What it is
A quick introduction to the D1
The D1, formally the visto de residência para exercício de atividade profissional subordinada (subordinate work visa), is Portugal’s general work visa for anyone hired by a Portuguese employer. It’s the usual route for jobs in hospitality, construction, agriculture, care work, logistics, retail, and junior office roles. If your job qualifies as “highly qualified,” the D3 is normally worth considering first.
Many guides still say the employer must prove no EU candidate could do the job, that the role must fit an annual quota, and that it must be advertised through IEFP (Portugal’s employment agency) first. Those rules were scrapped in 2022 (Lei 18/2022). Today, the core requirement is a genuine contract or promise of a contract from a Portuguese employer. Getting that offer is still the hard part.
The short version
The D1 is for non-EU citizens with a job offer from a Portuguese employer. If you have a higher-education qualification or 5+ years of specialist experience and the job pays enough, look at the D3 first, as it’s faster and your family can join sooner. Otherwise, if a real Portuguese employer is offering you a real job, the D1 is your route.
Which route fits you?
- You have a Portuguese job offer: the D1, or the D3 if the job is highly qualified and pays at least €1,611.39 a month.
- You want to come to Portugal to look for work: there’s no general job seeker visa anymore. See the FAQ below.
- You work remotely for a company or clients outside Portugal: the D8.
- You live on a pension, rental income, or investments: the D7.
- You’re an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen: you don’t need a visa at all.
The basics
The D1 at a glance
💼
General employment
For non-EU citizens taking a job with a Portuguese employer. Common in hospitality, construction, agriculture, care work, and logistics.
📊
No salary threshold
Unlike the D3, the D1 has no special salary threshold. The job just has to follow Portuguese labor law, including the minimum wage (€920 a month).
🎫
No quotas since 2022
Portugal scrapped its annual work-visa quota and the “EU candidates first” test in 2022. What’s left is a genuine job offer, and a consulate that’s convinced by it.
The honest breakdown
D1 pros & cons
✓ Pros
🚪
Open to a wide range of jobs
The D3 needs a higher-education qualification or 5+ years of specialist experience. The D1 doesn’t. If a Portuguese employer wants to hire you, you can apply.
🏠
Leads to full residence
SNS healthcare, public schools, family reunification, travel within the Schengen area, and a path to permanent residency after 5 years and citizenship after 10 (7 for citizens of Portuguese-speaking and EU countries), the same as other residence visas.
👨👩👧
Family can join
Your spouse or partner, dependent children, and sometimes dependent parents can join through family reunification once you have your residence permit. Minor children can join straight away; other family members may have to wait (see the cons).
🔄
You can change employer
Since September 2026 (Lei 62/2026), you can switch employer by notifying AIMA, without needing a new residence card. You’re not locked into the job that got you here.
🇵🇹
No high salary bar
The D3 needs pay of at least three times the IAS. The D1 only needs a legal Portuguese salary, at least the minimum wage. That opens it to far more real jobs, especially outside Lisbon and Porto.
✗ Cons
🎯
The job offer is the hardest part
Convincing a Portuguese employer to hire a non-EU candidate, when they could hire any EU citizen with no visa paperwork, is the biggest hurdle. Salaries are low, the admin falls on the employer, and there has to be a real reason it’s you.
👨👩👧
Family may have to wait
Since the 2025 immigration law, most family reunification needs 2 years of residence first. Minor children and a spouse you share children with are exempt, and a spouse you lived with for 18+ months before the move can come after 15 months. D3 holders are exempt from the wait altogether.
⏳
Slower than the D3
The law gives consulates 60 days to decide on a D1, versus 30 for the D3. In practice, getting an appointment and the employer’s documents together often adds time, and some advisors put the whole process at 3 to 5 months.
🚫
No EU Blue Card
The EU Blue Card is only for highly qualified, well-paid jobs, so a D1-level role won’t qualify. Moving to another EU country later means going through that country’s visa system from scratch.
What you’ll need
D1 Visa Requirements
The D1 has two sets of requirements, yours and your employer’s, and both have to hold up. Here they are by category.
2-minute check
Which work visa fits you?
Answer a few questions about your job offer, qualifications, and salary, and see whether the D1 or the D3 is your best route.
Personal eligibility & legal
Age & nationality
The main applicant must be 18+. The D1 is for non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens. EU passport holders don’t need a visa to work in Portugal.
Clean criminal record
You’ll need a criminal record certificate from your country of nationality, plus one from anywhere you’ve lived for 1+ year. These must be apostilled (Hague Convention countries) or legalized by a Portuguese consulate (non-Hague), often translated into Portuguese, and recent, typically issued within the last 90 days. US applicants are usually asked for an FBI report. Read our guide to applying with a criminal record.
