Portugal startup visa
Move to Portugal and get a residence permit for 2 years with an extension for another 3 years. Become eligible for citizenship after 5 years. Apply entirely online in your country or in Portugal. You can include a team of up to 5 people.
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Hi! We are a team of enthusiasts who moved to Portugal with a startup visa. Fully understood the whole system, applied, got approved, came and made residence cards for 2 years. Then we helped our friends to move. They recommended us to another team, then two more came....
We realised that there was not enough time to answer basic questions and created this website. Here is the most up to date information (as of January 2024). All facts and figures are from official sources and based on personal experience (this is important as many sites have irrelevant or incorrect information). Use, ask questions, book consultations!
We realised that there was not enough time to answer basic questions and created this website. Here is the most up to date information (as of January 2024). All facts and figures are from official sources and based on personal experience (this is important as many sites have irrelevant or incorrect information). Use, ask questions, book consultations!
- About the program, visa and residence permit.
- Why Portugal.
- Requirements for participants and our recommendations.
- What documents are needed to apply for a startup visa.
- The procedure for applying for a residence permit for a startup.
- What information about the startup is needed for the application and how to fill out the form.
- Who will be approved and who may be denied a visa application.
- Frequently Asked Questions and Answers.
- Contact form for questions.
About the program, visa and residence permit
Portugal, like many European countries, is interested in attracting people and companies that will work in the country and pay taxes to the budget. To this end, the authorities have launched several programs for relocation and legalization. Among them is the Portugal Startup Visa program, which started in 2018, runs in 2024 and has no expiration date yet. Under this program, there is a government organization IAPMEI (Agencies for Competitiveness and Innovation), which together with business incubators consider applications for startup visas. Under this program, citizens of any country, except EU residents, may move.
This program is one of the most interesting ways to move to Portugal. And here's why:
This program is one of the most interesting ways to move to Portugal. And here's why:
- You don`t have to have a working and profitable startup to apply, just an idea in the form of a presentation and an MVP.
- Up to 5 people can apply for one startup and one application, and all five can get visas and a residence permit at the same time.
- The primary residence permit is issued for two years, then easily extended for another 3 years. And then you can apply for permanent residence permit or citizenship of Portugal.
- You do not need to issue NIF (tax number) and NISS (social security number), no need to look for housing to rent, open a bank account and transfer the money. This can all be done after you move in Portugal.
- You do not need an investment, it is enough to show the availability of money in the amount of at least 5766 euros in any currency at the current exchange rate.
- You can apply for a visa in your country, as well as being in Portugal itself on a Schengen visa.
- The entire process is automated and takes place online through a special portal.
- A high approval rate (if you meet all the requirements).
- Priority registration of residence permit with a short waiting period (compared to other methods of legalization in Portugal).
- After obtaining your residence permit, you can be reunited with family members.
- Start-up visa allows you to work in Portugal.
Why Portugal
Portugal has many advantages as a country and a way to live in Europe.
- The cost of living here is relatively low (except that the cost of renting a house is higher than the European average).
- A pleasant southern climate, warm winters, tolerable temperatures in summer.
- Portugal is one of the safest countries in the world.
- Wonderful people, the Portuguese are very hearty and friendly.
- Beautiful nature, mountains and the ocean with huge waves.
- Travel free with residence permit in Schengen countries
- You can get a Portuguese passport after 5 years of life with a residence permit.
- Portugal allows dual citizenship (unlike Spain, where you have to renounce your country's citizenship to obtain a passport).
- Portuguese passport is one of the five strongest passports in the world, you can visit 186 countries without a visa or with a visa on arrival.
- Special tax regime for non-residents, a reduced tax of 20% on income within the country for 10 years.
Requirements for participants and our recommendations
In order to apply for a Portuguese startup visa, the following requirements must be met.
Incubators and IAPMEI evaluate a startup based on the following criteria:
Each of these criteria is described in a separate section.
- All participants must be over 18 years old.
- There is a higher education or other proof of qualification.
- No residence permit in European Union countries.
- No criminal record or EU tax debts.
