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How to Find Work in Portugal Guide

Looking to find work in Portugal? Our ultimate guide covers everything from navigating the job market to visa requirements and job market. Discover top strategies and expert tips to help you land your dream job in Portugal. Start your journey towards an exciting career here today!

How to Find Work in Portugal Guide

If you're wondering how to find work in Portugal, you're in the right place. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know to successfully land a job in this beautiful country.

Whether you're a seasoned professional or a recent graduate, our expert tips and resources will help you make your move to Portugal a smooth and successful one. This guide covers:

  • English speaking work in Portugal
  • Portuguese speaking work in Portugal
  • How to find work in Portugal
  • How to find internships in Portugal
  • How to find volunteering opportunities in Portugal
  • Summary of the Portuguese Job Market
  • FAQ about working in Portugal

English speaking work in Portugal

Tech work

A MacBook with lines of code on its screen on a busy desk
Photo by Christopher Gower / Unsplash

Tech companies or highly international firms may conduct business in English. When looking for work in Portugal, be sure to review job descriptions to determine if knowledge of Portuguese is necessary. If you're a non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizen working in tech, you might want to explore Portugal’s D8 Visa.

📋 Requirements: Portuguese (maybe!); Tech-related skill; bachelor's degree; Experience.
Benefits: Highly paid; hybrid and remote opportunities.
🧑‍💻 Popular jobs: software engineer; data specialist; web/app developer.

🔗 Useful sites include:

Fully remote work

person holding silver Acer Chromebook laptop
Photo by Andrew Neel / Unsplash

You need to have tech skills to find remote work in Portugal. Most remote jobs tend to be in tech roles, but there are also opportunities in fields like graphic design, marketing, and copywriting.

📋 Requirements: Tech-related skill.
Benefits: Fully remote opportunities; flexible schedule.
🧑‍💻 Popular jobs: software engineer; data operations; graphic designer; digital marker; copywriter; social media manager.

🔗 Useful sites include:

Teaching English work

red apple fruit on four pyle books
Photo by Element5 Digital / Unsplash

You need a TEFL qualification to teach English in Portugal. Although the market isn't as large as in neighbouring Spain, there is a demand for high-quality English teachers in schools and language academies.

📋 Requirements: TEFL qualification; bachelor's degree; native-level English proficiency.
Benefits: Cultural immersion; competitive salary.
🧑‍💻 Popular jobs: ESL teacher; language instructor; English tutor; summer teacher; teacher of English.

🔗 Useful sites include:

Call centres work

black ip desk phone on black wooden table
Photo by Julian Hochgesang / Unsplash

Portugal hosts numerous large call center companies, consistently offering work opportunities English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and other language speakers. Similar to call center jobs worldwide, the work is challenging and the compensation is modest.

📋 Requirements: Multilingual proficiency; good communication skills; basic computer knowledge.
Benefits: work from anywhere opportunities; might include accommodation.
🧑‍💻 Popular jobs: Customer service representative; technical support agent; sales consultant; teleperformance.

As with call centre work anywhere, the work is demanding and the pay is basic.

🔗 Useful sites include:

Portuguese speaking work in Portugal

Finding Portuguese-speaking work in Portugal offers a range of opportunities across various industries. Whether you're interested in customer service, hospitality, or tech roles, fluency in Portuguese can significantly enhance your job prospects. Many companies value bilingual employees, making it easier to secure positions in both local and international firms.

🔗 Useful sites include:

You can also walk into a restaurant, bar or reception or even ask in Facebook Group if you have a good Portuguese level.

How to find work in Portugal

A recommended method to search for work in Portugal is using Google Jobs.

  1. Type your desired role in Google search bar (e.g. 'teaching english jobs in Portugal').
  2. Apply filters such as 'Date Posted Last Week' or 'Location is Lisbon'.
  3. Apply to the roles that match your interest.
  4. Receive alerts to your Gmail account.
'Teaching English' Google job search

You can also use Google advanced search to find work opportunities.

  1. Use quotes " " to get an exact match of your desired role.
  2. Use after:YYYY-MM-DD to only get recent results
  3. Use site:example.com to get results from a desired site (or site:-example.com to exclude a site)
'English teacher' exact match Google job search

Other method for finding work in Portugal include the use of specific job sites or portals such as:

How to find internships in Portugal

Here are some platforms for students and graduates to find internships in Portugal:

How to find volunteering opportunities in Portugal

Here are some platforms to find volunteering opportunities in Portugal:

Summary of the Portuguese Job Market

  • As of May 2024, the unemployment rate stands at 6.5%.
  • 40.2k jobs have been created since the year started. 118.3k jobs were created in 2023.
  • The annual net average salary in Portugal for a single person is 16,943EUR (1,336EUR per month).
  • The minimum monthly wage in Portugal stands at 956.67EUR per month.
  • North Portugal, Lisbon, and Portugal Centre region are the most employed with highest employment growth areas in Portugal.
  • Highest paying jobs in Portugal include:
    • Directors and Officers;
    • Ecommerce Managers;
    • IT Specialists (i.e. software engineer, cybersecurity, machine learning specialist, big data specialist);
    • and Digital Marketers.

You can find a more detailed summary of the job market in Portugal in:

Portugal Job Market 2024 Review: Jobs, Salaries and More
Get the latest insights on the Portugal Job Market in 2024. Explore Portugal job statistics, GDP growth, unemployment rates, average and minimum wages, regional analyses, and top-paying sectors.

Summary of the Portuguese Job Market

Do you need to speak Portuguese to find work in Portugal?

It is recommended that you learn or speak Portuguese in order to find work in Portugal. However, it is not always necessary as English is commonly used at multinational companies or in the tech sector.

What are the requirements and job visas I need as a non-EU citizen to work in Portugal?

You do not need a Visa to work and live in Portugal as an EU or EEA citizen. If you are a non-EU citizen you need a Visa in order to live and work in Portugal. Usual requirements include proof of job offer and contract, proof of qualifications, a NIF number, and proof of accommodation. You can find more details about the type of visa you need to apply to in:

List of Portugal Visas for Expats
Are you a non-EU individual thinking of moving to Portugal? Our detailed guide on the different types of visas for expats covers everything you need to know about eligibility and requirements for each visa type.

List of Portugal visas for expats

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