Authorize a Portuguese criminal-record check
A separate signed form letting Portuguese authorities (AIMA) check for any Portuguese record. Almost always a formality for first-time applicants.
The job—the D1 core
An employment contract or formal promise of employment
You need a written employment contract, or a binding written promise of one, from a Portuguese employer. It should state the role, place of work, duration, and salary. The law and the official checklist don’t set a minimum length. In practice, a longer contract makes a stronger file, and a vague “we’re interested in hiring you” letter won’t do.
A salary that complies with Portuguese labor law
There’s no separate D1 salary threshold. The job must follow Portuguese labor law, which means at least the minimum wage (€920 a month in 2026). Your salary also serves as your proof of means of subsistence, so in practice consulates look more closely at offers close to the minimum, particularly if you’re bringing family.
⚠️
Ignore old advice about quotas and IEFP
Older guides (and some advisors) still say your job must fit an annual quota and be advertised through IEFP so EU candidates get first refusal. Lei 18/2022 repealed both rules, and neither appears on the current consulate checklist. Some employers still advertise through IEFP, and if your consulate asks for anything from IEFP, provide it, but it’s no longer a standard requirement.
Employer-side requirements
Established Portuguese employer
The employer must be a registered Portuguese company, sole trader, or institution legally operating in Portugal. A foreign company with no Portuguese registration can’t sponsor a D1. If you work remotely for a foreign company, look at the D8.
Good standing with Finanças & Segurança Social
Employers are often asked for certificates showing they’re up to date with the tax authority (Finanças) and social security (Segurança Social). It isn’t on the official checklist, but if the consulate asks, your employer will need them.
A letter explaining why they’re hiring you
It isn’t a legal requirement anymore, but a short letter from the employer explaining why they want you specifically (language skills, niche experience, a prior working relationship) makes the job offer more convincing to the consulate.
Documents & paperwork
Valid passport
At least 3 months of validity beyond your planned stay (6+ months is safer), with at least 2 blank pages.
Application form & photos
The completed national visa application form (use the current version from your consulate or VFS) plus two passport photos per applicant.
Cover letter (optional)
Not on the official checklist, but a short letter covering who you are, why this job, and why Portugal is a good place to explain anything in your file that isn’t self-explanatory.
Proof of accommodation in Portugal
A rental contract, property deeds, or a notarized term of responsibility from someone hosting you. Employer-provided housing works too if it’s documented. In practice, short-term Airbnb bookings are often questioned.
Travel insurance
Schengen-compliant travel insurance with at least €30,000 of medical and repatriation cover. Once you’re working in Portugal, you’ll pay social security and can register with the public SNS.
Proof of travel
A flight itinerary or booked ticket to Portugal in your name. Book refundable or flexible fares, and don’t lock in non-refundable flights before the visa is approved.
Qualifications (where applicable)
If the job is a regulated profession or needs a license, you’ll need apostilled and translated proof of your qualifications. Even where it’s not required, relevant training certificates strengthen the file.
Family documents (if applying with dependents)
Marriage / partnership evidence
A marriage certificate for a spouse (apostilled, often translated), or proof of a união de facto (stable union) for an unmarried partner, typically 2+ years of evidence of living together, such as a joint lease, shared bills, or a joint bank account.
Children’s documents
Birth certificates for dependent children (apostilled). If only one parent is moving with a child, you’ll need the other parent’s notarized consent. Adult children in education need proof of enrollment and that they depend on you financially.
Demonstrate ability to support family
If your salary on its own is at or near the minimum wage, you may be asked to show additional financial means to support a spouse and any children. Bank statements showing savings, or a partner’s income, both count.
Useful to arrange before you move
Neither is on the official D1 checklist, though some consulates and VFS centers ask for a NIF. You’ll need both soon after you start work, so it’s worth sorting them early.
NIF (Portuguese tax number)
You’ll need a NIF to be paid, open a bank account, and sign a lease. You can get one remotely before you move, through a fiscal representative, a lawyer, or an online service, and some employers arrange it as part of onboarding.
Portuguese bank account
A Portuguese bank account makes it easier to receive your salary, pay rent, and set up direct debits. Several Portuguese banks open accounts remotely for non-residents.
How it works
From job offer to residence card
Job offer
A Portuguese employer gives you a contract or formal promise of one, with role, salary, and duration.
Gather documents
Criminal records, apostilles, insurance, accommodation. Getting a NIF now saves time later.
Apply at consulate / VFS
Submit the D1 file in your country of residence. The legal deadline for a decision is 60 days.