- There is a sum of at least 5150 5766 euros per participant (in any currency and in any bank, preferably not in a sub-sanctioned bank).
- The startup must be innovative and technological in nature (classical business will not do, there are other ways of legalization for such).
- There is the potential to hire employees with high qualifications.
- There is the potential to achieve a turnover or asset value of 325,000 euros in 5 years of operation.
Incubators and IAPMEI evaluate a startup based on the following criteria:
- How innovative the project is.
- What growth potential it has.
- Whether it has prospects for hiring employees.
- How likely it is to scale globally.
Each of these criteria is described in a separate section.
What documents are needed to apply for a startup visa
You can apply for a startup visa from your country of citizenship or where you have a residence permit. The application and monitoring are automated, and all communication is done through the IAPMEI portal. The following documents are required to successfully complete the application:
The list of required documents is not long and they are quite easy to collect. The bulk of the paperwork will be already in Portugal after obtaining the visa.
- A scan or photo of each startup participant's passport. Make sure that the passport is valid for at least one year.
- Proof of at least EUR 5766 equivalent per participant. Bank statement in English will do. If the money is not in Portugal, you should attach to this document a certificate stating that you undertake to transfer this amount to the Portuguese bank after obtaining a visa and arrival in Portugal.
- Proof of absence of debts to the tax authorities of Portugal. Here a free-form certificate will do, that you do not have a tax number in Portugal, and therefore no debts.
- A certificate of no criminal record from your country. It can be obtained from your country and translated into English. Or request from the Russian consulate in Portugal, then it will be immediately in Portuguese.
- CV - resume in an international standard describing your education and experience.
- Diploma of higher or specialized education. This is a new requirement, added in April 2023.
- Detailed description of the startup, answers to the questions in the application form, more about that below.
The list of required documents is not long and they are quite easy to collect. The bulk of the paperwork will be already in Portugal after obtaining the visa.
The procedure for applying for a residence permit for a startup
We have made a detailed checklist with the order of actions from preparation of documents to obtaining residence permit cards for all project participants and their family members. The checklist has been placed on a separate page, since there is a lot of information there.
What information about the startup is needed for the application and how to fill out the form
The number of fields in the startup visa application and the signatures above them can be shocking to untrained users. All this is complicated by the fact that the application must be filled out in English or Portuguese. The data specified directly affects whether your application will be approved or not. The general point of the application is to prove that the project is innovative and useful for the Portuguese economy.
We went through the whole quest of approving the application and obtaining a residence permit for ourselves and for our friends. So the list does not seem so big and complicated to us anymore. But we still remember our first impressions and understand how difficult it can be for most people who want to apply for a startup visa for the first time.
If you decide to fill out the form and apply on your own, we have prepared detailed instructions for you on how to fill it out and what each field means.
We went through the whole quest of approving the application and obtaining a residence permit for ourselves and for our friends. So the list does not seem so big and complicated to us anymore. But we still remember our first impressions and understand how difficult it can be for most people who want to apply for a startup visa for the first time.
If you decide to fill out the form and apply on your own, we have prepared detailed instructions for you on how to fill it out and what each field means.
Who will be approved and who may be denied a visa application
The startup visa program contains explicit requirements and requirements for the startup and participants, which we mentioned above in the section "Requirements for participants.
Usually, IAPMEI asks for missing documents or asks for clarification of some data, and gives 3 days for this. Sometimes a decision is made without these requests. Therefore, you should be very careful with the process of filling out the application and attaching documents.
In theory, they may look at the fact that the education or work experience of participants does not correspond to the sphere of the startup. We also do not recommend the inclusion of spouses of the same name in one application. If the plan is to obtain a residence permit for family members, this can be done through the reunification procedure.
- The program requirements are also implicit, which are not mentioned explicitly, but can influence the success or failure of the program.
- If the IAPMEI or incubator staff is not satisfied with something on the questionnaire. For example, the experience of the manager or the employees.
- If the potential of the startup is implicit or not clearly expressed.
- If there is a lack of documents or they are of the wrong form/quality.
- If the person has an unexpunged criminal record or is wanted by Interpol.
