setting up in Porto
want to know more about how to set up in Porto?
living and working in Porto will never be a regular experience.
prepare yourself to get a piece of your heart stolen and to find a second home forever!
are you an EU citizen?
If you're from the EU, you can stay in Portugal for three months as long as you have a passport or ID card. If your family is not from the EU, they can still stay for three months but must have a valid passport.
If you want to stay longer, you must obtain a Registration Certificate from your local Council. You can apply for this Certificate within the 30 days following your first three months in Portugal, and its valid for 5 years (or at least up to the date when you’re planning on leaving).
If your family is not from the EU, they must apply for a Residence Card (equally valid for 5 years) by going to the AIMA (Portuguese Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum) offices.
For more information, you can visit the gov.pt portal.
not from the EU? visas got you covered
Digital Nomad Visa
- For stays under 1 year, you'll need to provide proof of income, tax/fiscal residence, and general temporary visa documents.
- For stays over 1 year, you’ll need to provide your proof of income, your tax/fiscal residence, and general residency visa documents.
In both cases, you'll also need to provide an employment contract, the promise of said contract, or a statement by your employer that proves the employment relationship. Independent professionals need to provide one of the following documents: company contract, contract for the provision of services, written tender for a service contract, or a document demonstrating services provided to at least one entity.
Apply at a Portuguese consular post or consular section.
Learn more on InvestPorto's website or by reading the Visa’s legislation.
Job Seeker Visa
Allows you to stay in Portugal for up to 6 months (valid for 4 months, with possible renovation for another 2) while looking for a job. You’ll be allowed to carry on your job search until the end of this period, or until a temporary residence permit is granted. Once you find a job, you’ll be able to request this permit. Requirements include having enough money to support yourself, a valid travel document, and travel insurance.
Allows you to stay in Portugal for up to 6 months (valid for 4 months, with possible renovation for another 2) while looking for a job. You’ll be allowed to carry on your job search until the end of this period, or until a temporary residence permit is granted. Once you find a job, you’ll be able to request this permit. Requirements include having enough money to support yourself, a valid travel document, and travel insurance.
Apply at a Portuguese consular post or consular section.
Learn more by visiting the Portuguese Diplomatic Portal or InvestPorto's website.
special tax benefits
Non-Habitual Residents Programme
Offers a special Personal Income Tax (IRS) regime for a period of ten consecutive years upon registering as tax-resident in Portugal, including a special 20% tax rate for high-value added activities and progressive tax exemptions on foreign-source income.
To become a Non-Habitual Resident, you must be tax-resident in Portugal for more than 183 days (consecutive or not) during a period of 12 months, or own a house in the country that’s meant to act as a habitual residence.
The application to register as a Non-Habitual Resident must be submitted until the 31st of March of the year following that in which you become resident in Portugal, directly through the Portal das Finanças.
For more information, you can read the Programme’s legislation or visit InvestPorto’s official website.
getting a tax number
You need a tax number (or, as we call it in Portugal, a NIF) to open a bank account, get a mobile phone contract, work for a Portuguese company, or buy a property.
You can request a NIF at any time and it's completely free of charge. It’s also easy to get: you can visit your local tax office called Finanças, or visit a Loja do Cidadão.
You can learn more information about obtaining a NIF and request one online via the gov.pt portal.
social security
Social Security in Portugal applies to all individuals working in the country, and includes sickness, parental, and unemployment benefits.
In order to make social security contributions and receive any benefits you might be entitled to, you’ll need to have a Social Security Identification Number (NISS). You can get it by visiting your local Social Security office called Segurança Social, or visit a Loja do Cidadão.
To apply for a NISS, EU citizens must attach a civil ID document from their country of origin and its copy, and non-EU citizens must attach their passport, residence permit, residence authorization (temporary or permanent), or other ID documents from their country.
You can learn more information about obtaining a NISS and request one online via the Social Security portal.
opening a bank account
In Portugal, most banks are open Monday through Friday, from 08h30 AM to 03h00 PM.
To open an account, you’ll need the following:
To open an account, you’ll need the following:
- Tax Number (NIF)
- ID
- Proof of address in Portugal
- Employment contract, letter from the employer, or recent payslip
- Other specific documents, depending on the bank you choose (it's always best to contact them via email so you can gather all the documents before you go in).
getting a Porto city pass
The subway in Porto is very efficient, connecting several regions of the city and some of the surrounding neighbourhoods. Porto also has an extensive network of public buses, known as the STCP. The city map is divided by several zones and different "lines", so you should consider each one when you buy a ticket or the city pass, called Andante.
This monthly pass is the best option for those who live in Porto and need to catch the subway constantly. There are two different versions of it:
- Z3: it includes trips in up to 3 different zones of your choosing, costing €30 per month
- Metropolitan: it serves all of the different zones, costing €40 per month
To get the Andante pass, you need to visit a service office located in some of the main stations of the city. The monthly recharge can be done in the machines at each station.
learning portuguese in Porto
Porto has several universities and other types of learning centres with Portuguese courses tailored to foreigners:
You can also visit the website of the Portuguese High Commission for Migration for more information on Portuguese language courses for foreigners, including the Portuguese Host Language courses, or the Online Platform for Portuguese.