Visa Sponsorship in Portugal for Software Engineers (2026)

Portugal has a growing tech scene centred on Lisbon and Porto, with a warm climate, affordable cost of living, and an increasingly international workforce. The Tech Visa (Visto Tech) programme simplifies sponsorship for certified companies, and the D3 Highly Qualified Activity visa provides a direct route for software engineers.

Why Portugal?

• Affordable cost of living: Compared to Western European hubs like London, Amsterdam, or Paris, Lisbon and Porto offer significantly lower rent and daily expenses while still providing a high quality of life.
• Growing tech ecosystem: Lisbon hosts Web Summit annually and has attracted engineering offices from Google, Cloudflare, and Mercedes-Benz.io. Porto has a strong startup scene anchored by OutSystems and Feedzai.
• Climate and lifestyle: Portugal offers over 300 days of sunshine per year, a coastline known for surfing, and a relaxed lifestyle that attracts international talent.
• NHR tax regime ended: Note that the Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) tax regime, which previously offered a flat 20% tax rate on Portuguese-sourced employment income, ended for new applicants from 2024. Standard progressive tax rates now apply to new arrivals.

What Is the Portugal Tech Visa and D3 Visa?

The Tech Visa (Visto Tech) is a certification programme for companies, not a visa for individuals. Companies certified under the programme can sponsor non-EU workers through a simplified process. Workers hired by certified companies then apply for a D3 Highly Qualified Activity visa.

The D3 visa requires a job offer for a highly qualified role, typically a relevant degree or equivalent professional experience, and a salary of at least 1.5 times the national average. Processing is faster than standard work visas — typically 1 to 2 months through the Portuguese consulate. After arriving in Portugal, you register with AIMA (the Agency for Integration, Migrations, and Asylum, which replaced SEF) and obtain your residence permit.

Companies That Sponsor Visas in Portugal

Farfetch

A luxury fashion e-commerce platform with engineering hubs in Lisbon and Porto. Farfetch sponsors D3 visas and hires for backend, frontend, data engineering, and platform infrastructure.

Google

Google has an engineering presence in Lisbon. They sponsor work permits and hire across backend, Cloud, and infrastructure engineering.

Cloudflare

The web infrastructure and security company has an engineering office in Lisbon. Cloudflare sponsors D3 visas and hires for systems, networking, security, and backend engineering.

OutSystems

A Portuguese-founded low-code platform company headquartered in Lisbon. OutSystems sponsors D3 visas and hires for platform, backend, and full-stack engineering roles.

Feedzai

A Portuguese AI company specialising in fraud detection for financial institutions. Feedzai sponsors D3 visas and hires for ML, data engineering, backend, and platform roles.

How to Apply

1. Find the role: Browse companies in Portugal that sponsor visas on their careers pages, or use nextleveljobs.eu/country/pt to find roles at companies that hire internationally.
2. Apply directly: Submit your application through the company's careers page.
3. Interview: Expect 3–5 rounds including a technical screen, coding challenge, system design, and team fit interviews.
4. Receive your offer: The offer will confirm sponsorship. Ideally, the company is Tech Visa certified.
5. Visa application: Apply for the D3 visa at the Portuguese consulate with your employment contract and qualifications. Processing takes 1–2 months.
6. Relocate: Once in Portugal, register with AIMA (immigration services) and obtain your residence permit.

Path to Permanent Residency

After five years of legal residence in Portugal, you can apply for permanent residency or Portuguese citizenship. Portugal has one of the more accessible citizenship processes in Europe, requiring basic Portuguese language proficiency at A2 level. Portuguese citizenship grants you an EU passport.

For more on compensation, see our software engineer salary guide for Portugal and companies paying €100k+ in Portugal. Browse open roles at companies that hire internationally in Portugal at nextleveljobs.eu/country/pt.