Residence permit for an employment contract – D1 visa type.

Who can obtain this type of residence permit?

• Persons who intend to and are willing to reside in Portugal for 183 days per year.
• Persons with a formal employment contract with a company* registered in Portugal (this contract can be concluded either with a third-party company or with a pre-established own* organization).

If an employment contract is made through their own company, the minimum monthly income of the employee must be at least €725 per month (for 2022). Payroll tax is 23,75% + Social Tax is 11%. For a company owner, payroll tax will be 34.75% or €252 per month.

Requirements: In the case of a family move, it is necessary to provide financial guarantees. The necessary minimum active income for the second spouse is 1/2 of the subsistence minimum and for each child 1/3 of the subsistence minimum.

1. Applying the documents to the Portuguese Consulate in the country of residence (personal presence is compulsory),
2. Once the documents have been successfully submitted, the average waiting time for a decision is 60 days.
3. In case the D1 visa application is approved, you can take back your documents (passport) with the visa stamped on it.
4. Upon arrival in Portugal, you need to contact the local SEF office (Immigration Department) https://www.sef.pt regarding the issuance of the residence permit.
5. You can apply for citizenship after 5 years of residence in Portugal.

Procedure for obtaining a D1 visa – employment contract visa:

Preparing all necessary documents* in order to request residence on a D1 visa:

• completed visa application form,
• 2 photographs (3×4 format),
• original passport and copies of all pages,
• documents verifying your financial status (the availability of the minimum necessary funds to stay in Portugal), this can be a bank account statement,
• documents verifying your accommodation in Portugal (flat or house rental contract, documents confirming the availability of immovable property in the country),
• apostilled certificate of cleanliness (absence of criminal record),
• a signed authorization from the applicant to check the criminal status of the applicant in Portugal,
• full medical insurance (it is essential),
• employment contract for at least 1 year,
• An employer’s authorization** to employ a foreign worker certified by the Portuguese Employment Institute (IEFP).

*All documents must be notarized and translated into Portuguese.
** In compliance with the European legislation, the inviting company will have to make the vacancy public as EU nationals will always be given priority in the recruitment process. And if no suitable employee can be found, a document will be requested in order to explain the reasons for the inability to fill the vacancy with EU nationals. In this document, the reasons for employing non-EU nationals are given.

What to do if there is no employment contract or job offer from a Portuguese company?

In the event that you have not been able to find a company that is willing to give you a formal contract, you can start your own business. Employ a staff member and thereby obtain a work visa.
Afortis Group provides support and assistance regarding implementation of this procedure.