I hold a D3 visa and have the residence permit appointment in couple of months. I'm already in Portugal. I applied to D3 with a promissory contract from Company A. I recently found a better offer with Company B and would like to sign a contract with them instead. Is this possible or do I need to go to the residence permit appointment with the original Company contract? At what point am I allowed to change employer?
There is no minimum time period in which you are not allowed to change employers when applying for a residence permit, even if you are still to have your appointment at SEF. Therefore, as long as you prove them that you are in fact employed (a copy of your current contract suffices this criterion) or are to be in a very short period (by providing them, i.e., a promissory agreement for employment), your residence permit application won’t be jeopardized in any way.
Taking into account that you already have a visa based on the documentation presented for this specific purpose, and because SEF will analyze the application for a residence permit on the same basis, we advise you to present the same employment contract in order to speed up the process. So, if you can, until the appointment, keep this contract and then you will be able to move forward with the new work proposal.
If you change employers while on a residence permit in Portugal, as long as you meet the requirements for the D3 Visa category with the new employer, you can continue to benefit from the D3 Visa.
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