To get a Portugal Startup Visa, you must submit a startup project related to innovation and technology. The entrepreneur must obtain project approval from an accredited business incubator that will accelerate the startup and submit an application to IAPMEI, the Portuguese Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation.
IAPMEI evaluates projects on their level of innovation, business model scalability, market potential, team management skills and the prospect of creating highly skilled jobs in Portugal.
The startup founder does not need to confirm the availability of money to invest in the project; it is enough to prove they have money for a year of living in Portugal.
The IAPMEI agency issues a declaration of compliance with the terms of the Startup Visa program. The document must be presented to obtain a visa and a residence permit.
A consulate issues the visa in the country where the entrepreneur lives, and SEF, the Portuguese Immigration and Borders Service, grants the residence permit.
Benefits of the Portugal Startup Visa
The Startup Portugal Program aims to strengthen the innovation ecosystem and affirm Portugal as a country open to entrepreneurship and to all who will use knowledge and innovation to invest in the Portuguese economy and build up the skilled national workforce.
By investing and creating qualified employment, entrepreneurs can integrate into a startup incubator and benefit from all the Startup Portugal Program incentives and support:
- a foreign investor from a non-EU state can get a Portugal residence permit in 6—11 months;
- one can enter, reside in, and work in Portugal with a Startup Visa;
- travelling inside the Schengen Area is visa-free;
- your relatives are listed on the visa. The dependant members of your family include a spouse or common-law partner, children under 18, disabled children over 18, unmarried children over 18 who will enrol in full-time studies in Portugal, and financially dependent parents;
- language or residence requirements aren’t set;
- you can apply for citizenship or permanent residency after 5 years of obtaining a residence permit.
Portugal Startup Visa requirements for entrepreneurs and business
For entrepreneurs. Foreigners without citizenship or a permanent residence permit in other EU countries can apply for the Portugal Startup Visa. Other program requirements for an entrepreneur are the following:
- age over 18;
- no criminal record;
- the availability of money to reside in Portugal;
- rented or owned property for living in Portugal.
There are no strict requirements for an entrepreneur’s education or work experience, but specialised education and relevant experience increase the chances of obtaining a visa.
Up to five company employees can be included in the application for a Startup Visa.
Each person in the application confirms with a bank statement an account balance of €5,146.8, the annual cost of living in Portugal.
Money can be in any bank, Portuguese or foreign. The presence of money in the account confirms that the applicant will be able to support themselves during the first year of life in the country.
For startups. An entrepreneur can set up a new company in Portugal or transfer an existing business from another country. It is optional for a startup to have a minimum viable product or a working prototype. Just a well-developed business idea will be enough.
The project must be related to innovation and technology and have the growth potential to qualify for the Startup Visa.
after 5 years
Project requirements are the following:
- Focused on innovation based on technology and knowledge.
Х Open a bakery chain
✓ Open a network of automatic bakeries - Scalable, with the prospect of entering the international market.
Х Open a clothing store
✓ Open clothing marketplace - In the future, it will create jobs for highly qualified specialists.
Х Open a chain of stores and hire salespeople
✓ Create a virtual seller and hire IT specialists to support and develop the product - With the potential to achieve a turnover or asset value of €325,000 per year in five years.
- Accepted for acceleration by one of the accredited Portuguese business incubators.
How certified incubators help entrepreneurs
Before applying for a visa, an entrepreneur must obtain the consent of one of the accredited business incubators to accelerate a startup.
99 business incubators are accredited in the Portugal Startup Visa Program. The list is published on the website of the Portuguese national network of incubators, RNI.
Incubators select projects for acceleration differently: some have softer requirements, and others have tougher ones. Several incubators can be contacted before applying for a Startup Visa to determine the needs, understand their interest in the project, and obtain prior approval.
Portuguese incubators do not invest in startups in exchange for a share in the company and do not give grants. They provide expert assistance, a platform for attracting investors and sharing the experience with other entrepreneurs. Also, a startup can rent a coworking space in the incubator for its team.
Incubator services cost about €100 per month, not including coworking, which is paid separately.
Documents required to apply for a Startup Visa
Portugal Startup Visa documents include the following:
- Passport.
- Detailed description and project presentation.
