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Pathway

Portugal Intra-Company Transfer Residence

Portugal Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

If you work for a company outside the EU, you may be able to transfer temporarily to a related business in Portugal as a manager, specialist, or paid trainee. You remain employed by the overseas company. This TDE-ICT permit is for people who are not EU, EEA, or Swiss citizens.

Roles
Managers, specialists, and trainee employees
Employer
Transfer must be within the same company group
Prior group work
Required continuous service before transfer: three to twelve months for managers or specialists, three to six for trainees

Summary

Portugal's company-group transfer permits a temporary assignment while the worker remains employed by the business outside the EU. The sending and receiving entities must prove their group connection, and the role, pay, duration and qualifications must meet the manager, specialist or trainee rules.

Prior continuous employment within the group is required, with different periods for trainees and other roles. This is not a permanent move to an unrelated employer or an independent contract. At the transfer limit, remaining in Portugal requires a separately available status rather than indefinite renewal of the assignment.

A temporary transfer within the same business group
  1. Establish the company link Document the employer outside the EU and the Portuguese host in the same undertaking or group.
  2. Confirm the transfer category Check the manager, specialist, or trainee role, prior employment, qualifications, and assignment terms.
  3. Confirm entry and apply Verify the visa position for the exact case and file before starting the transferred work.
  4. Observe the transfer cap If approved Managers and specialists have a three-year maximum; trainees have a one-year maximum.

This category covers a qualifying temporary group transfer. It does not turn an ordinary local hire into an intra-corporate transfer.

Could this pathway work for you?

Eligibility

EEA means the EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

The sending employer and Portuguese host must prove that they are the same undertaking or belong to the same group. The file should state the role, host, pay, working conditions, and transfer duration, and the host must guarantee compliance with Portuguese working-condition and pay law.

Immediately before the transfer, a manager or specialist must have worked continuously in the company or group for a period falling between three and 12 months; for a trainee, the required prior period is between three and six months. A manager or specialist must prove the appropriate qualifications and experience. A trainee must have a higher-education diploma and must be transferred for career development or training in business techniques or methods.

Applicants also need the general passport, criminal-record, housing, tax, social-security, and health-coverage evidence. Regulated professions require Portuguese recognition. AIMA states that lawful entry can remove the residence-visa requirement for this permit, but lawful entry and visa exemption should be confirmed for the individual case before travel.

More about this route

The permit lasts one year or the planned transfer period, whichever is appropriate. It can be renewed up to a total maximum of three years for a manager or specialist, but a trainee's maximum is one year.

What This Route Allows

It allows residence and work for the named Portuguese host as part of the approved group transfer. A change affecting the permit conditions must be notified to AIMA within 15 days.

The law expressly gives ICT holders a right to family reunification under Article 98. That article now includes sponsor waiting periods, so the practical timing—especially for a short assignment—should be confirmed with AIMA before family travel.

An ICT permit issued by another EU member state can support short mobility in Portugal for up to 90 days in a 180-day period. Longer Portuguese mobility uses the separate ICT-mobile permit and its filing deadlines.

What This Route Is Not

It is not a route for a permanent transfer, a new hire by an unrelated Portuguese employer, or a contractor. Those cases may require ordinary employed-work, highly qualified, or Blue Card residence.

The maximum ICT period cannot be extended indefinitely through successive renewals. A person remaining after the transfer may need to qualify independently for another Portuguese status.

Next Steps

  1. Map the ownership or control link between the sending company and Portuguese host.
  2. Classify the role as manager, specialist, or trainee and verify the required continuous prior employment.
  3. Prepare the assignment letter, home employment contract, host declaration, pay and working conditions, qualifications, and group evidence.
  4. Ask AIMA or the responsible consulate whether a residence visa is needed for the applicant's exact travel and filing plan.
  5. Plan family timing under the current Article 98 rules rather than assuming simultaneous entry.
  6. File before work begins, observe the one- or three-year cap, and notify AIMA within 15 days of material changes.

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Sources