Updated October 11, 2022
You have probably been hearing that Portugal is a wonderful place to live. I certainly think so. I have been living in Lisbon for 5 years. If you have been thinking of making your move to Portugal, you may be in luck. Portugal’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, announced there would be changes in the laws to make it easier for foreigners to come to work and study in Portugal. While this is not permanent residency, it does give you a way to try out the country and see if it fits for you. There is also a brand new Digital Nomad Visa. These two make it the perfect time for you to come and live in Portugal (although rental and home prices may not be).
Changes To The Law On Foreign Nationals
On July 21, 2022, pretty much every political party (except for Chega) voted to approve the changes in the legal regime for foreigners in Portugal.
The changes are focused on work and student visas.
Streamlined Process For Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP)
This is focused on people that come from Portuguese-speaking countries, many of which were Portuguese colonies at one point.
New Portuguese Job Seeking Visa
- There is a new type of visa for people who are looking to come to Portugal to find a job.
- This visa will be valid for 120 days and can be extended by 60 days.
- The scheduling of appointments to renew this visa is written into the visa to make bureaucracy in acquiring a residence permit a bit easier once you have found a job during the 120 day period.
New Portuguese Student Seeking Visa
- If you are enrolled in an institution of higher education in Portugal (like a university), you do not require approval from the SEF for it to be issued.
- However, the visa can be refused a visa in case of an indication of non-attribution and denial of stay in SIS II.
- The Consulate immediately lets the SEF know the visa is being issued, and SEF can deploy law enforcement measures on national soil, for border controls, or until the visa is cancelled.
Portuguese Digital Nomad Visa
While there is not much information on this yet, it looks as if it will be easier to get a visa for temporary stay and residence to people who work remotely. Portugal’s Digital Nomad Visa regime goes into effect on October 30, 2022.
Once you are granted the Digital Nomad Visa, you will be able to either
- live in Portugal for one (1) year
- OR apply for residency permit which is renewable for up to five (5) years.
In order to qualify, you must fit the following requirements:
- professionals who work remotely
- professionals who work outside national soil for employer
- professionals work work outside national soil in liberal occupations, or who are entrepreneurs.
- remote workers must make a minimum of $2,750 per month (four times Portugal’s national minimum wage).
Where Can I Apply For the Portuguese Digital Nomad Visa?
- Your local Portuguese Consulate
- In Portugal at the SEF
What will I be asked for when applying for the new Portugal Digital Nomad Visa?
- Proof of your income for the past 3 months.
- Tax residency documents.
- Contract of employment or proof of self-employment.
How is Portugal’s Digital Nomad Visa different than the D7 Visa?
The Digital Nomad Visa requires you to make $33,000 versus $7,100 for the D7. Those with a D7 visa must make their income from passive investments (rental income, investments, etc) while the Digital Nomad Visa requires that you actively work.
Changes to Portuguese Residency Laws
Ease of Documentation
The following documents will be automatically assigned once you receive your residence visa:
- taxpayer number (NIF)
- social security
- healthcare numbers (NHS/numero de utente)
Family Reunification
It will be possible to apply for both temporary stay or residence visas for relatives.
No More Quotas For Work Visas
There were limits on the number of residence permits for employed work visas. This has now been removed.
A Few More Changes
The following documents will be issued alongside the pre-residence permit:
- Taxpayer
- Social security
- NHS numbers.
Family reunification Visa will be issues alongside the following:
- Taxpayer number
- Social security
- NHS numbers
The temporary residence permit will be valid for 2 years from the issue date and can be renewed for 3 year periods.
Relatives of a residence permit holder will receive their own residence permit which will be valid for 3 years and renewable for 3 years.
Those who get residence via higher education and those who are here for research will get a 2 year residence permit which will be renewable for a 2 years.
If you are granted a residency permit as an intern, it will be valid for 6 months, for the duration of the internship, plus a three-month period.
The “EU blue card” is valid initially for two years, renewable for successive three-year periods.
United Kingdom
British nationals who benefited from the Brexit agreement will be able to renew their residence document by the following entities:
- SEF
- Registries and Notaries Institute
- Citizen Bureaux
These changes in Portuguese law are great news for those looking to move to Portugal. If you are looking for the primary source and more detail, you can click here. If you are looking to live in Portugal and have questions for me, leave them in the comments are below.
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