Hiring foreign workers in Portugal — employer guide

01

Overview

Portugal's sponsor-side burden sits with the employer, research host, or corporate host entity on the routes that depend on a Portuguese or same-group sponsor. Standard subordinate work, highly qualified activity, the EU Blue Card, researcher permits, and ICT transfers all require the sponsor to issue the underlying contract or host document in the format the route expects, while the standalone job-seeker stage does not yet have a sponsor until employment is formalised. 3 1 2 8

Portugal's published Blue Card threshold is maintained as a moving ratio and annual figure, so employers should confirm the live number at filing time instead of reusing an older offer template. 7 9

02

Sponsor-backed routes

Subordinate work visa plus Article 88 residence permit

Portuguese employer

The employer anchors the standard employee route by issuing the work contract and employer declaration that support both the visa stage and the later AIMA residence-permit filing.

Issue the contract or promise of contract in terms that match the filed route.
Provide the employer declaration attesting the employment link for AIMA.
Keep the role, salary, and duration consistent across consular and AIMA paperwork.

1 4

Highly qualified activity

Portuguese employer or receiving entity

Article 90 cases depend on the employer or host entity providing the highly qualified work basis and backing the AIMA filing where needed.

Issue the work or service contract that supports the highly qualified activity claim.
Help evidence that the role is genuinely highly qualified and that the qualifications match it.
Stay available for AIMA follow-up while the file is being assessed.

2 5

EU Blue Card

Portuguese employer

The Blue Card sponsor supplies the highly qualified contract and the pay and role information the authorities use to assess Blue Card eligibility.

Issue a qualifying highly qualified contract or binding offer with compliant pay.
Keep the job description and salary evidence aligned with the Blue Card filing.
Respond quickly if AIMA asks for clarification on the role or qualification match.

7 9

Researcher residence permit

Recognised research institution or higher-education host

Researcher files depend on the host institution issuing the hosting agreement, grant basis, or contract and proving that the case fits the recognised research framework.

Issue the hosting agreement, contract, or grant documentation in the accepted route form.
Confirm that the host body is recognised for the research route.
Clarify the research basis if AIMA requests additional detail.

2 6

ICT intra-corporate transfer permit

Portuguese host entity and sending group company

ICT files require coordination between the Portuguese host and the sending company because the authorities expect evidence on the group relationship, transfer terms, prior employment, and local working conditions.

Issue transfer documents showing remuneration and working conditions in Portugal.
Prove that the host and sending company belong to the same group.
Document the worker's prior same-group employment period and role classification.

8

03

Employer requirements

01

Portugal's sponsor-backed routes only work when the employer or host can issue the exact contract, declaration, hosting agreement, or transfer documents required by the chosen article.

3 1 2
02

On standard employee and ICT cases, sponsor-side paperwork extends beyond the contract itself and includes declarations, group evidence, and role details that have to stay consistent across the file.

4 8
03

Blue Card and highly qualified sponsors should verify the live salary and contract wording on the filing date because current official pages do not perfectly align on every threshold detail.

2 7 9

04

Documents

Employment contract or promise of contract

Standard work, highly qualified activity, and Blue Card cases all depend on a sponsor-side contract that matches the route and the filed role.

1 2 7

Employer declaration, host letter, or hosting agreement

Depending on the route, the sponsor may need to issue the employer declaration for Article 88, the host documentation for Article 90, or the hosting agreement for researchers.

4 5 6

ICT corporate evidence pack

ICT sponsors need same-group evidence, transfer terms, role classification, and proof of the employee's pre-transfer time within the group.

8

05

Process

1

Match the sponsorship model to the route

Decide early whether the case is standard work, highly qualified activity, Blue Card, research, or ICT, because each route expects a different sponsor document set.

3 1 2

2

Prepare the sponsor documents before filing

Issue the contract, declaration, hosting agreement, or ICT pack in final form before the consular or AIMA submission so the applicant does not arrive with a route mismatch.

4 6 8

3

Support the visa and AIMA stages until card issuance

Stay available after the initial filing because the sponsor may need to confirm pay, role, host status, or transfer conditions again before the residence title is issued.

5 7 8

06

Warnings

Warning

Old no-visa hiring playbooks are stale

AIMA's current route index marks the older in-country no-visa regularisation channels for Articles 88 and 89 as revoked for new cases from 4 June 2024, so sponsors should not rely on older hiring guides built around those pathways.

3

Warning

Blue Card sponsor checks should verify live threshold wording

Because current official pages do not perfectly align on every Blue Card threshold detail, sponsor teams should re-check the salary and contract wording on the live official pages before issuing final paperwork.

2 7 9

07

Official sources

1

Pedir um visto de residência para trabalho dependente

www.gov.pt/servicos/pedir-um-visto-de-residencia-para-trabalho-dependente

official · Direção-Geral dos Assuntos Consulares e das Comunidades Portuguesas via gov.pt · checked 2026-04-23

2

Pedir um visto de residência para o exercício de atividade de investigação ou altamente qualificada

www.gov.pt/servicos/pedir-um-visto-de-residencia-para-o-exercicio-de-atividade-de-investigacao-ou-altamente-qualificada

official · Direção-Geral dos Assuntos Consulares e das Comunidades Portuguesas via gov.pt · checked 2026-04-23

3

Trabalhar | Working

aima.gov.pt/pt/trabalhar