For a Chinese citizen, legal work in Portugal does not begin with finding a vacancy. It begins with a contract or promise of contract from a Portuguese employer, followed by a work residence visa applied for from China. Arriving on a short-stay visa, finding a job and sorting out residence afterwards is no longer possible. Since the law changed in October 2025 the general job seeker visa has also gone, and its replacement, a visa for skilled job seekers, was still not open as of November 2026.
Unemployment in Portugal is low, but so is pay. The 2026 national minimum wage is €920 a month and regular pay across all employees is about €1,436. Most jobs require Portuguese. For most Chinese readers the realistic route is to land an employer’s offer on the strength of a degree or specialist skill, then use the D1, the D3 or the EU Blue Card. This guide looks at the market first, then earnings, then the paperwork.
The Portuguese job market today
Estimates published by Statistics Portugal (INE) on 29 October 2026 put September unemployment at 5.6%, 0.3 points lower than a year earlier. Adult unemployment was 4.6%, the lowest since April 2002. However, employment has edged down month by month since peaking in May, and youth unemployment is still 19.1%, so recent graduates without Portuguese have no easy advantage.
Foreign labour is now a large part of this market. Bank of Portugal data show about 1.13 million foreigners registered with Social Security in 2025, nearly all employees or self-employed. Foreign workers who entered between 2010 and 2024 went mainly into administrative and support services (20%), accommodation and restaurants (18%), agriculture and fishing (15%), construction (14%) and commerce (10%). These sectors have many entry-level jobs, and pay for ordinary workers is often modest. For the wider country picture, see our guide to moving to Portugal.
Openings for Mandarin speakers and Chinese companies
Portugal publishes no statistics on Chinese-language jobs, so what follows is only the general picture. AIMA counted 30,734 Chinese nationals at the end of 2024, about 2% of foreign residents. Diário de Notícias reported in 2018 that early Chinese migrants mostly worked in commerce and restaurants, that the second generation had moved into law, medicine and accounting, and that translation was in demand. Jobs in Chinese shops and restaurants are easy to enter, but pay is usually near the minimum, and you should check each contract term carefully.
Chinese companies with a presence documented in public sources include:
- Energy and grid: China Three Gorges holds about 21.4% of EDP, and State Grid is a shareholder in REN (ECO News, March 2026).
- Finance: Fosun is a shareholder in BCP and holds insurer Fidelidade; ICBC opened a Lisbon office in 2012 and Bank of China a branch in 2013 (2018 report).
- Engineering: China Communications Construction is a shareholder in Mota-Engil (ECO News, March 2026).
- Technology and manufacturing: Huawei opened a Lisbon technology centre in 2012; CALB announced a battery project of about €2 billion at Sines, whose current progress we could not confirm.
A Chinese shareholder does not mean Chinese-speaking jobs. EDP and BCP are run as Portuguese companies and Chinese is not their working language. Roles that really need Mandarin tend to be China-facing business, procurement, client liaison and translation. They are few, so check company websites and LinkedIn directly.
Pay: minimum wage and average earnings
Under Decree-Law 139/2025 the 2026 minimum wage is €920 a month on the mainland, €966 in the Azores and €980 in Madeira. Portugal pays 14 instalments a year, 12 monthly salaries plus holiday and Christmas allowances, so the mainland minimum comes to €12,880 a year. The labour minister repeated on 29 October 2026 that €970 is planned for 2027, subject to the final decree.
INE’s average total pay in the same release was €1,835, but that figure includes irregular items and sits above regular pay, so €1,436 is the better comparison. At the ECB reference rate of 30 October 2026 (€1 = ¥7.4326), €920 is about ¥6,840 and €1,436 about ¥10,670. All these figures are gross. Employees also pay 11% social security, and income tax is covered in our Portugal tax guide. Employer size matters too: average total pay was €2,254 in firms with over 500 staff and €1,174 in firms with one to four.
Work visa routes: D1, D3, Blue Card and job seeker
The table shows the main routes as of November 2026. All must be arranged before you travel; more visa types are covered in our Portugal visa guide.
