Different routes
The route follows the person, not the company: nationality, role and family decide it.
For companies
Bring your people to Portugal with one accountable team
Blue Ocean Immigration is an immigration and investment consultancy in Lisbon, with in-house lawyers. We assess the right route for each employee, prepare the file and follow it through AIMA, for the person and for the family.
- Free 15-minute assessment
- No commitment
- Written scope before we start
The challenge
Moving people is a chain, not one visa
Each employee has a different route, depending on nationality, role and family. Behind the visa there is a chain of Portuguese steps: tax number, bank account, social security, health registration and address.
And there is AIMA, an authority whose timelines vary and change. A missed step costs months, and the employee feels it first.
The family
Spouse, children, sometimes parents. The rules depend on the route.
A changing framework
Rules and procedures change. We work from the version in force.
How we work with companies
One team accountable for the whole file
A single point of contact
Your HR or mobility lead works directly with the specialists handling each case. Not a call centre.
Lawyer-supervised
Our immigration work is supervised by in-house lawyers and provided under a formal engagement agreement.
Progress you can see
Each case is tracked in the Blue Ocean app: status, documents and scanned official mail, in one place.
Your language
We work in Portuguese, English, Spanish, Russian and Ukrainian.
Mobility routes
The route depends on the person
We start from who is moving and why, then choose the route. These are the main routes we assess and plan with you for company moves.
Portuguese employer
Employed in Portugal
Residence for employees of a Portuguese employer: usually a residence visa for subordinate work at the consulate, then the residence permit with AIMA, backed by documents from the employer.
Portuguese employer
Highly qualified roles and EU Blue Card
For qualified professionals with a contract, or a promise of one, in Portugal. The EU Blue Card is a residence title for highly qualified work.
Portuguese employer
Tech Visa
A programme run by IAPMEI: certified technology and innovation companies can support the visa or residence permit of highly qualified hires from outside the EU.
Group transfer
Intra-company transfer
For managers, specialists and trainees moved from a group company abroad to the Portuguese entity.
Foreign employer
Remote work for a company abroad
For employees who move to Portugal and keep working for a company abroad.
D8 digital nomad visaFounders
Founders and independent professionals
For founders and partners who set up a company in Portugal, and for independent professionals.
D2 visaNo visa needed
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals
Free movement, then registration where they live and the local steps: tax number, social security, health registration and address.
Read the relocation guideConditions are set by law and updated, so we check each route against the rules in force. Not sure which applies? That is what the first 15 minutes are for.
Schedule assessmentThe person and the family
We look after the person, and the family
Whether the family can follow straight away or after a period of residence depends on the employee’s route. We tell you up front, before the offer is signed.
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Tax number and fiscal representation
A Portuguese NIF, even before arrival, with fiscal representation where it is required.
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Bank account
Prepared as part of the relocation file, not as a stand-alone formality.
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Residence file and AIMA
Documents gathered, legalised and translated, and a Blue Ocean specialist at the AIMA appointment, depending on the location.
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Family reunification
Spouse or partner, minor children and, in certain cases, dependent adult children and parents.
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Tax residency and incentives
The tax-residency rules, and the IFICI regime where the role and the person qualify.
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Settling in
Guidance on the social security number, health registration, address, schools and healthcare.
How it works
From first call to first day
Six stages for each move, in the right order.
Timelines depend on the consulate, on AIMA and on how complete the file is. They change, so we do not publish fixed timeframes. After the first call we give you a realistic estimate for each route.
Assessment
A 15-minute call: who is moving, in which roles, with which families. We tell you which routes fit and whether it makes sense to proceed.
Plan
A route and a document checklist for each person, in the right order, and the scope of our work in writing before we start.
File
Documents gathered, legalised and translated, and the tax number obtained first, so the file is complete before it goes in.
Filing and follow-up
The consular visa where it applies, then the residence permit with AIMA. We follow the file with the authority until the decision.
Arrival
A Blue Ocean specialist at the AIMA appointment, depending on the location, and guidance through the first local steps: social security number, health registration and address.
Settled
Renewals, the family’s applications and the path to permanent residency.
Who you will deal with
A Lisbon team that answers for every file
We are not an automated form. Behind every case is a team that knows it by name and is accountable for it.
Luiza Couto
Chief Executive Officer
Leads the case teams and the client experience, so every file has an owner and a clear next step.
Ícaro Couto
Chief Legal Officer · Lawyer
Portuguese Bar (Ordem dos Advogados) No. 67883F. Leads the in-house lawyers and is accountable for the legal strategy behind every case we take.
Lisbon headquarters
Av. da Liberdade, 67-B, 3.º B
Av. da Liberdade, 67-B, 3.º B, 1250-140 Lisboa, Portugal. Andorra office · Avinguda del Fener, 24, local LA 4-5 · AD700 Escaldes-Engordany.
Meet the teamWho we work with
A network for the rest of the move
We work with trusted partners to support our clients at every step. Your team keeps dealing with one contact.
Bank · 1 partner
Partner bank
The banking solution we recommend to our clients.
Companies · 10 partners
Partner companies
Companies we collaborate with to support our clients at every step.
ATWICS
Vesper Advisory
Vázquez & Barba
Unity Partners
My Paperwork
Teleporto
Medialusus
BMJ
Globalfy
Vermilion Group
Relocation or HR consultancy? See our partnership programme
Questions
What HR teams ask.
Do employees from EU, EEA or Swiss countries need a visa?
No. They have free movement and register their right of residence where they live. The work is local: tax number, social security number, health registration and address. Our relocation guide sets out the steps.
What do employees from outside the EU need?
As a rule, a suitable visa obtained before arrival, followed by a residence permit with AIMA once they are in Portugal. The right visa depends on the role and the person. For employed work, the usual starting point is a residence visa for subordinate work, supported by documents from the employer.
What are the EU Blue Card and the Tech Visa?
The EU Blue Card is a residence title for highly qualified work, based on a contract, or a promise of one, in Portugal. Tech Visa is a programme in which IAPMEI certifies technology and innovation companies; a certified company can issue a responsibility statement that supports the visa or residence permit of highly qualified hires from outside the EU. Eligibility conditions are set by law and updated, so we check them against the rules in force.
Is there a route for transferring a manager or specialist from a group company abroad?
Yes. There is a specific residence permit for intra-company transfers, for managers, specialists and trainees, with a mobility variant for people who hold a transfer permit from another EU country. Conditions are confirmed case by case.
Can employees bring their families, and when?
Generally the spouse or partner, minor or incapacitated children and, in some cases, dependent adult children and parents. Under Law 61/2025, the employee must have a period of prior residence before reunification can be requested, with exceptions: among them, highly qualified professionals and EU Blue Card holders and, as a rule, minor or incapacitated children. Which rule applies depends on the route, so we check it before the offer is signed. See family reunification.
How long does it take?
It varies by consulate, by AIMA and by how complete the file is, and it changes over time. We do not publish fixed timeframes. After the first assessment we give a realistic estimate for each route. Our guide to AIMA appointments and timelines explains why.
How will we know what it costs?
Before we start you receive a written scope with our professional fee for that work. Official fees are listed separately and labelled (taxa oficial do Estado).
What happens in the first call?
A short call with a case manager. We review who is moving, in which roles and with which families, outline the routes open to each person and explain the next step. There is no commitment.