The Visa for Highly Qualified Activities, also known as HQA or D3, was specially designed for professionals who already have an employment contract or a promise to work in Portugal, with the purpose of developing this activity.
This employment contract must be valid for at least one year with a minimum salary of around 1,500 euros.
In addition to the general documentation required to apply for a visa, it will be necessary to provide the employment contract or promise thereof, academic qualifications, curriculum vitae and professional certificate, when required to exercise that profession.
But what types of activities are included in this category?
– Management or leadership positions: for example, managers and members of the administration; or
– Specializations in scientific or intellectual activities: such as engineers, IT experts, doctoral students, health technicians, etc.
The process starts in the country of origin, where all documents must be sent to the Consulate/VSF (depending on the country). This visa can take up to 60 days to be issued.
Once the visa is approved, it will be valid for four months and within this period you must enter Portuguese territory to obtain a residence permit. You will then have to schedule a meeting with the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) to do so. With this, you will have access to all countries in the European Union.
It is worth mentioning that once you arrive in Portugal, there is also another option: instead of choosing a residence permit, you can opt for the Blue Card. The main difference between the two regimes is that with the Blue Card, after 18 months of issuance, the applicant obtains authorization to go to another European Union country and carry out the same activity there.
At the moment, this residence permit is valid for a period of two years from the date of issue and is renewable for successive periods of three years.
After completing five years of residence in Portugal, it will be possible to apply for permanent residence or even Portuguese nationality, a huge advantage as the Portuguese passport is one of the strongest in the world.