Fly to Portugal
The visa is valid for 4 months and two entries. Use it to enter Portugal and attend AIMA.
AIMA biometrics + card
Attend AIMA in person for your residence permit: 2 years, then renewable for 3.
After approval
From residency to permanent residency to citizenship
Your first residence permit is valid for 2 years and renewable for another 3, as long as you’re still working (in the same job or a new one). After that:
Year 5 → Permanent residency
After 5 years of legal residence, you can apply for permanent residency. It has no expiry date, and the card itself is renewed every 5 years instead of every 2 or 3, with far less admin and less risk of a renewal going wrong. You’ll need to show basic (A2) Portuguese.
Year 7 or 10 → Portuguese citizenship
Under the nationality law in force since 19 May 2026 (Lei Orgânica 1/2026), most people can apply for naturalization after 10 years of legal residence, or 7 for citizens of Portuguese-speaking (CPLP) countries such as Brazil, and of EU countries. You’ll need to show Portuguese language skills and pass a test on Portuguese culture, history, and how the state works. The 2024 rule that counted time from your residence-permit application date was repealed, so check how your own years will be counted. A Portuguese passport lets you live, work, and study anywhere in the EU/EEA and Switzerland.
Renewals depend on you still working
At renewal, AIMA wants to see that you’re still working. Since September 2026, you can change employer by notifying AIMA, so it doesn’t have to be the original job. Long gaps between jobs are a risk, though. If your job ends, find a new one quickly and speak to an immigration lawyer.
Comparison
D1 vs the other Portuguese work visas
The D1 is the most common work visa, but it isn’t the only one. The D3 is for highly qualified jobs, and the D8 is for people working remotely for employers or clients outside Portugal.
| D1 (general) | D3 (highly qualified) | D8 (remote work) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income source | Portuguese employer | Portuguese employer | Outside Portugal (employer/clients) |
| Qualifications | None required | Higher education, or 5+ years of comparable experience | None required |
| Minimum income | No threshold; at least the minimum wage (€920 a month) | 3× IAS (€1,611.39 a month) | 4× minimum wage (€3,680 a month) |
| Decision deadline | 60 days | 30 days | 60 days |
| Family reunification wait | Up to 2 years (exceptions apply) | None | Up to 2 years (exceptions apply) |
| EU Blue Card | No | Possible, if the salary meets the Blue Card threshold | No |
Common questions
D1 Visa FAQ
How long is the D1 valid?
The D1 visa itself is valid for 4 months, long enough to enter Portugal and get your residence permit. That permit lasts 2 years and is renewable for another 3. After 5 years, you can apply for permanent residency, and after 10 years (7 for CPLP and EU citizens), for Portuguese citizenship.
Is there a job seeker visa so I can look for work in Portugal first?
Not for most people. The general job seeker visa was abolished by the October 2025 immigration law (Lei 61/2025). It was replaced by a narrower “skilled job seeker” visa for people with specialized technical skills, but its detailed rules still depended on a government order in mid-2026, so check with your consulate before relying on it. For everyone else, you look for work remotely or while visiting as a tourist, and you can’t work until you have the visa. Many successful D1 applicants already have a connection to a Portuguese employer (a past working relationship, or a transfer within a multinational) or are recruited into a sector with labor shortages.
What if my role does meet the “highly qualified” threshold?
Apply for the D3 instead. It has a 30-day decision deadline, your family can join without the waiting period, and it can lead to an EU Blue Card.
What if I work remotely for a non-Portuguese company?
You want the D8 Digital Nomad Visa, not the D1. The D1 is specifically for employment by a Portuguese employer.
I’m married to an EU citizen. Do I still need a D1?
Probably not. Spouses and long-term partners of EU/EEA/Swiss citizens can usually move to Portugal as family members of an EU citizen. It’s a much simpler route, and you can work for any employer.
What if I lose my job after I arrive?
Your residence depends on you working, but not on one particular employer. If your job ends, you’ll generally need another one (or a different basis for residence) by the time you renew. Speak to an immigration lawyer as soon as you know your job is at risk.
Can I change employers later?
Yes. Since September 2026 (Lei 62/2026), you can change employer by notifying AIMA, without needing a new residence card.
Are there still quotas for the D1?
No. Portugal’s annual work-visa quota (contingente global) and the rule that EU candidates get first refusal were repealed in 2022. If an employer or advisor tells you your sector’s quota is full, ask them which rule they mean.
Is the D1 the right route?
Talk it through in 20 minutes
A free 20-minute consultation. We’ll help you work out whether the D1 fits your situation, or whether the D3, D8, or another route would suit you better.
Thinking about Moving to Portugal?