mother tongue of the locals will be met with positive reactions – apart from obviously making your life in Portugal a lot easier. A satisfying, rich experience abroad is always partly dependent on how deep you immerse yourself in the local culture, of which language is an indelible part – living in Portugal is no different in this respect.
A word of warning, though: no matter how similar the languages might appear to untrained ears, you should definitely abstain from using Spanish when living in Portugal. Although the two neighboring nations are on much friendlier terms today than they used to be in the past, you always need to remember that they are very distinct countries with their own heritage, culture and language, and equating them will invariably come across as ignorant.
Security
The ongoing harsh realities of everyday life in the wake of the deep recession and austerity measures following the international fiscal bailout in 2011 may raise questions on whether or not the country is a safe place to travel or live in these days. While protests are a common sight, they are only very rarely violent, so there is no cause for concern here. Generally speaking, you will experience a very peaceful nation while living in Portugal – a nation that, as every other country, sees its share of crime, but is not a dangerous place to live in. The general safety measures that you would adhere to in any metropolis in the Westernized world will be more than enough to ensure a secure life in Portugal.
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