In short — as of July 2026: The job-creation route to the Portugal Golden Visa has two forms: create 10 full-time jobs (reduced to 8 in low-density areas) in a Portuguese company you own, with no fixed capital minimum; or invest €500,000 in a Portuguese company that creates or maintains at least 5 jobs for three years. The jobs must be genuine, permanent, on Portuguese contracts and registered with Social Security — not paper roles. You can apply once the jobs exist and are documented; from the permit's issue date it is 5 years to permanent residency and 7 years (EU/CPLP) or 10 years (others) to citizenship.
Of all the Golden Visa routes, job creation is the least understood — and the one where bad information does the most damage, because people underestimate what "no minimum investment" actually costs. This guide sets out exactly how it works, what a qualifying job is, and — with two step-by-step worked examples — how long it realistically takes to become eligible.
The Two Variants
Variant A — create 10 jobs (no fixed capital minimum). Incorporate a Portuguese company that you own as the main applicant and create 10 permanent full-time jobs. In a designated low-density territory, the requirement is reduced to 8 jobs (the 20% reduction of Article 3.º n.º 2, Lei n.º 23/2007; low-density territories are those in Portaria n.º 208/2017). There is no set capital figure — but you are funding real salaries and payroll, which (see below) is substantial.
Variant B — €500,000 into a company + 5 jobs. Invest €500,000 into a Portuguese company (yours or an existing one) that creates or maintains at least 5 permanent jobs for three years. This suits an investor backing a business rather than running one day to day.
The job-creation route sits in the Golden Visa's legal basis — Article 90.º-A of Lei n.º 23/2007, with the qualifying options defined in Article 3.º n.º 1 al. d) (last amended by the 2023 Mais Habitação reform, Lei n.º 56/2023). We track the surviving routes in our Portugal visa dataset.
What Actually Counts as a "Job"
This is where the route is stricter than people expect. To qualify, the jobs must be:
- Genuine and full-time — real, contracted permanent roles, not freelance, temporary or seasonal work.
- On Portuguese employment contracts and registered with Segurança Social (Social Security), with real monthly payroll and withholdings.
- Maintained — the jobs have to stay filled across the life of the permit, not created for the application and then cut.
In other words, there is real payroll and labour-law compliance behind it. AIMA can and does check Social Security records.
The Real Cost of "No Minimum Investment"
Variant A has no capital threshold, but that does not make it cheap. Portugal's minimum wage is €920/month in 2026, paid across 14 months (about €12,880 a year per employee), and on top of gross pay the employer pays Social Security at 23.75%.
Illustrative payroll floor for 10 minimum-wage employees:
| Item | Illustrative annual cost |
|---|---|
| 10 salaries (€12,880 × 10) | €128,800 |
| Employer Social Security (23.75%) | €30,590 |
| Approximate payroll floor / year | ~€159,000 |
That is a floor, at minimum wage — real roles usually pay more. Over the qualifying period this route often costs more than simply subscribing €500,000 to a fund, which is why it only makes sense for people who genuinely want to build and run a business here.
Worked Example 1 — A Founder Creating 10 Jobs
Illustrative scenario, not a specific client; your timeline depends on your case.
Sara is a non-EU founder launching a software services company in Lisbon.
- Month 0 — set up. She obtains a Portuguese NIF, opens a company (Lda) and a business bank account.
- Months 1–5 — hire and register. She recruits 10 full-time employees on Portuguese contracts, registers them with Social Security, and runs monthly payroll. She keeps every contract, Social Security registration and payslip.
- Month 6 — apply. With 10 genuine jobs active and fully documented, she submits her Golden Visa (ARI) application to AIMA through the investment channel, with her legal representative.
- Months 6–30 — processing. AIMA works through its backlog; realistically 12–36 months to a granted permit. Her lawyer keeps the file live.
- Permit issued. Her residency clock now starts. She keeps the 10 jobs maintained and spends about 7 days a year in Portugal.
- Year 5 from issue — permanent residency. She becomes eligible to apply for permanent residency.
- Year 7 or 10 — citizenship. Eligibility begins at 7 years if she is an EU/CPLP national, otherwise 10 years, with an A2 Portuguese exam.
The key lesson: the "waiting" is not one clock. There is the build-and-hire phase (months), then AIMA processing (1–3 years), then the residency years (5 for PR, 7–10 for citizenship) — and they run in that order.
Worked Example 2 — An Investor Backing a Company (€500k + 5 Jobs)
Illustrative scenario, not a specific client.
Khalid does not want to run a business — he wants to place capital and back an operator.
- Month 0 — structure. With advisers, he identifies a Portuguese company to invest in and completes due diligence.
- Month 1 — invest. He injects €500,000 into the company, which commits to creating/maintaining 5 permanent jobs for three years.
- Months 1–4 — jobs in place. The company hires and registers the 5 roles with Social Security.
- Month 5 — apply, then the same AIMA processing window and the same 5-year / 7–10-year residency and citizenship timeline as above.
His involvement is lighter than Sara's, but his capital is committed and at risk in the business, and the 5 jobs must genuinely be maintained for three years.
Costs Beyond Salaries
Whichever variant, budget also for the standard AIMA government fees, per person, under Portaria n.º 307/2023: €8,418.90 grant per person, €4,210.30 per renewal and €11,786.70 for the permanent grant (see our AIMA fee data), plus a reception-and-analysis charge of €842.80 (€632.10 via the digital channel) on top at application (Portaria n.º 307/2023, Anexo III n.º 3) — plus company setup, accounting and legal costs. Our free Golden Visa cost estimator totals the government side for your family.
The Honest Risks
- Payroll is a real, ongoing liability — roughly €159,000+ a year for 10 minimum-wage roles, and the jobs must be maintained, not just created.
- A downturn or restructuring that cuts the jobs can put the permit at risk.
- AIMA processing is long and can slip, so this is a multi-year commitment.
- It is operationally heavier than the fund route — you are running (or backing) a real business, with all the compliance that entails.
Who This Route Actually Suits
Job creation rewards genuine entrepreneurs and operators who want to build a business in Portugal and would be hiring anyway — the residency is a by-product of real activity. If your goal is purely passive residency, the investment fund route is usually simpler and, over time, often cheaper. Compare all options in our Golden Visa investment routes guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ten permanent full-time jobs in a company you own (eight in a low-density area), or five if you invest €500,000 into a Portuguese company and maintain them for three years.
There is no fixed capital figure for the 10-job variant, but you fund real payroll — roughly €159,000+ a year for 10 minimum-wage employees including employer Social Security. The alternative variant requires a €500,000 company investment.
Yes. They must be genuine, full-time, on Portuguese contracts and registered with Social Security, with real payroll — AIMA checks. Freelance or temporary roles do not qualify.
You can apply once the jobs exist and are documented (often within months of setting up). AIMA processing then runs 12–36 months; permanent residency comes 5 years after the permit is issued, and citizenship at 7 years (EU/CPLP) or 10 years (others).
This guide is general information about the Golden Visa job-creation route set out in Portuguese law, not legal, tax or investment advice, and the worked examples are illustrative. Rules, thresholds and timelines change. Confirm the current position with an official source and take independent professional advice before committing.
Considering the job-creation route? Speak with our advisers to check whether it fits your plans — and, if so, to handle the company setup, hiring compliance and application together.