What changed
For years, one of the quiet open secrets of moving to Portugal was that you didn’t strictly need a visa to start working here. Non-EU nationals could fly in on a tourist entry, find a job, sign a contract, register with Segurança Social, and then file a “manifestação de interesse” — an expression of interest — asking AIMA (or SEF, before it) to grant residency from inside the country. It was informal, widely used, and for a long time, tolerated.
That door is now shut. Effective June 4, 2024, following the government’s repeal of the ‘expression of interest’ scheme, non-EU foreign nationals can no longer apply for a residence permit in Portugal after entering on a tourist visa, unless they are highly-qualified or provide proof of enrolment in higher education. To work, they must apply for an appropriate visa outside the country first.
What was initially framed as a transitional measure has since been made permanent. Law n.º 61/2025, published on 22 October, brought a major shift: it ends the “manifestação de interesse” and creates new visa types, with emphasis on the qualified job-search visa. From now on, it will no longer be possible to request a residence permit based on the expression of interest — the foreigner needs a valid visa issued in the country of origin to enter Portugal legally and then apply for residency.
Who is still covered under the old rules
The change wasn’t retroactive for everyone. People who had already filed before the cutoff got a grace window. Anyone who had already filed this type of request needed to watch the calendar — the process could only move forward until 31 December 2025, after which pending applications expired. Separately, Fragomen’s legal alert noted that applications submitted prior to June 4, 2024, will be processed under the previous rules, meaning two distinct legacy cohorts exist depending on which cutoff applied to their case.
CPLP nationals (citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries) kept a lighter path. Specific rules for CPLP citizens maintain special benefits for those with a CPLP visa, providing for direct residence authorisation with AIMA.
The replacement: a job-search visa, but only from abroad
Portugal didn’t simply delete the option to look for work locally — it moved the whole process offshore. A new qualified job-search visa targets people with specialised technical skills, allowing them to stay in Portugal for up to 120 days to look for employment; if they secure work, they can apply for residency, and if not, they must leave and wait a year before reapplying. Crucially, the application itself — including a prior declaration of interest lodged with IEFP — still has to originate at a Portuguese consulate before travel, not after arrival.
Vialto Partners’ guidance to employers is blunt about the practical stakes for anyone still assuming the old informal route works: with the end of the Expression of Interest regime, employers should ensure candidates only relocate to Portugal with the applicable visa, since chances of fixing status after entry as a tourist have narrowed sharply.
Why the government did it
Ministers have been candid about the motive: clearing a jammed system. According to the Minister of the Presidency, residency applications in Portugal have decreased by 80%, which has significantly reduced the workload of AIMA. Employer groups have pushed back, arguing the tightening has gone too far — business associations were planning an October rally demanding reinstatement of the expression of interest, as monthly job-search visas fell from an average of 1,666 in 2023 to 1,266, and work visas dropped from 1,080 to 733 a month in the months following the change.
What this means if you’re planning a move
The practical upshot: don’t buy a one-way ticket hoping to sort out paperwork once you land. If you want to work in Portugal, the visa application — job-search visa, D3 qualified worker visa, Tech Visa or otherwise — needs to happen at a Portuguese consulate in your home country first. Arriving as a tourist and hoping a job offer will resolve your status later is no longer a viable strategy and risks overstay penalties and Schengen entry bans. Our visa guides hub breaks down which route fits different profiles, and our relocation planning service can help you sequence the paperwork correctly before you book flights.
What to watch next
AIMA’s backlog and processing times remain the wildcard — consular wait times have been the main employer complaint, and further tweaks to the qualified job-search visa or CPLP arrangements are plausible as the government balances labour shortages against migration control. Anyone with a pending pre-2024 or pre-2025 filing should confirm their case status directly with AIMA rather than assume automatic conversion.
For now, the message from Lisbon is consistent: get the visa before you go, not after.
This article was produced with AI assistance and editorial oversight in line with our editorial policy. It is general information, not legal or tax advice.