Visas and Relocation to Portugal
Advice on study, work, job-seeker, D2, D7 and family visas, including eligibility assessment, document preparation, follow-up of the consular process and support with settling in Portugal.
What is included
- Study visa
- Work visa
- Job-seeker visa
- D2 visa: entrepreneurs and independent professionals
- D7 visa: passive income and pensioners
- Family reunification visa
- Prior eligibility assessment
- Document preparation and organisation
- Follow-up of the consular and VFS process
- Responses to requests for additional documents
- Settling-in support: tax number, social security number, address and bank account
- Planning the relocation timeline
Every situation is assessed individually. These services are provided within the remit of a Trainee Lawyer, under the supervision of Dr. João Nogueira Marques, Lawyer.
What helps prepare for your consultation
- Your reason for moving, current country of residence and intended travel dates, including who will accompany you.
- Information you already have about the studies, employment, business activity or income connected with the move.
- Consular correspondence, previous applications and documents already prepared, if any.
- Valid passports and identification for everyone included in the application.
- Proof of accommodation in Portugal, or details of the arrangement you are putting in place.
- A note of the dates and commitments shaping the move, such as a contract start, school year or the end of a tenancy.
What we review with you
We assess the purpose of your stay and your circumstances to identify the visa options that need to be checked. We organise document preparation and consular follow-up around the applicable procedure. Planning can also cover the steps for settling in Portugal and their sequence. We separate what can be prepared before travelling from what can only be dealt with once in Portugal, so the sequence does not depend on a single step. Where there are earlier applications or refusals, we read them alongside the current documents to see what has changed.
Official information
Common questions before a consultation
Which type of visa should be assessed in my case?
It depends on the purpose of your stay, your current circumstances and who is travelling with you. In the consultation we separate the possible purposes — work, study, business activity, family reunification — and identify which should be checked with the competent consular post before documents are prepared.
Should I apply for the visa before or after organising the move?
Both proceed in parallel, but with different priorities. Some steps can only be handled in your country of origin and others depend on already being in Portugal. We organise the sequence so that no step waits on another unnecessarily.
How long does the process take?
A duration cannot be given, because it depends on the consular post, the procedure and the documents submitted. We explain the stages within your control, what remains dependent on third parties and how to follow the application, without creating expectations about timing or outcome.
I have had a visa refused. Does that end the matter?
It does not end the assessment. The reasons given for the refusal need to be read against what was actually submitted. That reading shows whether the issue was documentary, a question of the route chosen, or insufficient information, and the next step follows from it.
The move involves my family. Does that change the preparation?
It does, because each person has their own documentary position, even when the application is submitted together. We build a timeline per person and identify the birth, marriage or partnership records supporting the family relationship relied on.
Do I need accommodation confirmed before proceeding?
Your accommodation position is one of the elements the procedure usually considers, so it matters what is already settled and what is still open. In the consultation we clarify what needs confirming with the competent body and what can be prepared in the meantime.
What has to be dealt with after arriving in Portugal?
Some settling-in steps only make sense once you are in the country, such as registrations and applications with different bodies. We set out the usual sequence and the order that avoids duplication, referring each specific procedure to the applicable official information.
Can the consultation happen before I arrive in Portugal?
Yes. Appointments are held by video call or telephone, in Portuguese, English or Spanish, with documents sent in advance. An in-person consultation in Porto remains available once you are in Portugal, if you prefer to deal with it face to face.
Editorial responsibility: Carvalhos Advocacia. General information; confirm the current position for your case before acting.