- Motivation letter describing the project, its innovativeness, growth potential, business model scalability, and prospects for business development in Portugal.
- Portuguese NIF tax number and Segurança Social number, if any.
- Certificate of no criminal record from the country of permanent residence with an apostille.
- Bank statement about €5,146.80 or equivalent in another currency on the account. If the money is in a bank outside Portugal, you must confirm the ability to transfer it to a Portuguese bank account.
- CV — a resume with information about education and work experience, letters of recommendation, and education certificates.
How to get a Portugal Startup Visa: step‑by‑step process
Getting a Startup Visa typically takes at least three months if the entrepreneur already has a business plan. But the process might take longer, depending on the speed of getting approval from IAPMEI and a business incubator. After obtaining a visa, you must come to Portugal and apply for a residence permit.
1. Prepare a business plan, collect documents and apply on the Startup Visa platform. An entrepreneur develops a startup business plan, collects the necessary documents, registers on the IAPMEI website and applies online.
2. Receive project approval from one of the incubators. The entrepreneur applies for approval to one or more incubators on the Startup Visa Program website. If at least one incubator approves the project, the entrepreneur sends an application to IAPMEI.
3. Get application approval. IAPMEI reviews the Startup Visa Program application within 30 business days. If the project is approved, the entrepreneur signs a contract with the incubator on the program website within 40 working days.
After signing the contract for project acceleration, the applicant receives a declaration of participation in the program. It is valid for 180 days and is needed to get a visa.
4. Obtain a visa to enter Portugal. The visa is obtained from the Portuguese consulate in the country where the applicant lives. It is issued for 4 months, giving the right to 2 entries into Portugal.
The visa indicates the date of the visit to the immigration service in Portugal to apply for a residence permit.
The list of documents for obtaining a visa to Portugal:
- Passport.
- Declaration of participation in the Portugal Startup Visa Program.
- 2 photos.
- Travel health insurance that covers emergency care and transportation to your home country.
- Certificate of no criminal record.
- The bank statement confirms an account amount covering the minimum living expenses.
You can skip this step if you already have a valid Schengen visa. With it, you can enter Portugal, make an appointment with the immigration service (SEF) and apply for a residence permit on the appointed day.
5. Get a residence permit in Portugal. Documents for obtaining a residence permit are submitted in Portugal to the SEF on the day indicated in the visa. When the documents are submitted, renting or buying residential property is necessary.
The list of documents for a residence permit in Portugal:
- Passport.
- Declaration of participation in the Startup Visa Program.
- 2 photos.
- A certificate from the bank confirming that there is an amount in the account that covers the minimum living expenses.
- Proof of housing in Portugal: proof of ownership or lease agreement.
- Certificate of no outstanding criminal record.
- Consent to a criminal record checks in Portugal.
The residence permit is issued for two years with the possibility of an extension for three years.
To extend the residence permit, you must live in the country for at least six months in a row in a year or at least eight months in total for the entire validity period of the residence permit.
For comparison, it's enough to spend one week in a year for holders of an investor visa to extend a residence permit.
Costs for obtaining a Startup Visa and residence permit
The main expenses for getting a Portugal Startup Visa are the following:
- €5,146.8 is the minimal amount for living for one year in Portugal;
- €7,000+ per year is the approximate cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment in Portugal. However, there is no requirement for the property or rent cost for Startup Visa applicants;
- €90 is the Startup Visa fee;
- €85.05 is the residence permit fee.
After obtaining a residence permit in Portugal, the family can move to an entrepreneur: spouse, children under 18, and parents of both spouses. Children over 18 can obtain a residence permit if unmarried and study full-time at a Portuguese university.
Relatives of the entrepreneur get residence permits for family reunification. The entrepreneur needs to confirm the availability of money for their residence in the country.
The required amount is calculated based on the minimum wage for a particular year: 50% for each adult and 30% for a child. In 2023, these are €4,560 and €2,736, respectively, based on the €760 Portuguese minimum monthly wage.
Opportunities to apply for permanent residency and citizenship with a Portugal Startup Visa
After five years of living in Portugal with a residence permit, you can apply for permanent residence or citizenship by naturalisation.
