Manifestation of Interest in Portugal

What is a Manifestation of Interest?

After the approval of the Action Plan for Migration (June 3, 2024), the Government revoked the residence permit procedures based on manifestations of interest. (Decree-Law No. 37-A/2024, of 3 June).

With the revocation of residence permit procedures based on manifestations of interest, the signing of employment contracts with foreign workers from countries outside the European Union now depends on obtaining a valid legal visa.
The new Decree-Law does not apply to residence permit procedures initiated on or before June 3, 2024.

Law 23/2007, also known as the “Immigration Law,” made it possible to apply for a Residence Permit for the purpose of employed work. This application, submitted online in Portugal, made life easier for many people because it meant it was not necessary to return to their country of origin to apply for a visa.

Under this exception, a consular visa was waived for entry into the country, but only for employment purposes. This application was based on either employed or self-employed work, which are governed respectively by Articles 88(2) and 89(2) of Law 23/2007 of July 4.

If you have any questions or need legal advice, contact us so that we can guide you or refer you to a lawyer.

Online Manifestation of Interest Request

The expression of interest application does not have a specific date or legal deadline. Whether you entered the country two months or six months ago, you can submit your expression of interest online. However, there are some procedures you must follow.

Below, we explain the most important conditions you must meet in order to apply. You must:

1. Have entered the country legally and remain there legally. If you are a third-country national and have entered through a border subject to control, you will have proof in the form of a stamp in your passport with the date of entry. Citizens who enter the Schengen area through another country and then travel to Portugal by car, bus or other means of transport, using a border not subject to control, must make an Entry Declaration through SEF within three working days of the date of entry.
2. Have an employment contract concluded in accordance with the law, or a promise of an employment contract. Another option is to have green receipts (recibos verdes).
3. Be registered at Social Security (SS) to obtain a Social Security Identification Number (NISS).
4. Be registered with the tax authorities (finanças) to obtain a Tax Identification Number (NIF).
5. Have proof of sufficient means of subsistence, i.e. a document proving that you have sufficient financial means to live in Portugal. This proof may include pay slips and bank statements. Means of subsistence are based on the country's minimum wage.

How to fill out a Manifestation of Interest?

The process for completing a Manifestation of Interest with SEF, through the online platform, is simple and intuitive. However, you should pay attention to certain steps, which, if not followed, may complicate or even invalidate your application.

The process consists of four steps:

• Register on the platform
• Select the type of residence permit
• Complete the form
• Submit the required documents

Registration on the platform

Before you start filling out the online manifestation of interest, you must register as a user of the SAPA portal, which belongs to SEF, via the following link: https://services.aima.gov.pt/

After entering your email and setting a password, you will receive a message in your inbox with a link to confirm your email.

Select the type of residence permit

Once registered, you will need to choose one of the three types of Manifestation of Interest (as shown in the image below):

1. When you have a work contract or an employment relationship verified by a union or by the Labour Conditions Authority (ACT).

2. When there is a job offer in accordance with the law.

3. When you have declared the start of activity as a self-employed individual (recibos verdes) or have a service provision contract.

After selecting the type of expression of interest, please pay attention to the corresponding article, noting that:

• Residence permit for employed work corresponds to Article 88.
• Residence permit for self-employed work or for immigrant entrepreneurs corresponds to Article 89.

Fill out the form

To proceed with the application on the platform, you must complete all the required fields in the form, marked with an asterisk (*).

The mandatory identification details are:

• Full name
• Education level
• Nationality / Place of origin
• Marital status
• Gender
• Place of birth
• Date of birth

Th name of the mother’s and father’s are not mandatory.

Regarding identification/travel documents, you must provide:

• Passport number
• Issuing country
• Issue date
• Issuing authority
• Expiry date

You must also provide other information regarding your permanent address in Portugal and a contact phone number. The phone number is very important, as SEF sends a message with the appointment date in addition to the email.

Regarding your professional activity, it is mandatory to provide your NIF, NISS, and professional group, as well as your employer’s details (name, NIF, phone number, sector of activity, and work address).

Finally, you will be asked for your dates of entry into Portugal. If you entered directly, this information can be found in your passport. If you arrived via another EU Member State or Associated State and then travelled to Portugal, you should provide the date of entry into the Schengen area.

At the end of the form, you must check the confirmation box and click “Submit”. As mentioned, the platform is very intuitive, so any missing or incorrectly filled information will be highlighted in red for correction.

Submition of documents

After submission, a page will appear showing your details along with a table of the documents that must be attached.

Before submitting the Manifestation of Interest to SEF, you must upload all documents to the platform in digital format. To do this, select the option “Start uploading documents.”

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Which documents should I provide?

To submit the Manifestation of Interest you should provide the following documents:
Two identical, recent, color passport-style photographs with a plain background (required only for appointments made at AIMA offices in Aveiro or Odivelas)

• Valid passport
• Proof of start of activity (Tax Authority and Social Security) for self-employed work(you may use the AIMA template); or
• Service provision contract, for employed workers; or
• roof of company incorporation (permanent company certificate); or
• Las invoices received;
• Declaration of residence, under a sworn statement, indicating the terms of residence in the property (tenant(s), owner(s), usufructuary, and other relevant information);

• If you are the owner or usufructuary of the property, you must provide the property registration certificate or the access code to verify ownership or usufruct rights;

• If you are a tenant, you must provide a statement from the landlord or hosting entity specifying the legal situation of your right to use the property;

• Criminal record from your country of origin or the country where you resided for more than one year prior to living in Portugal, autenticado;
• Proof of registration with the Tax Authority;
• Proof of registration with Social Security.

Note: A declaration issued by the professional association may be required, verifying the registration requirements, or a document proving qualification to practice the profession (required in cases where the profession in Portugal is subject to special qualifications).

SEF Appointment Notice

The appointment notice for SEF, following the online Manifestation of Interest application, may take one year or more. It is important to monitor your email and check your inbox, as well as regularly review your junk and spam folders to ensure you receive SEF’s message.

Alternatively, if you do not have access to email, you can find the appointment notice on the SAPA platform. Once the message is received, applicants have 10 days to schedule the meeting at SEF, so it is crucial to stay attentive.

After receiving the appointment notice, you must comply with two important requirements, which are not mentioned at the time of the application but can invalidate the Manifestation of Interest.

1. You must have no debts with Social Security (SS).

2. You must have no debts with the Tax Authority.

At the time of application, no documents are required to prove the absence of debts—only the NISS and NIF are needed. However, during the interview, SEF automatically checks your Social Security contributions and tax payments. From the moment you submit a Manifestation of Interest, that is, a residence permit request based on professional activity, your contributions must be up to date.

Sources:

SEF Manifestation of Interest: Avoid Unnecessary Problems https://globaldea.com/en/manisfetacao-de-interesse-sef-evite-problemas-desnecessarios/

Article 88(2) – Immigrant Information Portal https://imigrante.sef.pt/solicitar/trabalhar/art88-2/