Work Visa to Portugal. Part 3.

• Work Visa to Portugal. Part 1.
• Work Visa to Portugal. Part 2.
• Work Visa to Portugal. Part 3.
• Work Visa to Portugal. Part 4.

In the previous article we obtained a visa to enter Portugal and, most importantly, we secured an appointment with the immigration office to submit documents for a Portuguese residence permit within the country. The appointment was scheduled for the end of May, which means that 4 months had passed since receiving the visa.

Documents for applying for a residence permit in Portugal.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves—first, we had to collect another set of documents, but this time not for the visa, but for the residence permit. In fact, once the visa is granted, each of us already has a case in the Portuguese immigration system. Formally, to obtain the residence permit, we must arrive in Portugal and prove that we truly meet the conditions of the visa. That means if I entered on a D2 visa as an entrepreneur, I must open my own business so that it actually generates income. If that’s the case, and I can prove it, I can get the residence permit. Recollecting the same documents that were used for the visa is no longer necessary. However, in reality, it's a bit different. At the appointment for the residence permit, the immigration officer may still ask again for documents you've already submitted, even if it's technically not lawful.

The list of required documents is quite vague—they may ask for something extra, or they might not. So we prepared everything we possibly could.

Appointment with AIMA

Formally, this document is not required. But you may be asked for proof that you actually have an appointment with AIMA on that day. The problem is that their system works very poorly, and sometimes your appointment may not appear at all. Proof can be a record in your personal AIMA account. Here I wrote about how to create it and where to find the appointment. If you have that record — you’re very lucky.

We never got that record to appear in our account. So we called AIMA directly to report the issue and, most importantly, to have them find our files in the system and link our email address to them. This is very important.
First, the confirmation of the appointment will be sent to this email, and you can use the message as proof if you're asked for it.

Second, if your appointment is rescheduled, you will also receive a notification by email. The new date might be later or even earlier than originally scheduled.

Another form of proof may be the slip you receive at the consulate when you get your visa. It includes the date of your AIMA appointment. As a result, a hyperlink to your appointment will also appear in the visa inside your passport.

How to call AIMA

217 115 000, 965 903 700

You will go through 4 steps:

1. Consent to data processing;
2. Select language (1 or nothing);
3. Select a category;
4. Select a subcategory;

1 - Consent to data processing.

You’ll hear a woman say "Bem-vindo", then she explains that you need to give consent for data processing and prompts you to press 1 (as soon as she finishes talking, press 1 right away or the call will be dropped).

2 - Next, you are asked to choose a language:

1. English
2. Portuguese, and then you can ask for a Russian interpreter. You can also request Russian from the English line, but it will take longer. 

3 - Categories and subcategories:

1. Translation line
2. Information
3. Appointments

Let’s go over each one.

1 - This is the telephone translation line. You won't get any answers here, so no need to call this option.

2 - Information, has subcategories:

1. CPLP
2. Manifestação de interesse
3. Temporary protection
4. Outros (other)

3 - Agendamento (appointments), has subcategories:

1. Residence permit
2. EU citizens
3. Visas
4. Outros (other)

NIF

NIF is a tax identification number. I got mine while preparing for the visa. But at this stage, everyone needs one, even children. And not just the NIF itself, but it must also be linked to your current address in Portugal.

My NIF was done by a lawyer via power of attorney. He acted as a representative, which means his contact info and my old address in Montenegro were used. In Portugal, the tax office has an online portal called “Finanças”. Through this portal, you can request to update your tax address, contacts, and remove the representative.

Changing address from non-Portuguese to Portuguese

1. Go to the Finanças website and log in
2. Navigate to Pedido de Informações / Esclarecimentos
3. registar nova questão
4. Choose from dropdowns:
1. Imposto ou área = Registro Contribuinte
2. Tipo de Questão = Identific
3. Questão = Alteração Morada/Singular
5. If a question pops up, click Não
6. In assunto (subject), write: Alteração Morada
7. In the message field, write your request in free form, including the new address in Portuguese.

Example:

Bom dia!

Venho por este meio solicitar a alteração da minha morada em número fiscal.

A minha morada actual é: _______________ (your current rental contract address)

Eu tenho:

- um contrato de arrendamento a longo prazo registado nas Finanças;

- visa

- marcação em AIMA

Finalmente, solicito também o cancelamento da representação fiscal de _________

__________ (write your lawyer’s full name and NIF here, as stated in your NIF), tendo em conta a minha morada em Portugal.