Usually, IAPMEI asks for missing documents or asks for clarification of some data, and gives 3 days for this. Sometimes a decision is made without these requests. Therefore, you should be very careful with the process of filling out the application and attaching documents.
In theory, they may look at the fact that the education or work experience of participants does not correspond to the sphere of the startup. We also do not recommend the inclusion of spouses of the same name in one application. If the plan is to obtain a residence permit for family members, this can be done through the reunification procedure.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
All the information on this site is taken from three types of sources:
- From personal and practical experience of going through all the steps from gathering information and documents to obtaining completed residence permit cards. And also from the experience of at least 7 applications of our friends and acquaintances, which were submitted with our participation.
- Several of the most reputable telegraph channels and chat rooms about the legalization, which also describe the cases.
- Websites of official services and government organizations in Portugal which deal with applications and legalization.
- Official website of the StartUp Portugal program itself
- Official website of the SEF (State Office for Immigration and Borders)
- The website of Segurança Social, the public social security service.
In the rules for applying for a startup visa, it is written that the project must aim for a turnover or asset value of 325,000 euros and hire at least two people, all in 5 years. But you have to understand that this is not a rigid requirement, but only a wish. A kind of way to filter out unpromising projects and undesirable people. That is, we are talking about the potential, not the obligation to reach this level. Conditionally, this is the threshold by which the scalability and capacity of a project is evaluated. Funders do not and cannot have the obligation to reach it.
This program is launched not only to find potential unicorns, but simply to attract able-bodied and intelligent people to live in Portugal, earn money and pay taxes. It turns out that if the startup doesn't take off, the country will still win. Provided that the applicant is not doing it just for the sake of getting a residence permit or benefit payments, for example.
But it's important to properly motivate that your project can reach those numbers. We know what it takes, so you can contact us.
This program is launched not only to find potential unicorns, but simply to attract able-bodied and intelligent people to live in Portugal, earn money and pay taxes. It turns out that if the startup doesn't take off, the country will still win. Provided that the applicant is not doing it just for the sake of getting a residence permit or benefit payments, for example.
But it's important to properly motivate that your project can reach those numbers. We know what it takes, so you can contact us.
Obtaining a residence permit on a startup visa is divided into two big steps:
1. Applying to IAPMEI in order to get your startup approved. If your startup project is liked by the state, you can apply for a residence permit. You can go through this stage wherever you like, the process will be the same.
2. Applying to the SEF for a residence permit. If you have already been approved for a startup by IAPMEI, you have two options.
1. Applying to IAPMEI in order to get your startup approved. If your startup project is liked by the state, you can apply for a residence permit. You can go through this stage wherever you like, the process will be the same.
2. Applying to the SEF for a residence permit. If you have already been approved for a startup by IAPMEI, you have two options.
- If you are applying in your home country, you need to go to the Portuguese consulate and get a startup visa. This visa entitles you to two entries into Portugal within 4 months. Along with this visa you are given a record in the SEF, where you apply already for residence permit cards, it is a different process with its own features.
- If you are already in Portugal (for example, arrived on a Schengen visa), you do not need to obtain a visa. But you need to register at the SEF. It is very important to document the legality of your entry into the country by registering with the SEF. You can confirm the legality with a plane ticket to Portugal. You can also check into your hotel within three days after arrival and ask the reception to register you with the SEF (ask for a printout confirming this).
There is comprehensive information about the startup visa on the website. We will tell you about the main differences between the digital nomad visa and the startup visa.
Each of these methods of legalization has its pros and cons. But on the whole, applying for a startup visa looks more interesting.
- You can apply for a digital nomad visa only through the consulates of countries where you have citizenship or a residence permit. Making an appointment to apply at a consulate can be tricky, and some countries don't have slots available for six months in advance. And for a startup visa, you can apply without a consulate at all.
- For the digital nomad visa you need to show a regular income of 3040 euros + having money in the amount of 50% of the salary for a spouse and + 30% for each child. On the startup visa you do not need to show income, it is enough to show the availability of 6000 euros in any bank account in any currency.
