The partner at home

If you moved for your partner’s job or plans, the first year can be harder for you than for them. The good news in Portugal is that a residence permit normally lets you work. The hard part is often the wait for the permit, and the language.

Can you work?

Article 83 of Portugal’s Foreigners Act (Law 23/2007) says the holder of a residence permit has the right, without any special authorisation, to education and training, to work as an employee, to work as self-employed, to healthcare and to the courts. It also requires equal treatment, including in social security, tax benefits and the recognition of diplomas. Your right to work therefore comes from your own residence permit (autorização de residência), not your partner’s job.

The rules of your partner’s own route, such as the D8 for remote workers, apply to them, not to you. More detail: Which Portuguese visa do I need? and Can I freelance or start a side business?

Family reunification since Law 61/2025

1. The resident normally needs a residence permit held for at least 2 years. It is 15 months for a spouse or partner who lived with them for at least 18 months just before they moved to Portugal. Minor children, a partner who is the other parent of a minor child, and family of highly qualified, golden visa and Blue Card holders are exempt
2. The resident applies to AIMA, showing suitable housing and enough money to support everyone without social benefits. AIMA has up to 9 months to decide
3. Once AIMA approves, you have 90 days to apply for the visa at the consulate. The consulate should issue it within 10 days, and your tax, social security and health service numbers are assigned automatically
4. You then get a residence permit for the same length as your partner’s
5. After 2 years you have the right to your own independent (autónoma) permit while the family ties continue, or sooner if you have minor children living in Portugal. If you have been married or in a de facto union for more than 5 years, your first permit is independent from the start

Law 61/2025 also added integration measures: family members who come through reunification must attend Portuguese language training and training on Portugal’s constitutional principles and values, and children must attend school. Renewing the permit depends on meeting these conditions. Expect waits: see AIMA backlogs in the visas guide, and plan with the moving timeline.

Learning Portuguese: free PLA courses

Português Língua de Acolhimento (PLA) courses are free and certified, from beginner (A1 and A2) to independent user (B1 and B2). AIMA says they are for people aged 16 or over and asks for a residence permit or proof that an application is in progress. An A2 certificate or higher counts as proof of Portuguese for permanent residence, long-term resident status and citizenship. See How do we get permanent residence and citizenship?

• Courses are run by public schools, IEFP job centres and Qualifica centres. Ask at your nearest IEFP centre or school, or contact AIMA’s Portuguese language service if you can’t find a place
• In the Lisbon region, IEFP plans 529 courses for about 10,580 people between 2026 and 2028, in Cascais, Lisbon, Vila Franca de Xira, Amadora, Seixal and Setúbal
• In the Algarve, it plans 333 courses for about 5,994 people, in Faro and Portimão
• Courses fill up, so register early, and add a weekly language exchange for conversation practice

Getting your qualifications recognised

Since 1 January 2019, Decree-Law 66/2018 has governed how Portugal recognises foreign degrees. The DGES (Directorate-General for Higher Education) describes three types: automatic recognition, for degrees on an official list that match a Portuguese licenciatura, master’s or doctorate; recognition of level; and specific recognition. You need an authenticated copy of your degree certificate. Regulated professions, such as doctors, nurses, architects and teachers, have their own professional recognition on top. Ask the professional body (ordem) for your field what it needs See Will my UK qualifications be recognised? and How do I get a job in Portugal?

• Get UK references and transcripts now, while former employers are easy to reach
• Get an authenticated copy of your degree certificate before you leave, and ask the DGES or your professional body whether it also needs an apostille
• A PLA certificate is an official record of your Portuguese level

Healthcare and paperwork for you

You need your own tax number (NIF) and, once resident, your own health user number (número de utente) from the local health centre. If your partner draws a UK State Pension with an S1, you may be covered as their dependant. See How does Portuguese healthcare work for Brits? and How much tax will I pay in Portugal?

Building a routine

1. Fix two or three regular commitments in your first fortnight: a Portuguese class, a club, a volunteering shift
2. Take over one settling-in project, such as school research or the house hunt, so you meet people through it
3. Agree with your partner how money and big decisions work while only one of you earns
4. Give it a date: review how you’re feeling after 3 and 6 months

Ideas for meeting people: How do I make friends in Portugal?