Portugal carried out a major overhaul of its immigration rules, with a new Immigration Law promulgated in October 2025 and changes to citizenship in 2026. The focus has shifted firmly toward highly qualified workers. This guide explains the latest rules for foreign workers in Portugal in plain English.

The rules changed substantially, so always confirm the current requirements with the authorities before you act.

The Big Picture

Citizens of the EU and EEA can work in Portugal freely. Other workers need the right visa and a residence permit, now handled by the new agency AIMA, which replaced the former SEF. Processing for compliant cases is often around 30 to 60 days.

Key Changes for 2026

• The “manifestation of interest” route, which let people regularise status after arriving, was abolished from 31 December 2025.
• The Job-Seeker Visa is now limited to highly qualified professionals (the Qualified Job-Seeker Visa). It allows a stay of about 120 days to find suitable work; if no job is secured, the holder must leave and wait a year before reapplying.
• Citizens of Portuguese-speaking (CPLP) countries can no longer turn a tourist or visa-exempt entry into a residence permit; they must apply for the correct residence visa from their home country, with an added security check.
• Family reunification requests are now decided within nine months, extendable by nine more months only in complex cases.
• The earlier limit on court appeals against AIMA decisions was removed, and a new border unit (UNEF) under the national police oversees border control and removals.

Main Work Routes

The clear priority is skilled talent: the EU Blue Card (for highly qualified roles, generally around 1.5 times the national average wage, roughly EUR 3,480 to EUR 3,680 per month in 2026), the Tech Visa for certified technology companies, the national work visa, and the Highly Qualified Activity permit. A work residence permit is typically valid for two years and renewable for three. Lower-skilled sectors such as hospitality, agriculture and construction face more hurdles than before.

Citizenship and Permanent Residence

A 2026 change to the Nationality Law raised the residence needed for citizenship to ten years for most non-EU nationals, and seven years for CPLP and EU citizens, counted from when the residence permit is issued. Permanent residence is still available after five years, with basic Portuguese (around A2).

What Foreign Workers and Employers Should Do

• Apply for the correct visa from the home country before travelling.
• For skilled roles, consider the EU Blue Card, Tech Visa or Highly Qualified Activity permit.
• Keep contracts, pay slips and social security records for renewals.
• Plan citizenship timing around the new ten-year rule.

Quick Summary

1. A new Immigration Law took effect, with AIMA replacing SEF.
2. The Job-Seeker Visa is now only for highly qualified professionals, and the manifestation-of-interest route is gone.
3. CPLP nationals must apply for the right visa from their home country.
4. Citizenship now requires 10 years (7 for CPLP and EU), counted from the permit date.