- To apply for digital nomad you need to register a tax number NIF, find a temporary residence in Portugal. To apply for a startup visa you do not need to register or find anything, everything can be done in your country.
Each of these methods of legalization has its pros and cons. But on the whole, applying for a startup visa looks more interesting.
It is almost impossible to predict the exact timeline for issuing a startup visa and obtaining a residence permit. Timelines depend on many factors: the workload of IAPMEI and SEF, the response rate of incubators, the specific SEF office, employees on duty, possible strikes, and the "great Portuguese randomness."
We can cite the experience of recent filings with approvals. We can lay down the following approximate timeline:
All in all, the whole process from collecting the documents to getting the cards can take 6-12 months. Yes, it is not fast. But, for example, the legalization of the IP or employment is even longer. And it is worth remembering that you can apply for a residence permit already being in Portugal. You can come to the country on a valid Schengen visa, find a place to live, send your children to kindergarten or school, and then quietly deal with the application and legalization.
We can cite the experience of recent filings with approvals. We can lay down the following approximate timeline:
- A month to gather the paperwork (if not done in advance);
- One month to fill out the application and get approval from incubators;
- 4-6 months to get approval from IAPMEI;
- 3-4 months to admission to SEF;
- up to 1 month (if circumstances are lucky) to receive your residence permit cards by mail.
All in all, the whole process from collecting the documents to getting the cards can take 6-12 months. Yes, it is not fast. But, for example, the legalization of the IP or employment is even longer. And it is worth remembering that you can apply for a residence permit already being in Portugal. You can come to the country on a valid Schengen visa, find a place to live, send your children to kindergarten or school, and then quietly deal with the application and legalization.
The availability of money is implied for the development of the startup. The amount is made up of the Portuguese index of social support (IAS) multiplied by 12. In 2023 this index was increased to 480,43 euro * 12 = 5765,16 euro. But we recommend to show an amount one and a half times higher.
After the approval of the startup, there is the legalization stage. And there you will have to show another amount (minimum of 8500 euros) already for SEF, it is for living in the country.
After the approval of the startup, there is the legalization stage. And there you will have to show another amount (minimum of 8500 euros) already for SEF, it is for living in the country.
In theory, you could apply for a visa together with your wife or close relatives, registering them as members of the startup team. But we do not recommend this, especially if the last names are the same. It is better to get a certificate of approval on behalf of the most appropriate knowledge and experience of the family member. And then apply for a residence permit for all under the program of reunification.
This is one of the most difficult questions that can be answered for a long time and still not be answered :) Let's mention the most important points. In Portugal there is a progressive system of taxation, the more you earn, the more taxes you pay. The rate can be from 14 to 48%. Visitors can apply for a special tax regime NHR, under which a fixed rate of 20% on income in Portugal for 10 years, and some types of income from foreign sources are exempt from taxes altogether.
Yes, this option is available. In this case, on the first page of the application, select the "Existing Business" option. And on the fifth page of the application, fill in information about the company and its indicators. We have read about the requirements for an existing business from abroad, that the company must be profitable and not older than 4 years. But we are still verifying this information.
Today, the extension of valid residence permits is done semi-automatically in the SEF portal online. Extension must be no later than 2 months before the end of the residence permit. Before the extension, you must have time to open a company (the equivalent of a sole proprietorship or LLC), make at least minimal payments, pay taxes, and make payments to the social services. Then you need to collect the documents on the creation of the company, upload them to the portal SEF and wait for new residence permit cards by mail.
Remember that in order to renew your residence permit, you must be in the country for at least 6 consecutive months in a year, or 8 months in total over the entire period of validity of the permit.
Remember that in order to renew your residence permit, you must be in the country for at least 6 consecutive months in a year, or 8 months in total over the entire period of validity of the permit.
The first contract with the incubator is usually for one year. It is mandatory, otherwise IAPMEI will not issue a declaration to apply for a residence permit. But it is not necessary to conclude a new contract after receiving the residence permit. The main function of the incubator is to help startups get accustomed to Portugal, find the right contacts, figure out how to start a company and taxes and open a company. Therefore, one annual contract is enough.
