In short: The D3 visa is Portugal’s residence visa for highly qualified professionals, teachers, researchers and cultural workers from outside the EU, including US and UK citizens. You need a Portuguese employment contract, an invitation from a university or research body, or a statement from a Tech Visa certified company. Employees must earn above a salary threshold, in 2026 from about €1,343 to just over €2,150 gross per month depending on the route. Its big advantage: your family can join you immediately, without the two-year wait introduced in 2025.
It is for people moving to Portugal to work for a Portuguese employer in a role that needs specialist skills: managers, IT and engineering specialists, doctors, scientists, lecturers and similar. A university degree (ISCED level 6) or equivalent qualification with experience is usually expected.
Working remotely for a US or UK employer? Then the D3 is not your visa. The D8 digital nomad visa covers remote work for employers abroad; freelancers and founders look at the D2.
Route | For whom | Key requirement | Legal visa deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
Art. 61 | Teaching, research, highly qualified or cultural work | Contract or invitation from a university, research or cultural institution | 30 days |
Art. 61-A | Highly qualified employees | Contract or promise of at least 6 months, salary above the threshold | 60 days |
Tech Visa | Staff of an IAPMEI-certified company | Company statement, contract of at least 12 months | 60 days |
The EU Blue Card is a parallel route for highly qualified employees and makes later moves within the EU easier.
Thresholds are set as multiples of the national average salary or of the IAS social index (€537.13 in 2026), so they change every year.
Route | Rule | Reference (gross per month) |
|---|---|---|
Art. 61-A, general | 1.5 × average salary or 3 × IAS | €2,157 (AIMA, 2023 reference) or €1,611 (3 × IAS 2026) |
Art. 61-A, shortage occupations | 1.2 × average salary or 2 × IAS | €1,726 (2023 reference) or €1,074 (2 × IAS 2026) |
Tech Visa | 2.5 × IAS | €1,343 (2026) |
AIMA has not published a 2026 figure based on the average salary. Negotiate a salary clearly above the threshold and ask the consulate which figure it applies. Sources: AIMA, art. 90 and Portaria 480-A/2025. By US and UK standards these figures look low, so most qualified offers clear them easily.
Companies certified by IAPMEI issue a statement that replaces several documents, including proof of means and a clean record. You need to be 18+, speak Portuguese, English, French or Spanish, and hold an ISCED level 6 degree (or level 5 with five years of exceptional experience). The statement is valid for six months only, so watch the date if your AIMA appointment slips. The current certification period runs until 31 December 2026.
See the MNE residence visa list; your consulate’s checklist takes priority.
Since Lei 62/2026, changing employer only requires notifying AIMA, provided the new job also qualifies.
Item | Amount (2026) | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
Visa fee | €110 (researchers exempt) | Consulate |
Permit application review | €133.00 (€99.80 reduced) | AIMA |
Permit grant | €114.30 (€85.80 reduced) | AIMA |
Visa waiver if applying from inside Portugal | €307.20 (€230.40 reduced) | AIMA |
Tech Visa company certification | free | IAPMEI |
Since Lei 61/2025, most residents must hold a permit for two years before family reunification. Holders of a highly qualified permit (art. 90) and of the EU Blue Card are exempt: your spouse and children can come at the same time.
IFICI, the successor to NHR, offers a 20% income tax rate for ten years on income from certain qualifying activities, if you were not Portuguese tax resident in the previous five years. Registration is due by 15 January of the following year. Many D3 profiles qualify, but not automatically. US citizens keep filing US tax returns; the US–Portugal treaty and foreign tax credits help avoid double taxation. We do not give tax advice but can introduce cross-border tax advisers.
Permanent residence is available after five years. For Portuguese citizenship, US and UK citizens now need ten years of legal residence (Lei Orgânica 1/2026), counted from the first residence permit. Children born in Portugal only get citizenship if a parent has lived here legally for at least five years.
Since 2010, Pearls of Portugal has supported professionals, families and companies moving to Portugal, from Porto and across the country: NIF, bank account and fiscal representation; visa-compliant housing; document review; our partner lawyers for legal questions; AIMA appointments and renewals; introductions to tax advisers, schools and insurers. Book a free call or see our Portugal visa overview.
It is a residence visa for highly qualified professionals, teachers, researchers and cultural workers from outside the EU. It requires a Portuguese contract, invitation or Tech Visa statement and leads to a two-year residence permit.
For highly qualified employees, 1.5 times the average salary or three times the IAS: AIMA cites €2,157 gross per month (2023 reference), while 3 × IAS is about €1,611 in 2026. Under the Tech Visa, 2.5 × IAS (about €1,343) is enough.
Yes. US citizens with a qualifying job offer from a Portuguese employer apply at the Portuguese consulate for their US place of residence, usually via VFS Global, with an apostilled FBI background check.
No. The D3 requires a Portuguese employer or institution. Remote work for a foreign employer falls under the D8 digital nomad visa.
Yes, immediately. Families of highly qualified permit holders and EU Blue Card holders are exempt from the two-year wait and can apply for visas at the same time.
The consulate has 30 or 60 days by law, AIMA another 90 days (120 in exceptional cases). Plan three to nine months until you hold the residence card.
No. IFICI depends on your activity and on not having been tax resident in Portugal in the previous five years. Many D3 holders qualify, but it must be checked and registered by 15 January of the following year.
US and UK citizens need ten years of legal residence, counted from the first permit. Permanent residence is possible after five years.
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