According to statistics from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MNE), there has been an 89 percent increase in visa applications from Brazil to Portugal between 2022 and 2023.
Until last year, the majority of visa applications to Portugal were for the following purposes:
- Study and research (30 percent)
- Exchange and volunteer programs (18 percent)
- Teaching (13 percent)
- Visas for retirees
However, figures from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MNE), obtained by Diario de Noticias, revealed that the introduction of the work-seeking visa in November 2022 made this type the most popular.
The work-seeking visa for Portugal saw nearly 8,000 applications, accounting for 36 percent of the total 22,126 cases. The second most common was the family reunification visa, which comprised 13 percent of the total cases.
Other visa categories remained stable last year, including temporary stay visas for exchange programs at 12 percent, residence visas for research at 11 percent, and visas for retirees at seven percent.
Since the introduction of the work visa in November 2022, 35,801 visas of this type have been issued. Brazil leads in the demand for Portugal’s visas, with 12,852 permits granted to Brazilian nationals. According to the MNE, consular posts in CPLP countries issued 91 percent of all these visas.
This initiative aims to address workforce shortages in industries such as restaurants, hotels, and construction, with an estimated deficit of 50,000 professionals in the restaurant sector alone.