To extend the residence permit, you do not need to conclude a contract with the incubator either, the main thing is to open a commercial activity (analog of a sole proprietorship or LLC). You can continue working with the incubator if you yourself see the benefit and necessity in it.
To extend the residence permit, you do not need to conclude a contract with the incubator either, the main thing is to open a commercial activity (analog of a sole proprietorship or LLC). You can continue working with the incubator if you yourself see the benefit and necessity in it.
In order to qualify for permanent residence (permanent residency), you must live for five years continuously with a residence permit. After that, you can immediately apply for citizenship, without the Permanent Residence Permit. To get a Portuguese passport you need to know the language at the level of A2, be able to understand and communicate on everyday topics. You have to pass an exam for this.
With Portuguese citizenship you can live in the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland. There are no restrictions on the period of residence on the passport. Also the Portuguese passport gives the right of visa-free entry into 186 countries, including the UK and the USA.
With Portuguese citizenship you can live in the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland. There are no restrictions on the period of residence on the passport. Also the Portuguese passport gives the right of visa-free entry into 186 countries, including the UK and the USA.
We can offer full support of the process, where we will undertake almost all the work of completing the application, passing approval of the project and assistance in obtaining a residence permit. Whether you want to launch a startup in Portugal or just get a residence permit on a startup visa, we can help.
The cost of support - 6000 euros per person in the project. Payment is staggered. First payment of 2000 euros for project preparation and filling out application. After the incubators approve it, the second instalment of 2000 euros follows. After receiving the most important state approval, a third payment of 2,000 euros is made.
Optionally, for the most cautious, we can offer payment through an Exrow account. The money will come to us only after uproofs and declaration from IAPMEI.
The cost of support - 6000 euros per person in the project. Payment is staggered. First payment of 2000 euros for project preparation and filling out application. After the incubators approve it, the second instalment of 2000 euros follows. After receiving the most important state approval, a third payment of 2,000 euros is made.
Optionally, for the most cautious, we can offer payment through an Exrow account. The money will come to us only after uproofs and declaration from IAPMEI.
We are ready to take on virtually all the work of applying for a startup visa and obtaining a residence permit. The cost of full support includes:
On other issues, such as registration of social security number, opening bank accounts, finding housing to rent, obtaining a residence permit for relatives (reunification) are ready to give advice and checklists.
- Preparation of all necessary information about the startup;
- Assistance in preparing personal documents (passport and references);
- CV (resume);
- Remote processing of NIF;
- Remote processing of the certificate of criminal records with translation into Portuguese;
- Translation of diplomas and certificates into Portuguese;
- Filling out the application form on the IAPMEI portal;
- Preparation of the start-up presentation;
- Drafting a business plan for the startup with the necessary calculations
- Creation of the website and application for the project (MVP);
- Communicating with incubators;
- Registration in SEF for application for residence permit;
- Help in preparing documents for residence permit;
- Advice and support throughout the process.
On other issues, such as registration of social security number, opening bank accounts, finding housing to rent, obtaining a residence permit for relatives (reunification) are ready to give advice and checklists.
It would be wrong and unfair to give guarantees of approval and obtaining a residence permit. But we have provided for all the risks. You don't have to pay the entire cost at once, payment comes in stages only after important approvals. We know how to write applications and communicate with organizations to get projects approved. We have never had a single rejection.
If your project does not pass approval, we will make changes and submit it again for free (it is possible). And immediately submit a free project on a Spanish residence permit for a startup. If, even after that, will be rejected by Portugal and Spain (the probability of that tends to zero), then we will refund the money. All conditions will be spelled out in the contract, the text can be found at this link.
If your project does not pass approval, we will make changes and submit it again for free (it is possible). And immediately submit a free project on a Spanish residence permit for a startup. If, even after that, will be rejected by Portugal and Spain (the probability of that tends to zero), then we will refund the money. All conditions will be spelled out in the contract, the text can be found at this link.
By popular demand :) we wrote a big article about who we are, how we found out about the Portuguese startup visa, how we applied, how we moved and got our residence permit. The article is at this link.