Business and Startup Lawyers in Portugal

Official information

Three routes the official pages describe

• Independent professional activity (often called the D2 visa). For people who will work on their own account in a liberal profession.
• Immigrant entrepreneurs. For people who have made, or plan to make, an investment in Portugal.
• The Startup Visa. An IAPMEI programme for foreign entrepreneurs with an innovative project, working with a certified incubator.

The Tech Visa is a related programme. It certifies technology companies so that they can hire highly qualified workers from outside the EU. It is for companies and their employees, not for founders.

Documents the consulate lists for a residence visa

• Independent workers: a company contract, or a written proposal for a service contract for a liberal profession. If it applies, a statement from the competent body that you may practise in Portugal.
• Immigrant entrepreneurs: a declaration that you have made, or plan to make, an investment in Portugal, with its nature, value and duration. You also need either proof of the investment already made, or proof that you have funds available in Portugal, together with evidence of the planned investment.
• Startup Visa: a statement from IAPMEI that you signed an incubation contract with a certified incubator.
• The general documents also apply: the form, photos, a passport valid beyond the stay, proof of legal status where you apply, travel insurance, a criminal record certificate and proof of means of subsistence.

These are base documents. The consulate may ask for more. The consular website gives the 2026 national minimum monthly wage, 920 euros, as the general reference for means of subsistence. It gives no separate figure for these visas.

The Startup Visa in short

1. IAPMEI certifies the incubators that host foreign entrepreneurs.
2. The entrepreneur applies through IAPMEI's online platform, following IAPMEI's application guide.
3. After a favourable decision and an incubation contract, IAPMEI issues the statement that the consulate asks for.
4. The person applies for the residence visa at the consulate, or for the residence permit at AIMA if already in Portugal.

The IAPMEI page does not state an application fee or a processing time, so we do not give one. IAPMEI's application guide is from 2022 and still refers to SEF, which AIMA replaced in 2023. Check IAPMEI for the current process.

How the rest works

1. Apply for the residence visa at the Portuguese consulate for your region. The consular site states 60 days for the decision.
2. The residence visa is valid for two entries and four months.
3. After arriving, apply to AIMA for the residence permit by appointment. For independent workers, AIMA asks for proof that the activity has started with the tax and social security authorities, a services contract or company certificate, a declaration of your address, and tax and social security registration.
4. The residence permit is valid for 2 years and can be renewed in 3-year periods.

Fee

The consular site lists 110 euros for processing a national visa application, with some exemptions. We have not listed the AIMA permit fees or any IAPMEI fee because they could not be confirmed.

Setting up a company

We did not find an official page that explains how a foreigner opens a company and ties it to a visa, so we do not describe it here. A lawyer or accountant in Portugal can explain the steps.

Official pages

• Consular site: documents for a residence visa (Portuguese)
• IAPMEI: StartUP Visa (Portuguese)
• Consular site: Tech Visa (Portuguese)
• AIMA: investing and starting a business (Portuguese)
• AIMA: permit for independent work (Portuguese)
• Law 23/2007, the foreigners law (Diario da Republica)

Checked against the official pages on 22 October 2026. Immigration rules change often, so always confirm on the official pages listed above before you act. This is general information, not legal advice.