How can I relocate to Portugal as a computer science specialist with 20 years of experience? What are my best choices?
Relocation to Portugal based on work skills can be done through the D1 - visa for dependent work, D2 - visa for entrepreneurs, D3 - visa for highly qualified activities, and D8 - visa for digital nomad visas. The most adequate one will depend on the specificities of the applicant and opportunities for work positions in Portugal.
The D3 visa is a work visa for highly qualified individuals who already have a job offer or work contract from a Portuguese company that is valid for at least 1 year. The permit must be renewed every 2 years, giving applicants the opportunity to apply for permanent Portuguese residency after 5 consecutive years on the visa, providing the applicants remain employed and with legally approved residence during this time. 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. The D3 Visa is intendend for foreign citizens that work for portuguese companies or Institutions. For remote work, it advised the use of the D8 Visa (Digital nomad workers), which is targeted to digital nomad workers that intend to live in Portugal. The applicant is allowed to work as a freelancer or online business owner in Portugal, as well as travel freely in and out of Portugal. The Digital Nomad Temporary Stay Visa is the easiest to apply for and allows to stay for up to one year in Portugal, with the possibility of renewal. Applicant needs to make at least €3,280 per month, four times the minimum wage in Portugal. The applicant must be employed by a company outside of Portugal or self-employed. The applicant needs to have at least €9840 in savings. If there are dependents, the amount of saving required will increase.
It depends. If you already have a work contract or a service agreement signed with a company in Portugal to perform your area of expertise, you might be eligible to obtain the D3 visa - a highly qualified professional visa. However, if you have no contract yet, then there are other types of visas that can be applicable in your case.
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