| Route | For | Key conditions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1 residence visa for employment | Ordinary employees | Contract, promise of contract or individual expression of interest; IEFP declaration; proof of qualification for regulated professions | Open |
| D3 residence visa for highly qualified activity | Teaching, highly qualified and cultural work | Contract of at least 1 year; annual pay of 1.5 times the national average or 3 times the IAS (1.2 times or 2 times the IAS for shortage professions) | Open |
| EU Blue Card | Highly qualified employees | Contract of at least 1 year; annual pay of at least 1.5 times the national average (1.2 times for certain shortage professions); degree or higher professional qualifications | Open, no labour market test |
| Skilled job seeker visa (Article 57-A) | Holders of specialised technical skills | 120 days with an AIMA appointment; qualifying skills to be set by ordinance | Not yet open |
| Expression of interest (manifestação de interesse) | People who found work after arrival | Abolished | Closed |
Job seeker visa: Law 61/2025 took effect on 23 October 2025, and from that day consular posts stopped accepting the old job seeker visa. The new one must wait for an ordinance defining “specialised technical skills”. In November 2026 the Foreign Ministry’s visa portal still said it was not yet available at consular posts. Under the law, a holder who has not started work when the visa ends must leave and can reapply only a year later. Law firm material says the visa is valid only in Portugal and can be extended by 60 days.
D3 and Blue Card thresholds: The 2026 IAS (social support index) is €537.13, so three times the IAS is €1,611.39 and twice is €1,074.26 (our calculation; law firm BAL treated this test as monthly in 2019). We could not confirm an official 2026 euro figure for the “national average annual salary”, and sources disagree, so ask your employer or a lawyer to check the number in force when you apply.
Large-employer channel: The Cooperation Protocol for Regulated Labour Migration, in force since April 2025, lets companies with at least 150 staff and €25 million turnover, or qualifying business associations, book visa appointments for workers through the consular directorate. Consulates then process the visa within 20 days of the appointment. Visa requirements are unchanged, and only the employer can start this process, not the individual.
The process: from China to residence
- Get an offerEmployment contract or promise of contract; the D1 usually also needs an IEFP declaration
- Prepare documentsPassport, photos, insurance, accommodation, proof of means, criminal record certificate
- Apply in ChinaThrough the Portuguese embassy or consulate and their visa centre; D1 decisions take about 60 days
- Enter PortugalThe residence visa allows two entries and lasts four months
- Apply to AIMAAttend your appointment within the visa period and receive your residence card
The checklists from the Portuguese embassy in Beijing and consulate-general in Guangzhou are undated, and some still mention the abolished SEF, so check the latest version with the visa centre before applying. The Guangzhou list gives a €90 fee for the D1 and no fee for the D3, while a Santander guide from August 2026 says €110. The consulate’s fee on the day is what counts.
The criminal record certificate is the usual sticking point. The Beijing embassy wants it translated into Portuguese and legalised, and its older notes describe notarisation followed by authentication by China’s Foreign Ministry and the Portuguese embassy. See our police certificate guide for how to obtain it. Read our apostille guide and then confirm with the visa centre whether an apostille is accepted instead. Regulated professions, the D3 and the Blue Card also need degree paperwork; see our degree authentication guide.
Since the 2025 reform, residence visas, temporary stay visas and skilled job seeker visas are refused, in the cases set by law, to people who entered or stayed illegally. Do not trust offers along the lines of “come first, sort it out later” or “job and residence guaranteed”.
Contracts and employee rights
| Item | Current rule (as of November 2026) |
|---|---|
| Hours | 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week |
| Annual leave | At least 22 working days a year |
| Pay instalments | 14 a year, including holiday and Christmas allowances |
| Fixed-term contracts | Need a temporary reason; maximum 2 years; 4 years for contracts of unspecified duration |
| Probation (open-ended contract) | 90 days in general; 180 days for technically complex or high-responsibility roles and similar; 240 days for management |
| Probation (fixed-term contract) | 30 days for 6 months or more; 15 days for shorter contracts |
| Social security | 11% employee, 23.75% employer (general for-profit rate) |
| Notice | 15 to 75 days depending on seniority; during probation the employer gives 7 days after 60 days and 15 days after 120 days |
Collective agreements can set higher pay and conditions, so ask which one applies before signing. Open-ended contracts can be ended only in cases such as collective dismissal, job elimination or just cause. Foreign employees have these rights on the same terms as locals. Rely on your contract and payslips, and do not accept cash-in-hand work with no social security.
2026 labour reform: The government’s “Trabalho XXI” bill was rejected at first reading in parliament on 19 June 2026. PSD, IL and CDS voted for it; PS, Chega and others voted against. The current Labour Code remains in force. On 26 October the labour minister called reform “inevitable” but said it may not be done by this government, and there is no new text or timetable. She also said EU directives on digital platforms and pay transparency will be transposed in 2027, so some rules may change then.
Where to look for work
- IEFP: The national employment and training institute runs the iefponline platform. Employers can opt to accept applications from non-resident third-country citizens, and those jobs appear on a dedicated public page. IEFP does not handle these offers, so candidates apply directly.
- EURES: The EU jobs network, aimed mainly at EU and EEA job seekers, is useful as a reference.
