D3 Visa Portugal: Ideal For Highly Qualified Individuals

7 October 2022
Maysa Guimarães

Maysa Guimarães | Lawyer

Many people from all over the world seek Portugal as a country to live and work. The D3 resident visa was created for the purpose of attracting the talent of highly qualified professionals and as such it facilitates their relocation to Portugal.


1. Why Portugal?


There are plenty of good reasons for choosing to live in Portugal, including the excellent climate, friendly people, superb food, delightful cities, and beautiful countryside, not to mention the quality of life, public safety and great services in general. Additionally, if you are a highly qualified expert in your filed seeking to obtain residency in Portugal based on your skills and qualifications, the Portuguese D3 Visa could be an excellent option to consider because there is a special treatment under the immigration legislation and as well as the potential access to a more beneficial tax regime for 10 years.


2. Who is qualified to apply for D3 Visa?


According to Portuguese Law on Foreigners, highly qualified work is “that work whose exercise requires specialised technical skills of an exceptional natural or an adequate qualification for the respective exercise”.


Non-EU citizens with higher education or higher professional technical qualifications - who have a work contract or a promise of work contract for at least 12 months, which must state the position and the qualified specialty - are eligible to apply for a D3 visa.


3. Which are the D3 visa types?


The European Commission considers that the highly qualified activity is that exercised by professionals falling mainly into two groups: management positions and experts in intellectual and scientific activities, as in,

  • Position as a professor in any Portuguese education institution;
  • Highly qualified activity with a work contract or self-employed contract;
  • Management and leadership positions with a work contract or promise of work contract by a Portuguese company;
  • Cultural activity with a work contract or a self-employed contract of relevance to the country and recognized by the member of the Government responsible for the national culture;
  • IT professionals with a Tech Visa issued by a Portuguese company certified by IAPMEI (Portuguese Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation).


4. What are the main requirements?


The applicant must already have an employment contract, or a promise of an employment contract, and must also meet the following specific requirements:

  • Minimum qualification level 6 according to the ISCED (International Standard Classification of Education) - 2011;
  • Minimum qualification level 5 (higher professional technical course) according to ISCED - 2011, in which case the applicant must have specialized technical skills and a minimum professional experience of 5 years in this area;
  • Work contract or promise of work contract for at least 12 months;
  • Annual salary around 17,000.00 Euros. 


5. How does the process work?


Under Portuguese law, the visa is processed within 60 days and it expires 120 days after its approval. An appointment will be automatically scheduled for the residence permit application. After the citizen arrives in Portugal, they should present themselves at the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) office.


The residence permit will be valid for 2 years, renewable for another 3 years. And yes, the applicant’s family may join them through the Family Reunification process foreseen in the law.


After residing in Portugal for 5 years, the applicant may apply for both Portuguese citizenship and Portuguese passport.


The applicant can also apply for a high qualified Direct Residence Permit (without a visa), if all the legal requirements are gathered, with proof of legal entrance and stay in the country.


6. Is the NHR regime applicable?


The Portuguese legislation grants a tax benefit, in which applicants who have not resided in Portugal within the 5 years prior to moving to the country can apply for the NHR (non-habitual residence) and only pay as much as 20% of tax for 10 years. 


7. Should I apply for a D3 visa?


As the name implies, the D3 Visa is a priority settlement visa aimed at attracting highly qualified professionals to Portugal. Therefore, if you have the possibility to apply for a highly qualified job in Portugal, do not hesitate to undergo this exciting experience and expand your network in a wonderful and peaceful country of the European Union.


Plus, among other benefits, you can get a residence permit valid for one year (renewable every 2 years); right to free movement in 26 European countries; opportunity of applying for EU Blue Card (if meeting all requirements) and you can bring your family through the Family Reunification process. After five years of legally living in Portugal, you can apply for Portuguese nationality.

Portuguese Nationality Law Reform Postponed Until September

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The Portuguese Parliament has decided to postpone the vote on the proposed amendments to the Nationality Law until September 2025. The decision was taken in a meeting of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees, following pressure from several political parties who requested more time to assess the implications of the proposed reform. The delay allows for additional hearings with legal experts, immigrant associations and civil society representatives before a final vote is held in plenary session. The proposed reform introduces significant changes to the current legal framework for acquiring Portuguese nationality. Among the most impactful measures is the extension of the minimum legal residence period required before applying for naturalisation. Under the new proposal, this period would increase from the current five years to seven years for nationals of CPLP countries (Community of Portuguese Language Countries), and to ten years for applicants from all other countries. Another major change concerns the introduction of mechanisms to revoke Portuguese nationality . According to the proposal, naturalised citizens who are convicted of serious crimes — defined as those resulting in prison sentences of five years or more , within ten years of acquiring nationality — could see their Portuguese citizenship revoked by a court decision, based on a proposal from the Public Prosecutor’s Office. In addition, the reform would tighten the requirements for acquiring original Portuguese nationality through birth in Portugal. For children born in Portuguese territory to foreign parents, it would become mandatory that at least one parent has been residing legally in Portugal for a minimum of three years , instead of the current two years. Although the government initially intended to approve these changes before the summer recess, political consensus has not yet been reached. Left-wing parties have raised concerns regarding the constitutionality of retroactive revocation of nationality and the potential impact on the rights of long-term residents and immigrant communities in Portugal. In response, the parliamentary committee agreed to postpone the process and schedule a new round of expert hearings in early September. A final vote on the reform is now expected to take place later that month. Until then, the current version of the Nationality Law remains in force , including the five-year legal residence requirement for naturalisation. Applicants who meet this requirement and wish to apply under the current rules may still do so in the coming weeks.
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