D3 visa: highly qualified professionals and the EU Blue Card

The test written in article 61.º-A

A residence visa for a highly qualified activity by an employee is granted to a third-country national who holds an employment contract or promise of contract of at least six months paying an annual salary of at least:

• 1,5 times the national average gross annual salary, or
• 3 times the IAS (the social support index) — with the IAS at 537,13 € in 2026, that is 1 611,39 € a month;

and who, for a regulated profession, holds the required high qualifications recognised under Lei n.º 9/2009, or, for a non-regulated profession, high qualifications suited to the job or sector in the contract.

For professions listed by the Council of Ministers as short of workers (major groups 1 and 2 of the international classification — managers and professionals), the bar drops to 1,2 times the average salary or 2 times the IAS (1 074,26 € a month in 2026).

Two salary references coexist. The IAS one is fixed and low; the “average gross salary” one moves with the statistics office’s figures and, for most white-collar jobs in Lisbon or Porto, is the one employers actually meet. Either satisfies the article.

• ≥ 6 months contract or promise of contract
• 1 611 € / month the 3 × IAS floor in 2026; 1,5 × the average salary as the alternative
• 110 € consular fee, 60-day decision
• Blue Card option at AIMA: 169,20 € + 160,50 €

D3 or EU Blue Card?

Both start from the same D3 visa. At AIMA you can ask for the ordinary highly-qualified residence permit (art. 90.º) or for the EU Blue Card (art. 121.º-A and following), the European permit for highly qualified workers. The Blue Card costs more (169,20 € analysis + 160,50 € card, against 133 € + 114,30 €) and asks for a higher salary and a degree or equivalent experience, but it brings intra-EU mobility after twelve months and a faster path to EU long-term resident status. For someone who may move within Europe, the Blue Card is worth the difference; for someone settling in Portugal, the ordinary permit does the same job.

Documents specific to the D3

• The contract or promise of contract showing duration (≥ 6 months) and gross annual salary;
• Qualifications: degree certificates, professional registration or the recognition decision for regulated professions; CV and experience for non-regulated ones;
• Means of subsistence are covered by the contract.

Then the general documents: form, photos, passport, travel insurance, apostilled criminal record certificate, proof of legal status where you apply. In practice: NIF, accommodation, and the employer’s registration certificate.

Steps

Tax note

Many D3 profiles qualify for IFICI, the tax incentive for scientific research and innovation that replaced NHR in 2024: a 20 % flat rate on employment income for ten years for people in listed qualified activities (research, higher education, technology and innovation roles in certified companies, among others). Eligibility depends on the job and the employer, and the application has a deadline (15 January of the year after becoming resident). See IFICI and tax residency.

Questions about the D3