Muito obrigado pela vossa ajuda!

Cumprimentos,

Your full name

After sending the request, it will be processed within 10 business days. Usually, you’ll receive a new NIF with the updated address and no representative. The message will state that you must respond within 24 hours in the same thread. You must sign the new NIF and send it back, using the REABRIR button.

If done correctly, you’ll receive a response with a scanned copy of your NIF with stamp and signature.

This must be done for every adult. Note that by updating your address, you become a Portuguese tax resident.

How to get a child’s NIF online

Children also need a NIF. This can be done online via finanças.

1. Log in to finanças and go to e-balcao
2. PedidoForm
3. Pedido de Informações / Esclarecimentos
4. Imposto ou área : Registo Contribuinte
5. Tipo de Questão : Identific
6. Questão : Atrib/Alter NIF Singulares
7. If a question appears — click Não
8. Assunto: Pedido de NIF para os meus filhos
9. Mensagem:
10. Sou cidadão estrangeiro com residência fiscal em (your tax residency, probably Portugal) e NIF (your NIF). Pretendo requerer NIF para os meus filhos também residentes na mesma residência fiscal. Then list child’s full name, birth date, ID or passport number.
11. They will reply asking you to attach scanned documents of your children.
12. You will then receive your child’s NIF with stamp and signature.

In the end, we got stamped and signed NIFs for every family member, with our Portuguese address included. This document is important — AIMA scans and verifies it when applying for a residence permit.

Application Form

The form can be downloaded here. Usually, it's handed out at the entrance to AIMA while you wait in line. We filled it out in advance. Fill in everything you know, leave blank what you don't—staff will help you on site. The main thing is to indicate the correct article; if you're unsure, an AIMA officer will assist. In my case, it was article 89, and for my wife and child, article 77.

Sole Proprietorship (FOP, atividade)

For the D2 visa, these are the key documents for the main applicant. You need to prove that you have an active sole proprietorship in Portugal. It must be registered. I did this through a lawyer. At AIMA, I presented:

Service agreement (contract) with my employer.

I attached various certificates from the company stating they are officially registered, pay taxes, and conduct legal business.

IVA Certificate

You can get it online at finanças.

Login to Portal das Finanças→ Search bar → Certidões → Pedir certidão or via this link. In the dropdown, select Enquadramento de IVA and download it.

Activity registration done by the lawyer.

If applying as a whole family, these documents are only needed for the main applicant. But if applying separately, at different times or different AIMA offices, they might ask for these documents again from the spouse. It’s better to make copies.

Recibos (invoices)

To prove that you have sufficient means to live in Portugal and that your sole proprietorship is active, you need to present the last 3 invoices (for the past 3 months). This will show that you have a stable income. These can also be easily obtained from finanças.

Bank account in a Portuguese bank.

It is mandatory to open an account in a local bank. For migrants, this is often a bit of a challenge. Banks are not always willing to work with migrants. This means you might simply be denied the service. But don't give up — if one bank refuses, you can always try another. Sometimes you can even try the same bank at a different branch — that happens too.

To open a bank account, you will need:

NIF — tax number

Without a tax number, you won’t even be able to take a queue ticket at the bank.

Passport

Preferably with a visa, so the bank understands the legal status of your stay in the country.

Employment contract

Any contract that proves you have a stable income. It doesn’t have to be from Portugal.

Rental agreement.

You need to prove that you actually live in Portugal.

Opening an account takes time — from a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on the bank and the situation. So it's better to start this process as early as possible.

After opening the account, you can download a certificate with your banking details from the banking app. This will serve as proof for AIMA.

Availability of funds in the account

If you have recibos (invoices), then proof of funds in the account is usually not required. But just in case, you can request a bank statement for the last 3 months showing the final balance. For a family of three, the required amount was around 18,000 euros. Of course, it’s best to provide a statement from a Portuguese bank.

If applicable, you need to confirm your self-employment (atividade)

These are the same documents — atividade registration, IVA. I didn’t have those documents; it was enough to log into my Finanças account, and the bank employee found everything he needed on his own.

Proof of residence address

Usually, a rental agreement is enough. But due to increasing cases of forgeries, additional documents are now often requested. Here’s what we provided:

Rental agreement registered with the tax office

The registration is done by the landlord. They can complete it through Finanças in about half an hour.

Domicílio fiscal

This certificate shows your address as registered with Finanças (your tax address). It can also be obtained online from Finanças here.

Utility bill

You can also attach a water or electricity bill. It shows your full name and address.

It’s a good idea to make copies of these documents for all applicants.

NISS — Social Security Number

This number can only be obtained by the main applicant. The issue is that currently they have stopped issuing it to everyone in order to reduce social assistance claims. You must justify your request for NISS, such as having a residence permit or proof of tax payments. If you’re working and paying taxes, you are eligible for social support. That’s why my wife and daughter could not get this number. Fortunately, it wasn’t required from them during submission at AIMA.

I obtained this number, and it was taken during the application process.

How to get a NISS

1. Fill out the online form here.
2. Attach scanned documents:
1. passport copy (main page and visa page)
2. NIF
3. service agreement with your employer, last recibo
4. document confirming abertura de atividade
3. When submitting, the form may return an error. Just wait or try again later.
4. After a while, you will receive an email stating that your number is ready and can be collected at Segurança Social.
5. Go to the nearest Segurança Social (similar to social services). Show them the email and they’ll give you a document with your NISS number.

Health Insurance

A few months after arriving, we got permanent health insurance for the whole family. There shouldn’t be any issues with this. Often, even banks offer such services. The most important thing is that everyone has a NIF.

Proof of Legal Entry into the Country

Upon arrival in Portugal, it’s best to save your flight tickets and make sure your passport is stamped on entry. This will serve as proof. It’s rarely requested, but better to keep the tickets just in case.

Certificate of No Debt to Social Security. Declaração Situação Contributiva - Seg Social

This certificate can be obtained online at https://www.seg-social.pt/

Log in to Segurança Social Direita → Conta-corrente → Situação Contributiva → Obter declaração de situação contributiva - Obter nova declaração - Ver declaração - download the PDF and print it.

Certificate of No Tax Debt. Divida Não Divida - Finanças

https://www.portaldasfinancas.gov.pt/at/html/index.html

Log in to Portal das Finanças → Search bar → Certidões → Pedir certidão → Dívida não divida – download the PDF and print it.

School Attendance Certificate. Matrícula.

Issued at the school secretary's office, takes about 10 minutes.

Child's Birth Certificate and Marriage Certificate. Criminal Record Certificate.

All of these documents were already submitted during the visa application stage, so they were not required again. But just in case, we brought the “child’s birth certificate and marriage certificate” and had them translated into Portuguese and notarized. If you want to save €100, you can skip this step.

Application Process

At the end of the previous article, I mentioned one nuance. The issue was that we got appointments for all three of us at the same time, but in different cities. Theoretically, my daughter and I could be received together, but my wife would be asked to go to her own appointment location. So we had to submit my and my daughter’s documents first, then travel to another city for my wife’s appointment. You can’t do this in parallel — at my wife's appointment they would ask for proof that I’ve already applied as the main applicant. Additionally, we had to prepare duplicate documents since the requirements are almost the same. Applying all together in one place greatly simplifies the process.

So, on May 26, 2025, at 10 a.m., we stood outside the AIMA office in Viseu. Our appointment was at 3 p.m., but we arrived in the morning — usually no one follows the scheduled time strictly. We brought a “helper” as a translator. At the entrance, a security guard asked everyone about their visit. Our translator explained our situation and asked if we could be received together. The guard left briefly and then said I would definitely be seen, since I had an appointment, but my wife and daughter might not — depending on capacity. People who arrived later were allowed in before us. Most people were just there for information. After an hour, only I was called. I went in. There were two employees processing documents and biometric equipment. The translator was not allowed inside — it's not permitted. The AIMA staff in Viseu speak excellent English. I handed over my prepared document package. The officer quickly reviewed them, returned the entry proof and appointment confirmation, saying they weren’t needed. No other questions were asked. We took biometric data, and she started scanning the papers. A minute later, my wife and daughter came in — which meant we were being processed together! That solved many issues. They took the minimal required documents from my wife and daughter, since we applied as a family. The whole process took about 30 minutes. We received a special document allowing us to stay in Portugal while waiting for the residence permits. We were told to wait about a month — the cards would arrive by mail.

Conclusion

End of May 2025. We submitted the documents. Now waiting for confirmation and the residence permit cards to arrive by post.

But it’s too early to relax. Many people never received their cards because the post office lost them or delivered them to someone else.

• Work Visa to Portugal. Part 1.
• Work Visa to Portugal. Part 2.
• Work Visa to Portugal. Part 3.
• Work Visa to Portugal. Part 4.