Required documents
The following documents must be submitted with your application:
1. Completed and signed application form
Download the application form 
here.
2. Two passport-size photographs
Two recent, identical colour photographs against a white background, in which the applicant is clearly recognisable.
If you apply at a 
SIGAP office, you are not required to provide photographs.
3. Passport or other internationally recognised travel document
4. Contract of employment/services rendered
This document serves to prove means of subsistence and pursuit of a highly qualified activity. Means of subsistence are defined as follows:
| Professional situation | Minimum required means of subsistence |
|---|---|
| Employee (contract of employment with a Portuguese employer) | Monthly remuneration must be equal to or more than Portuguese minimum wage, €557 (valid for 2017). |
| Self-employed (contract of services rendered with a Portuguese legal entity, directly or through a foreign legal person) | Average monthly income must be equal to or more than Portuguese minimum wage, €557 (valid for 2017) |
If the income from employment is below the required means of subsistence, a ‘ term of responsibility’ must be provided by a sponsor. The document must be signed in person at the visa appointment or notarised . A assinatura deste termo deve ser presencial (no momento do pedido do visto) ou reconhecida.
5. Proof of accommodation
For example:
- Lease
- A certificate of residence issued by the borough
6. Certified criminal record check
Issued in your country of origin or country where you have resided for at least one year. A criminal record check is not required if both of the following conditions have been met:
- The application is submitted immediately following the expiration of a temporary visa for the pursuit of a highly qualify activity
- The applicant has not left Portugal since the temporary visa expired.
7. Declaration authorising a criminal record check in Portugal
Download a sample authorisation here.
8. Proof of legal entry and stay in Portugal
Residence visa or other visa or document allowing legal entry and stay in Portugal.
9. Proof of tax situation
One of the following documents:
- Tax ID number (NIF) provided by Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (Tax and Customs Authority)
- Filed income tax return (IRS)
10. Portuguese social security number
Processing time
90 days
Where to apply Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras.