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Applying in Portugal

How to apply for jobs in Portugal

Portuguese employers still expect a tidy CV and, for most roles, a short application letter. The public employment service IEFP lists vacancies alongside private sites, and the public administration recruits through its own portal. Language is the hurdle people underestimate: without Portuguese the choice of jobs narrows quickly.

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How do you apply for a job in Portugal?

Look for offers on iefponline (run by IEFP), private job sites such as Net-Empregos, Sapo Emprego, LinkedIn and Indeed, and company sites; public-sector posts are on the BEP. Send a reverse-chronological CV with a letter of no more than one A4 page. The interview is the main selection step. A CV in English is acceptable if you do not speak Portuguese.[1][3][4]

Applying in Portugal at a glance

Usual practice for job applications in Portugal
TopicUsual in Portugal
The CVReverse-chronological; usually called CV or curriculum vitae.
PhotoOften appreciated by Portuguese employers, though not required.
LanguagePortuguese for most roles; an English CV is acceptable if you do not speak Portuguese.
LetterCarta de candidatura (or carta de apresentação): one A4 page at most.
SelectionThe interview is the main selection technique; video interviews are increasingly common.
Public employment serviceIEFP on the mainland, with job offers on iefponline.
ProbationPeríodo experimental: 90 days for most employees, 180 or 240 days for some roles.

[1][2][6]

Where to look for work in Portugal

Combine the public service with two or three private sites: a general board, LinkedIn if you work in an office or professional role, and a specialist site if you work in tech. IEFP's own job-search advice also suggests registering with temporary-work agencies and private placement agencies. Here is what each site is for.

Job-search sites and channels in Portugal and what each is for
Site or channelTypeWhat it is for
Net-EmpregosGeneral job boardRunning since 2000 and describing itself as Portugal's largest job portal, with offers of every kind from all over the country. Browse by category or city and set alerts.
SAPO EmpregoGeneral job boardFull-time, part-time and remote offers in areas such as administration, call centres and sales.
Expresso EmpregoGeneral job boardOffers in Lisbon, Porto, the rest of Portugal and abroad, with CV upload for direct applications.
LinkedInWhite-collar and corporateProfessional and management roles, multinationals and recruiter contact. Set alerts with both the Portuguese and the English job title, since international teams often advertise in English.
IndeedInternational job siteRuns a Portuguese site; use it as a second search next to the local boards.
ITJobsTechA Portuguese site for information-technology jobs and training.
Landing.JobsTechTech jobs across Europe, with matching between developers and companies.
iefponline (IEFP)Public employment service, traineeshipsJob offers, traineeships (estágios) and training from the public employment service. Register, publish your CV and apply; the local Centros de Emprego give face-to-face help.
BEP (Bolsa de Emprego Público)Public sectorVacancies in the public administration. Read each notice for the required documents and deadline; public competitions follow fixed rules.
Temporary-work and placement agenciesContract and entry-level workContract and first roles, often with a quick start. IEFP's own advice suggests registering with them; keep the CV they hold current.
Direct and speculative applicationsDirect applicationsSmaller firms that rarely advertise. Send a candidatura espontânea: a short letter and CV addressed to a named person.

Apply in the first days after an offer appears and keep a list of where you sent each CV, so you can follow up with the right person.

[2][3][4][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]

CV and letter: what Portuguese recruiters read

EURES describes the Portuguese CV as generally reverse-chronological and notes that a photograph is often appreciated. Keep it to two pages, with your latest role first and results stated plainly. If you are moving from Brazil, note the difference in vocabulary: Portuguese adverts say CV rather than currículo, telemóvel rather than celular, and oferta de emprego more often than vaga. Our CV for Portugal guide shows a layout.

The letter matters more than in many countries. EURES advises keeping application letters, whether for an advert or a speculative application, to the equivalent of one A4 page. Name the role, show two pieces of evidence that you fit and end with your availability. The cover letter builder drafts one from your resume, and resume translation produces a Portuguese version of an English CV for you to review.[1]

Personal questions Portuguese law rules out

Article 17 of the Código do Trabalho says an employer may not require a job applicant to give information about their private life, unless it is strictly necessary to assess fitness for the job, nor about health or pregnancy, unless the nature of the work demands it. Health information goes to a doctor, who tells the employer only whether you are fit for the job.

Articles 24 and 25 give every applicant the right to equal opportunity and treatment in access to employment and forbid direct or indirect discrimination on grounds such as ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and marital status. You can leave date of birth and marital status off the CV unless a notice requires them.[5]

The Portuguese application process, step by step

Public competitions on the BEP run to published deadlines; private employers set their own pace.

  1. 01

    Register where offers are published

    Create an iefponline account and publish your CV, then set alerts on the private sites in your field.

  2. 02

    Prepare a CV for each offer

    Put the most relevant role first and use the offer's terms where they describe what you did. Check your resume for free before you send it.

  3. 03

    Write the one-page letter

    Address a person where you can, name the offer and its reference, and keep to one A4 page.

  4. 04

    Interview, often in two rounds

    A first conversation (often by video) is followed by a meeting with the manager. Practise your answers out loud with the interview prep kit.

  5. 05

    Read the contract terms

    Check whether the contract is open-ended or fixed-term, the gross monthly pay, the length of the período experimental and the start date.

Interview etiquette in Portugal

  • Formality is the safe default: address interviewers as Sr. or Sra. (or Dr./Dra. for graduates) until they invite you to use first names.
  • Punctuality counts; arrive or log in a few minutes early.
  • Be ready to explain in Portuguese, even briefly, why you want to work in Portugal if you are applying from abroad.
  • Bring printed copies of certificates if the notice mentions them; public competitions ask for proof.
  • Ask about the team, the next stage and when a decision is expected.

