How to find a job in Portugal as a foreigner | Anywork Anywhere (2024)

Before you start looking for a job, it is important to find out if you are eligible to work in Portugal. Are you an European citizen and are you planning on living and working in Portugal? Then you do not need a work permit or visa. If you are only living and working in Portugal for a period of up to 3 months, you don’t have to worry about any formalities such as registration either. However if you are planning on staying longer than 3 months, you are required to register your address with the city hall and request a tax number.

If you are from outside of Europe, you need to apply for a visa before you move to Portugal. You are only able to apply for a visa if you can already show a job contract or a promise of a job contract. Therefore it is important that you start looking for a job before moving abroad. No need to worry, because we will share some useful tips on working abroad and how to find a job in Portugal now!

Maybe you are a student looking for a summer job in Portugal, a digital nomad searching for remote work in Portugal or an European citizen that is dreaming of living and working in Portugal. In any case, collecting information about the Portuguese job market is very important when trying to find a job in Portugal.

During the last years, more and more international companies have decided to have their headquarters in Portugal. Therefore the amount of job opportunities for expats in Portugal has increased significantly. Especially Lisbon has changed into a real startup-center. As an expat you can find many job opportunities in tourism, hospitality, real estate and customer service. For example, restaurants, hotels and bars in Portugal are always searching for English speakers. As an expat you have the advantage of speaking an extra language (your native language) besides English and this is highly valued in the hospitality sector.

Are you trying to find seasonal work in Portugal during the summer break? Then it probably won’t take long before you get hired. Plenty of hotels, surf camps, hostels and bars in touristic regions such as the Algarve are looking for summer employees. Especially those who can speak English.

Even if you have no previous work experience, it is still fairly easy to find a job in Portugal. There are a lot of call centers in Lisbon and most of the time it is not required to have experience in this field. The only qualification you need is speaking English, as your training will most likely be in English. Besides that, you will probably work in your native language as well.

We understand that you are looking forward to working and living in Portugal, but we recommend you to find a job in Portugal before actually moving there. Fortunately, you will be able to find most job opportunities online nowadays. Start with taking a look at our vacancy page here. Do you see your dream job abroad on Anywork Anywhere? Make sure to apply as soon as possible by clicking on the green apply button.

Haven’t you found your dream job on our vacancy page yet? Make sure to check the page every now and then, since we regularly update our website with new amazing job opportunities!

Furthermore, you can always make a list of companies that you think are interesting and have an office in Portugal. Keep an eye on their website and find out about the latest job openings.

Moreover, networking is always a very good tool to find a job in Portugal. Go to events about your sector and try to meet business owners and peers. You can also become a member of different Facebook expat groups in Portugal such as Expats in Lisbon and ask the community for valuable tips. In the end, they know how it is to be new in a country and they also managed to find a job in Portugal.

You did it! You managed to find a job in Portugal and you are already looking forward to living and working in Portugal. But how exactly do you apply for your dream job in Portugal? Well, it is important that you adapt to the Portuguese job market and also create a CV that matches this market. Usually, a Portuguese CV consists of three different sections: personal details, your professional experiences and your degrees.

Besides that you can also add a couple of hard and soft skills to your CV. For example, include some hobbies that are relevant.

Last but not least, don’t forget to submit your CV in English (or Portuguese if you can speak the language). This way most people in the HR department will be able to read your CV.