Last checked: 5 October 2026
If you live in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh or Nepal and want to work in Portugal, the realistic route in 2026 is: find a job first, then apply for a residence visa for subordinate work (often called the D1 visa) at the Portuguese embassy that covers your country, and then get your residence permit from AIMA in Portugal.
This is general information, not legal advice. Visa rules and appointment systems change. Always check the embassy’s own page before you pay for anything.
The only realistic route: a job contract, then the D1 visa
- Manifestação de interesse has ended. You can no longer enter as a visitor and then regularise through work. Law 61/2025 set 31 December 2025 as the final deadline for the old transitional applications (article 4).
- The D1 visa is for people who already have a job. The Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi describes it as a visa for foreign nationals “who have a valid job offer or valid employment contract signed with a Portuguese company”, and its checklist asks for a contract valid for at least 12 months.
- Validity: like any residence visa, the D1 gives two entries and is valid for 4 months (120 days). During that time you must apply to AIMA for a residence permit (New Delhi embassy checklist).
- Decision time in Portugal: once you apply for the residence permit, AIMA has 90 days to decide, extendable by 30 in exceptional cases (Law 62/2026).
Where to apply: one row per country
| You live in | Portuguese mission | How the application is lodged |
|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | Embassy of Portugal in Islamabad | Through the external service provider named on the embassy’s visa page. We couldn’t open that page on 5 Oct 2026, so we don’t name the provider or quote a fee here: check the page first. |
| India | Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi | At VFS Global. The embassy’s D1 checklist says you can’t book D1 appointments yourself: the Portuguese employer asks the embassy’s visa section, which then has VFS give you a slot. |
| Bangladesh | Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi | Same embassy and process as India. The checklist says Bangladeshi applicants need an Indian visa to travel to New Delhi to submit at VFS. |
| Nepal | Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi | The New Delhi checklist covers Nepali applicants (for example, how to legalise a Nepali police certificate). Confirm the submission centre with the embassy. |
Visa centres such as VFS only receive your documents. The New Delhi checklist says VFS has no influence on the decision, which is the embassy’s.
Documents checklist
The exact list is on the embassy checklist for your country. The New Delhi D1 checklist asks for:
- the national visa application form, filled in and signed (free to download from the MNE visa site);
- a passport issued within the last 10 years, valid for at least 3 months after the planned return, with two blank pages;
- two passport photos;
- the employment contract, signed by you and the company, valid for at least 12 months, and a professional certificate if the profession is regulated in Portugal;
- proof of means of subsistence for at least 12 months: the contract salary counts, or a term of responsibility signed by the person responsible for the hiring company (signature certified in Portugal);
- proof of accommodation in Portugal (rental contract, booking or a term of responsibility);
- travel insurance covering medical costs and repatriation, minimum €30,000;
- a criminal record certificate: for Indian nationals a Police Clearance Certificate with an apostille; for Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and the Maldives, a PCC legalised by your Ministry of Foreign Affairs and your embassy in New Delhi;
- the form authorising Portugal to check your criminal record.
The Pakistan residence-visa one-pager lists the same core items (contract or promise of contract, criminal record with apostille, insurance, means). For apostilles and legalisation, see how to legalise Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi documents. For your AIMA application later, our free AIMA document checklist helps.
Example: Ravi Kumar lives in Pune. A restaurant in Porto offers him a 12-month contract. The restaurant’s owner asks the Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi for a D1 appointment, following the embassy’s instructions for companies. Ravi gets his Police Clearance Certificate apostilled, buys travel insurance, and waits for VFS to email him his slot. Before he accepts, he checks the offer’s net pay with our free Net Salary tool.
The job seeker visa is not open
Law 61/2025 replaced the old job seeker visa with a visa to look for qualified work (Foreigners Law, article 57-A). It is only for people with specialised technical skills, and those skills must be defined in a portaria (ministerial order). We couldn’t find that portaria in the Diário da República as of 5 October 2026, so there is no list of eligible skills yet. Treat any offer of a “job seeker visa” with caution.
After you land: the order that works
- AIMA: attend the appointment for your residence permit within the visa’s 4 months. AIMA’s FAQ says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs books this appointment automatically when it issues the visa.
- NIF: your tax number, needed for your contract and bank. See how to get a NIF.
- NISS: your Social Security number, needed to work. See how to get a NISS.
- Número de utente: registration with the national health service (SNS).
Fake job offers and paid “agents”
- A real employer signs a contract with you and deals with the embassy for D1 appointments. Be suspicious of anyone who asks you to pay for a “job”, a “visa slot” or an “AIMA appointment”.
- AIMA appointments are free. See our scam warning.
- Check that the company exists: ask for its NIPC (company tax number) and look it up. Read jobs in Portugal for South Asian workers and the best job sites.
- A salary that looks too high for the job is a warning sign. Compare it with the minimum wage (€920 a month in 2026).
FAQ
What is the Portugal work visa processing time?
The New Delhi checklist gives a standard D1 processing time of 60 calendar days from when the application reaches the embassy, and says this can be longer. We found no official figure for Islamabad.
What are the Portugal work visa fees in Indian rupees or Pakistani rupees?
Fees are set by the embassy and the visa centre and change with exchange rates. We couldn’t confirm a current figure on an official page, so check the embassy’s and VFS’s fee pages for your country before you pay. The fee isn’t refunded if the visa is refused.
What is the Portugal work visa approval ratio from Pakistan?
There is no official published approval ratio for D1 visas by country. Be wary of anyone who quotes one to sell you a service.
Can I change employer later?
Since Law 62/2026, a holder of a residence permit for work can change employer by telling AIMA, without a new card (Foreigners Law, article 88(8)).
Official sources
- Diário da República – Decree-Law 139/2025 (minimum wage €920 in 2026)
- MNE – Type of visa (national visas)
- Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi – Visas
- Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi – D1 checklist (hosted by VFS Global, dated Dec 2023)
- Embassy of Portugal in Islamabad – Visas
- VFS Global Pakistan – Residence visas one-pager
- Diário da República – Law 61/2025 (art. 57-A qualified job seeker visa; end of MI transitional route)
- Diário da República – Law 62/2026 (90-day decision deadline; change of employer)
- AIMA – Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum
This guide is general information, checked against official sources on 5 October 2026. Rules and portals in Portugal change often, so confirm the current rules with the official source before you act. It is not legal or tax advice. Link in Portugal isn’t connected to any embassy, visa centre or recruiter.
