This visa is intended to allow its holder to enter Portugal and may be requested for transit, tourism (e.g. Schengen Visa) and for visiting or accompanying family members who hold a temporary stay visa.

The visa may be issued with a validity of one year and for one or more entries, provided that neither the length of a continuous stay nor the total length of successive stays exceeds 90 days per 180 days from the date of the first crossing of an external border.

It is intended for citizens of third countries who wish to enter and stay in Portugal for a period of less than one year, for the following purposes:

1. Temporary stay visa for medical treatment;
2. Temporary stay visa for accompanying family members undergoing medical treatment;
3. Temporary stay visa for the transfer of national citizens from States of the World Trade Organization, within the scope of the provision of services or professional training in Portugal;
4. Temporary stay visa for the purpose of exercising an independent professional activity;
5. Temporary stay visa for carrying out scientific research activity; teaching activity in a higher education institution or highly qualified activity for a period of less than 1 year;
6. Temporary stay visa to carry out an amateur sports activity, however this must be certified by the respective federation, provided that the club or sports association is responsible for accommodation and health care;
7. Temporary stay visa for periods of stay longer than 3 months; attendance of study programs, student exchange, unpaid professional internship, volunteering;
8. Temporary stay visa for seasonal work for periods exceeding 90 days (and maximum 270 days);
9. Temporary stay visa for attendance of courses at an educational or professional training establishment;
10. Temporary stay visa for accompanying family members of the applicant of a temporary stay visa;
11. Temporary stay visa for carrying out a professional activity remotely, i.e. “digital nomads”.

The residence visa is for all citizens who intend to come to Portugal for a period of more than one year and allow its holder to enter Portugal to apply for a residence permit and establish residence in Portugal. For all resident visas, the applicant needs to prove that they have available financial means in Portuguese territory and a proof of accommodation that could be a hotel reservation or a rental/lease agreement.

Regarding the types of residence visa, they may be applied for the following purposes:

• Residence Visa for exercise of subordinate professional activity (D1 Visa): In general, the granting of this residence visa for Portugal depends on the existence of employment opportunities that have not been filled, so it is necessary that the vacancy has been published and that a selection process has taken place in accordance with Portuguese legislation. To apply for this type of residence visa, the applicant needs to present an Employment Contract or Promissory Employment Contract with a company in Portugal, and it must be valid for a period of more than 9 months.
• Residence Visa for the exercise of independent professional activity or for immigrants’ entrepreneurs and Start up visas (D2 Visa):
  1. Independent professional activity: To apply for a residence visa as independent professional the applicant must submit, along with other documents, a Contract of Service Provision or proposal of a Contract of Service Provision with a company in Portugal, which must be valid for a period exceeding 9 months.
  2. Entrepreneurial immigrants and Start up visas: It must be requested by entrepreneurial immigrants, with the main objective of granting a residence permit to foreigners who have invested in Portugal (for example: through the creation of a commercial company). The approval or refusal of the visa application will take into consideration the economic and social relevance of the investment made or proposed. To apply for a Start Up Visa it will be necessary to develop an entrepreneurial project, which will include the creation of an innovative based company, integrated in a certified incubator under the terms defined by the Portuguese Government. So, the fact of having constituted a commercial company in Portugal is not, by itself, a guarantee that the visa will be granted. Applicants for this type of visa must also demonstrate, by any means, the intention to carry out an investment operation in Portugal.
• Residence Visa for teaching activity, highly qualified or cultural activity and highly qualified activity exercised by subordinate worker (D3 visa):
  1. Teaching activity: It is aimed at foreigners who will carry out teaching activities in Portugal for a period longer than 9 months. To apply, the applicant needs to present the Employment Contract or a Promissory Employment Contract with a Portuguese School/University.
  2. Highly qualified or cultural activity: This is for foreigners who will carry out a highly qualified activity or cultural activities for a period of more than 9 months. To apply, the applicant needs to present the Employment Contract or a Promise Employment Contract.
  3. Highly qualified activity exercised by a subordinated worker: It is aimed at highly qualified applicants who have entered into an Employment Contract or Promise of Employment Contract with a company in Portugal. This contract must be valid for at least 1 year, and to which corresponds an annual remuneration of at least 1.5 times the national average gross annual salary or three times the social support index value (IAS).
• Residence Visa for research, study, high school exchange, internship and volunteer (D4 Visa):
  • Research/study: This is for applicants who will carry out activities in the field of research and/or studies for periods longer than 1 year.
  • High School Exchanges: This is for applicants who will be undertaking a high school exchange for a period of more than one year.
  • Internship and volunteering: This are for applicants who will be doing internships/volunteering activities for periods longer than 1 year.
• Residence Visa for the purpose of family reunification (D6 Visa):

This visa is intended for family reunification applications. It applies to family members of holders of valid residence permits. The essential documents to be submitted are, in addition to the general documents, those proving the family relationship. To apply for this visa, it is also necessary to submit the “notification of acceptance of family reunion” issued by Serviços de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (SEF) in Portugal.

• Residence visa for retirement, religious and passive income holders (D7 Visa):

For this visa, the applicants must prove sufficient and available income to live in Portugal. Thus, in accordance with the Portuguese Government, the amounts that must be presented are the following: 100% of the Minimum Salary in force in Portugal for the Visa Holder; 50% of the Minimum Salary in force in Portugal for adults to be reunited; 30% of the Minimum Salary in force in Portugal for minors or family members with some incapacity, to be reunited.

Another common and very important document that must be presented is the Cover Letter, where the applicant must present his personal motivation to take up residence in Portugal.

• 1. Retirement: It is aimed at retired applicants who wish to live in Portugal having their retirement as a means of subsistence.
  2. Passive income holders: It is aimed at Third Country Nationals who intend to live in Portugal having as means of subsistence their income from non-employment activities, i.e. passive income, such as rents, royalties, dividends, financial applications, etc.
  3. Religious: Aimed at foreigners who intend to live in Portugal to exercise a religious activity.
• Residence Visa to Accompany Family of Residence Visa Applicant: For family members (spouses, minor children, legal dependents, etc.) of residence visa applicants.
• Residence Visa for remote working – “digital nomads” (D8 Visa): Aimed at foreigners whose professional activity is or can be carried out remotely. The applicant must submit the Remote Working Contract or any document that demonstrates the authorization of the company to exercise the profession remotely, in other country than the country of origin. The contract must have a duration exceeding 1 (one) year.

• Residence Visa for job seeker: Aimed at Third Country Nationals who wish to work in Portugal, this visa is issued with a validity of up to 120 days, and can be extended for a further 60 days.. The work search visa allows its holder to enter and remain in Portugal with the purpose of seeking work and authorizes him to carry out dependent employment activities, until the last day of validity of the visa or until the residence permit is issued.The issuing of this visa presumes the scheduling an appointment with the Portuguese Serviços de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (SEF) to apply for a residence permit, within the 120-day validity period of the visa, and gives the applicant, after the establishment and formalization of the employment relationship within that period, the right to request a residence permit.After the expiration of the maximum validity limit of the visa for seeking work without a work relationship having been established and the process for applying for a residence permit has been initiated, the holder of the visa must leave the country.

  In these situations, the holder can only apply for a new visa for this purpose one year after the expiration of the previous visa.