Is the Portugal Job Seeker Visa Open to Indians? 2026 Status

This status is as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. If you planned to move to Portugal and search for a job after arriving, you need a different route for now. Our Portugal visa guide for Indians covers every category in detail.

What does Portugal's official visa portal say about the job seeker visa?

The MNE visa portal, run by Portugal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has a dedicated page for the Skilled Job Seeker Visa. It states that the visa is not yet available at Portuguese consular offices. The reason given is that Article 57-A of the Foreigners' Law, which creates the visa, still has to be regulated.

The portal gives no opening date. Until the regulation is in place, neither the Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi nor the Consulate General of Portugal in Goa can accept this visa for decision. You can read the status yourself on the MNE job seeker visa page.

Why does VFS India still show a DP category?

VFS Global's India page lists the long-term residence categories D1, D2, D3, D4, D6, D7, DF and DR, and alongside them a "DP - Residence Skilled Job Seeker Visa". A DP checklist file is also published among the category checklists. That is a listing on the service provider's site, not a decision by Portugal.

VFS only collects applications. The Embassy decides them, and the MNE portal sets which national visas are open. Before you book a DP slot and pre-pay the INR 3384 VFS service fee, which is non-refundable, write to the Embassy's visa section at visas.novadeli@mne.pt to confirm whether it will accept the category.

Which Portuguese work visas can Indians use instead?

Several work routes are open. All national visas carry the same fee at VFS India: EUR 110 (INR 11900) plus the INR 3384 service fee. The standard decision times below run from the day the Consular Section receives the file.

E8 seasonal work covers agriculture, animal production, hunting, forestry and fishing; accommodation and catering; food, beverage and tobacco industries; wholesale and retail trade; construction; and land transport.

How does the D1 route work if you already have an offer?

The D1 is the closest open route to what job seekers want, but it needs the job first. The New Delhi checklist sets out the process:

1. You hold a valid job offer or employment contract with a Portuguese company lasting at least 12 months.
2. The employer asks the Embassy's visa department for an appointment. You cannot book a D1 slot at VFS yourself; VFS emails you the date the Embassy sets.
3. You show means of subsistence; funds from the contract or job promise count.
4. You submit an apostilled Police Clearance Certificate from the Regional Passport Office, valid for 3 months, and proof of accommodation if the employer does not provide it.
5. The D1 visa is valid for 4 months with two entries. During that time you apply in Portugal for the residence permit.

Since 3 December 2025, if no AIMA appointment is available when the residence visa is issued, the sticker is printed without the appointment link. You then request the appointment through AIMA's online contact form after arriving.

The employer-request rule above comes from the New Delhi jurisdiction. Residents of Goa, Maharashtra and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu apply through the Consulate General in Goa, so confirm its procedure separately.

Could the digital nomad or study route fit instead?

If you already work remotely for a company or clients outside Portugal, the digital nomad visa is open. You need a work contract or employer declaration (or, if self-employed, service contracts), proof of average monthly income over the last three months of at least four times the monthly minimum guaranteed remuneration, and a document proving tax residence. The MNE portal gives the 2026 minimum monthly salary as EUR 920.

The same EUR 920 figure is the means-of-subsistence benchmark for long-stay visas, with 50% added for each extra adult and 30% for each child. For a D4 study visa, the New Delhi checklist asks for admission to a higher-education institution, bank statements for the previous six months stamped and signed by the bank, and ITRs for the previous three years.

What should you check before applying for any Portuguese visa?

• Residence: to apply in India you must have been legally resident in the consular jurisdiction for at least 6 months.
• Jurisdiction: the Embassy in New Delhi covers all of India except Goa, Maharashtra and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, which go to the Consulate General in Goa.
• Fee confusion: the New Delhi embassy page still shows EUR 90 for work visas, but the MNE portal, VFS and the Goa consulate all give EUR 110.
• Refusal costs: neither the visa fee nor the VFS fee is refunded after a refusal, and an appeal against a national visa refusal costs EUR 75.
• Your own phone number: applicants must give their own number, not an agent's.

Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, itineraries and cover letters for visa applications, with packages from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for all four documents. Message +91 95230 91018 on WhatsApp or use our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

When will Portugal open the Skilled Job Seeker Visa to Indians?

The MNE visa portal gives no date. It says only that the visa is not yet available at consular offices pending regulation of Article 57-A of the Foreigners' Law, so check the portal's job seeker page before planning around it.

How much does a Portugal work visa cost from India?

VFS India lists EUR 110 (INR 11900) for the D1, D2, D3, E3 and E8 work visas, plus a VFS service fee of INR 3384. The rupee figure follows the current exchange rate, and neither fee is refunded if the visa is refused.

Can my family join me after I move to Portugal on a D1 visa?

Family members of a foreign national with a Portuguese residence permit can use the D6 family reunification visa. The resident first obtains AIMA's approval in Portugal, and the family member applies at VFS within 90 days of that notification.

Can I book a Portugal D1 work visa appointment at VFS myself?

Not in the New Delhi jurisdiction. The D1 checklist says the Portuguese employer requests the appointment from the Embassy's visa department, and VFS then emails you the date.