- Job boards: Net-Empregos, Sapo Emprego and Expresso Emprego; Landing Jobs and IT Jobs for tech. BEP covers public sector jobs.
- Direct applications: Websites and LinkedIn pages of Chinese and multinational companies.
To compare with neighbouring countries, see our work guides for Spain, Italy and France.
FAQ
Can I work in Portugal without Portuguese?
Yes, but the choice is narrow: mainly some roles in IT, multinationals and Chinese companies. The Blue Card lists no Portuguese requirement, but language usually limits daily work and job hunting.
Can I come on a tourist visa, find a job and switch to work residence?
No. You can learn about the market during a short stay, but you cannot work or switch to residence from inside Portugal. The expression of interest route is gone, and the one remaining social-security transition group had to apply by 31 December 2025.
Can I apply for the new skilled job seeker visa now?
Not as of November 2026. The Foreign Ministry’s visa portal says it is still waiting for the rules implementing Article 57-A, and no opening date has been published.
Where does a €1,500 monthly salary put me?
Above the €1,436 regular pay across all employees, but that is a gross figure, and it falls noticeably after 11% social security and income tax. Whether it is enough depends on your city and rent, so work from your actual take-home pay.
Sources
- INE monthly labour estimates, September 2026 (ECO, 29 Oct 2026) (accessed November 2026)
- INE gross monthly remuneration, Q2 2026 (Diário de Notícias) (accessed November 2026)
- Decreto-Lei 139/2025: minimum wage €920 (APCMC) (accessed November 2026)
- Minimum wage planned at €970 for 2027 (Jornal de Notícias, 29 Oct 2026) (accessed November 2026)
- Pérez-Llorca, Portugal Employment Flash News, January 2026 (accessed November 2026)
- IAS 2026 €537.13 (RTP) (accessed November 2026)
- Lei n.º 61/2025, Diário da República, 22 Oct 2025 (accessed November 2026)
- Portuguese MFA visa portal: Procura de Trabalho Qualificado (accessed November 2026)
- Embassy of Portugal in Islamabad: notice on Lei 61/2025 (24 Nov 2025) (accessed November 2026)
- Cuatrecasas: amendments to the Foreigners Act (13 Nov 2025) (accessed November 2026)
- M|B Advogados: Visas for Portugal in 2026 (accessed November 2026)
- Tugadaily: Portugal job seeker visa in 2026 (8 Jul 2026) (accessed November 2026)
- European Commission, EU Immigration Portal: EU Blue Card in Portugal (updated 1 Apr 2025) (accessed November 2026)
- Eurofound: Cooperation Protocol for Regulated Labour Migration, case PT-2025-14 (accessed November 2026)
- Embassy of Portugal in Beijing: D-visa checklist (VFS, undated) (accessed November 2026)
- Embassy of Portugal in Beijing: national visa application notes (VFS, undated) (accessed November 2026)
- Consulate-General of Portugal in Guangzhou: D-visa checklist (VFS, undated) (accessed November 2026)
- Santander Portugal: Visto para trabalhar em Portugal (updated 10 Aug 2026) (accessed November 2026)
- BAL: Portugal minimum wage increase (Jan 2019) (accessed November 2026)
- AIMA: Relatório de Migrações e Asilo 2024 (accessed November 2026)
- Banco de Portugal bulletin on foreign workers (RTP, 25 Mar 2026) (accessed November 2026)
- ECO News: major shareholders and dividends (25 Mar 2026) (accessed November 2026)
- 24notícias: Os números que ligam Lisboa a Pequim (Dec 2018) (accessed November 2026)
- 24notícias: Montenegro in China (Sep 2025) (accessed November 2026)
- Diário de Notícias: Chinese in Portugal (2 Dec 2018) (accessed November 2026)
- Diário de Notícias: labour package rejected (19 Jun 2026) (accessed November 2026)
- Despacho: Reforma laboral chumbada (accessed November 2026)
- TSF: Minister on labour reform (26 Oct 2026) (accessed November 2026)
- Observador: Palma Ramalho on labour law changes (26 Oct 2026) (accessed November 2026)
- L&E Global / SRS Legal: Employment law overview Portugal (May 2026) (accessed November 2026)
- Caixa Geral de Depósitos: Período experimental (2021) (accessed November 2026)
- Fed Finance: Guide to the Portuguese Labor Code 2026 (accessed November 2026)
- gov.pt: Contribuições para a Segurança Social (accessed November 2026)
- IEFP: Recrutar no estrangeiro (accessed November 2026)
- IEFP: Emprego (accessed November 2026)
- Doutor Finanças: job sites in Portugal (2021) (accessed November 2026)
- ECB euro reference rate: CNY, 30 Oct 2026 (accessed November 2026)