An important condition is knowledge of the Portuguese language at the A2 level: the applicant must understand and be able to converse on familiar or everyday topics and talk about themselves and their family. To confirm language proficiency, you need to pass an exam.
Portuguese citizenship gives the right to live, work and do business in any EU country, Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein, or Iceland.
Benefits comparison of a residence permit, permanent residency and citizenship
| Residence permit | Permanent residency | Citizenship |
| Validity period for up 2 years | Granted for life | Granted for life |
| Without the right to live, work and do business in other Schengen countries | With the right to live, work and do business in other Schengen countries | With the right to live, work and do business in other Schengen countries |
| Visa-free entry to the Schengen countries for 90 days in 6 months | Visa-free entry to the Schengen countries for 90 days in 6 months | Visa-free entry to 188 countries, including the US and UK |
Portugal Startup Visa checklist
- Prepare a startup business plan.
- Collect documents for a Startup Visa application.
- Select a business incubator of the Portugal Startup Visa Program and obtain prior approval for acceleration.
- Register on the Startup Visa Program website and send an online application for participation.
- Get the approval of the business incubator and the IAPMEI on the website.
- Sign an acceleration agreement with the incubator on the website and receive a declaration of participation in the Portugal Startup Visa Program.
- Obtain a visa at the Portuguese consulate in your country of residence.
- Get a residence permit in Portugal.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Startup Visa is intended for entrepreneurs and allows the founders of innovative startups to move to Portugal and obtain a residence permit. The entrepreneur needs to get project approval from one of the accredited business incubators and the Portuguese Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation IAPMEI.
A startup project can be at the idea stage: a well-developed business plan is enough. An MVP or working prototype is not required for a visa.
Usually, it takes three months if the entrepreneur already has a business plan. The terms may be extended due to the peculiarities of the consulate’s schedule or the request for additional documents.
After obtaining a visa, you must come to Portugal and apply for a residence permit.
The Portugal Startup Visa allows its holder:
- foreign investors from non-EU states can get a Portugal residence permit in 6—11 months;
- you can enter, reside in, and work in Portugal with a Startup Visa;
- travelling inside the Schengen Area is unrestricted;
- your relatives are listed on the visa. The dependant members of your family include a spouse or common-law partner, children under 18, disabled children over 18, unmarried children over 18 who will enrol in full-time studies in Portugal, and financially dependent parents;
- language or residence requirements are not necessary;
- you can apply for citizenship or permanent residency after 5 years of obtaining a residence permit.
An entrepreneur needs to prepare a detailed startup business plan and upload it to the website of the IAPMEI. The agency is considering the project after the startup has received approval from one of the accredited business incubators.
To be approved by IAPMEI, the project must be designed with the prospect of entering the international market and creating highly skilled jobs in Portugal.
IAPMEI issues a declaration of participation in the Portugal Startup Visa Program if the project is approved. The declaration allows you to get a visa for 4 months and then — a residence permit in Portugal.
Portugal Startup Visa documents are the following:
- Passport.
- Detailed description and project presentation.
- Motivation letter describing the project, its innovativeness, growth potential, business model scalability, and prospects for business development in Portugal
- Portuguese NIF tax number and Segurança Social number, if any.
- Certificate of no criminal record from the country of permanent residence with an apostille.
- Bank statement about €5,146.80 or equivalent in another currency on the account. If the money is in a bank outside Portugal, you must confirm the ability to transfer it to a Portuguese bank account.
- CV — resume with information about education and work experience, letters of recommendation, and education certificates.
The project must meet the following criteria:
- Scalable with the prospect of entering the international market.
- Innovative and technological.
- In the future, it will create jobs in Portugal.
- In 5 years, it will reach a turnover of €325,000 per year or assets of the same value.
- Approved by one of the accredited business incubators.
Applicants can transfer to Portugal an existing company or establish a new one. The program’s conditions do not require confirmation of the availability of funds for the project’s development.
A certified incubator confirms its interest in the project and signs an agreement with the entrepreneur for startup acceleration. One of the 99 accredited business incubators must approve the project to participate in the business incubator program.
Incubators help to establish processes in the company, prepare the product and bring it to the market. But they do not finance startups: they do not participate in the authorised capital and do not issue grants.