Following up, pay and the período experimental

A brief thank-you email after the interview is good form; if a week or two passes without news, one polite follow-up is fine. Record each application, contact and deadline in the job tracker, especially when public competitions run in parallel.

When pay comes up, confirm whether a figure is gross or net and monthly or annual, and whether a meal allowance and other benefits are on top. Under article 112 of the Código do Trabalho, the trial period of an open-ended contract is 90 days for most workers, 180 days for technically complex or highly responsible roles, positions of trust, first-job seekers and the long-term unemployed, and 240 days for management and senior staff.[6]

Moving to Portugal: visas, residence and degrees

Residence matters for foreign nationals are handled by AIMA, the agency for integration, migration and asylum. The foreign ministry's visa portal lists a job-seeker visa for qualified work (Procura de Trabalho Qualificado), but as of 3 November 2026 it states the visa is not yet available at Portuguese consulates, pending regulation. Check the portal before you plan around it.

To give a foreign degree legal validity in Portugal, apply for recognition through IES, the higher-education institute, which offers automatic, level and specific recognition. EURES also warns that finding a job without Portuguese is not easy, so a language course is worth starting early.[1][7][8][9]

Common mistakes when applying in Portugal

  • A letter that runs past one page or could be sent to any employer.
  • Brazilian vocabulary on a CV for a Portuguese employer (celular, vaga, currículo) without adapting it.
  • Leaving out a document a public competition notice asks for, which can rule you out.
  • Comparing offers without asking whether the figure is gross or net, monthly or annual.
  • Relying on a job-seeker visa route that consulates do not yet accept.

Prepare this application with Ruubu

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Ruubu on job sites in Portugal

Built from the lists Ruubu actually runs, so this block only names sites Ruubu works with today.

Job Matches searches
LinkedIn and Indeed
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LinkedIn and Indeed
Ruubu for Chrome fills application forms on
LinkedIn, Indeed, Greenhouse, Workday, Lever, Ashby, SmartRecruiters, iCIMS, Taleo, SAP SuccessFactors, Jobvite, BambooHR, Workable, Oracle Recruiting Cloud, Breezy HR, Rippling, Dover, Gem, Comeet, Eightfold, Avature, and Cornerstone

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Frequently asked questions

Can I apply for jobs in Portugal in English?
Yes. EURES says that if you do not speak Portuguese you can write your CV in English. It also notes that finding work without Portuguese is not easy, so many roles will still expect it.
Do Portuguese employers want a photo on the CV?
A photograph is often appreciated, according to EURES, but no rule requires it. Use a recent, neutral portrait if you add one. The CV for Portugal guide has the full format.
How long is the trial period in Portugal?
For an open-ended contract, 90 days for most workers, 180 days for complex or trusted roles, first-job seekers and the long-term unemployed, and 240 days for management roles (article 112, Código do Trabalho).
Is there a job-seeker visa for Portugal?
A qualified job-seeker visa exists in the visa portal's list, but the foreign ministry states it is not yet available at Portuguese consulates. Check vistos.mne.gov.pt for the current position.
Where are public-sector jobs advertised?
On the BEP (Bolsa de Emprego Público), the public administration's job portal managed by DGAEP.

Sources

Statements about rules and official guidance rely on these pages. We opened and read each source ourselves on the date shown.

  1. [1]Condições de Vida e de Trabalho: Portugal (also published in English) · European Commission, EURESeures.europa.eu/living-and-working/living-and-working-conditions-europe/living-and-working-conditions-portugal_pt ·
  2. [2]Como Procurar Emprego · IEFP, I.P. (Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional)www.iefp.pt/procurar-emprego ·
  3. [3]iefponline: ofertas de emprego, estágio e formação · IEFP, I.P.iefponline.iefp.pt/ ·
  4. [4]BEP - Bolsa de Emprego Público · DGAEP (Direção-Geral da Administração e do Emprego Público)www.bep.gov.pt/ ·
  5. [5]Código do Trabalho (Lei n.º 7/2009), arts. 17, 24 and 25 · Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboawww.pgdlisboa.pt/leis/lei_mostra_articulado.php?nid=1047&tabela=leis ·
  6. [6]Código do Trabalho, art. 112 (período experimental) · Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboawww.pgdlisboa.pt/leis/lei_mostra_articulado.php?nid=1047&tabela=leis&pagina=2&ficha=101 ·
  7. [7]Procura de Trabalho Qualificado (job-seeker visa) · Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros (Vistos)vistos.mne.gov.pt/pt/vistos-nacionais/documentacao-instrutoria/procura-de-trabalho ·
  8. [8]Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo (AIMA) · gov.ptwww.gov.pt/entidades/agencia-para-a-integracao-migracoes-e-asilo ·
  9. [9]Reconhecimento de Graus e Diplomas Estrangeiros · IES, I.P. (Instituto para o Ensino Superior)iesuperior.pt/reconhecimento/ ·
  10. [10]About Net-Empregos (Sobre o Net-Empregos) · Net-Empregoswww.net-empregos.com/sobre.asp ·
  11. [11]SAPO Emprego: find the right job · SAPOemprego.sapo.pt/ ·
  12. [12]Expresso Emprego: job offers in Portugal and abroad · Expresso Empregoexpressoemprego.pt/ ·
  13. [13]About LinkedIn · LinkedInabout.linkedin.com/ ·
  14. [14]About Indeed · Indeedwww.indeed.com/about ·
  15. [15]ITJobs: jobs and training in information technology · ITJobswww.itjobs.pt/ ·
  16. [16]Landing.Jobs: tech jobs in Europe · Landing.Jobslanding.jobs/ ·

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