How to Hire Caregivers from Abroad in Portugal (2026 Guide)

6 min

Caregiver shortages in Portugal and realistic costs

Elderly care facilities across Portugal face a persistent shortage of care staff. Demographics in Portugal show one of the oldest populations in Europe, and the network of senior residences, known as Estruturas Residenciais para Pessoas Idosas (ERPI), continues to expand to meet demand. At the same time, local recruitment for caregiver roles, such as Auxiliares de Geriatria and Ajudantes Familiares, remains difficult. High turnover, physically demanding shift work, and competition from other service sectors mean that many care homes operate below their optimal staffing ratios.

Hiring non-EU workers directly from abroad has become a primary solution for Portuguese care providers. However, this is not an overnight fix. Following major immigration law changes in Portugal, spontaneous arrivals and post-arrival legalisations through expressions of interest (manifestação de interesse) have been discontinued. Employers must now recruit workers while they are still in their home countries and process formal work visas before the employee travels to Portugal. Direct international hiring requires advance planning, strict adherence to labor regulations, and administrative patience.

In terms of base compensation, caregiver roles in Portugal typically pay between the national minimum wage (Salário Mínimo Nacional, set at 870 EUR per month in 2025 and continuing into 2026) and 1,100 EUR gross per month for entry-level to mid-level positions. Senior caregivers or those working night shifts under collective bargaining agreements may earn slightly more. When calculating your total outlay, you must account for 14 monthly salary payments per year, mandatory employer social security contributions, daily food allowances, and upfront immigration processing costs.

What this costs you, roughly

Recruiting an overseas care worker involves direct expenses and administrative setup fees. Below are the primary cost lines an employer in Portugal should expect when managing a direct hire:

IEFP job posting and clearance: 0 EUR (the job declaration service via the national employment institute is free of charge).
Consular and visa application fees: 90 EUR to 150 EUR (typically paid by the candidate at the consulate, though employers frequently reimburse this to secure candidates).
Document translation and apostille legalisation: 150 EUR to 350 EUR per worker (covering criminal background checks, medical certificates, and educational documents).
Travel and flight costs: 400 EUR to 1,000 EUR per worker, depending on the country of origin (such as Brazil, Cape Verde, Angola, or South Asian nations).
Initial accommodation support: 300 EUR to 800 EUR (covering a temporary room deposit or subsidised initial housing where local rental markets are saturated).
Legal or administrative consultancy (optional): 500 EUR to 1,500 EUR per file if using an external legal service to track visa submissions with national authorities.

The legal route: Who files what with Portuguese authorities

Bringing a non-EU worker to Portugal legally requires coordinated steps between the employer, national administrative bodies, and Portuguese diplomatic posts abroad. Employers should always confirm specific current procedures directly with the relevant authorities.

Step 1: Labour market check with IEFP: Before hiring abroad, the employer must post the vacancy on the portal of the Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional (IEFP) for at least 10 to 15 working days. If no suitable candidate registered in Portugal or the EU is placed, IEFP issues a clearance confirmation allowing the job offer to be extended to a non-EU citizen.
Step 2: Formal contract issuance: The employer issues a signed employment contract (Contrato de Trabalho) or a formal promise of employment (Contrato Promessa de Trabalho). This document must specify the working hours, job location, role description, and compensation aligned with Portuguese labor law.
Step 3: Work visa application (Visto D1): The candidate applies for a National Work Visa (Visto de Trabalho D1 for subordinate work) at the Portuguese embassy, consulate, or VFS Global center in their home country. The candidate submits the job contract, IEFP clearance, proof of qualifications, medical clearance, and an apostilled criminal record check.
Step 4: Entry and registration: Once the D1 visa is stamped into the passport, the worker travels to Portugal. Upon arrival, the employer registers the worker with Social Security (Segurança Social) to obtain a NISS (Número de Identificação da Segurança Social) and with the tax authority (Autoridade Tributária) for a tax number (NIF).
Step 5: AIMA residency permit: The worker must attend an in-person appointment with the Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo (AIMA) to collect their biometric Residence Permit (Título de Residência). In many cases, the D1 visa issued abroad includes a pre-scheduled AIMA appointment link.

Realistic timelines: From job offer to first shift

Employers should plan their staffing needs well in advance. Direct recruitment from outside the EU into Portugal is a multi-month process. Attempting to rush the administrative stages often leads to errors and rejected visa files.

IEFP publication and clearance: 3 to 4 weeks.
Contract execution and candidate document preparation: 2 to 4 weeks.
Consular appointment and D1 visa processing: 8 to 16 weeks (processing speeds vary significantly by embassy and location).
Relocation, arrival, and administrative onboarding: 2 to 3 weeks.

The total realistic timeline from the day you publish the vacancy on the IEFP portal to the day the care worker completes their first shift in Portugal is between 4 and 8 months. Facilities facing sudden, emergency staffing shortages should not rely solely on international hiring to fill immediate shift gaps.

Pay, housing, and regulatory obligations in Portugal

Employment terms in Portugal are governed by the Código do Trabalho and relevant collective bargaining agreements (Convenção Coletiva de Trabalho - CCT), particularly for Private Institutions of Social Solidarity (IPSS) and private healthcare operators.

In Portugal, annual compensation is paid over 14 months rather than 12. Workers receive an extra full month of pay for the summer holiday allowance (Subsídio de Férias) and an extra month for the Christmas allowance (Subsídio de Natal). Employers must also pay a daily food allowance (Subsídio de Alimentação) for each actual day worked. Employers contribute 23.75 percent of the worker gross wage to Segurança Social, while 11 percent is deducted from the worker payroll contribution.

While supplying housing is not legally mandatory for standard care home staff, the current housing crisis in Portuguese metropolitan centers (Lisbon, Porto, Algarve) makes local accommodation a critical factor. Employers in inland districts like Alentejo, Beira Interior, or Trás-os-Montes often provide dedicated staff rooms or subsidised apartment rentals to successfully attract and retain workers.

Regarding professional recognition, general elderly care workers (Auxiliares de Geriatria) do not require registration with a professional order (Ordem). However, facilities governed by the Instituto da Segurança Social (ISS) must ensure that care staff hold recognized vocational training or relevant work experience in personal care, hygiene, and mobility support. Candidates must also provide a clean criminal background check specifically clearance for working with vulnerable persons. Note that registered nurses (Enfermeiros) follow a completely different, lengthier process requiring full credential recognition from the Ordem dos Enfermeiros.

Employer liability and worker protection

Legitimate employers must operate with absolute transparency during international recruitment. Under Portuguese labor regulations and international standards, a worker must never be charged any fees for securing a job placement. All operational expenses related to recruitment, job advertising, and statutory administrative filings are the sole responsibility of the hiring company.

Workers who are asked to pay recruitment agency fees, pay for their own work contracts, or take on wage-deduction debts to obtain a job offer are victims of fraudulent schemes. Engaging with third parties that charge fees to workers creates severe legal liabilities for Portuguese employers, including investigation by the Autoridade para as Condições do Trabalho (ACT) and potential criminal charges linked to human trafficking and labor exploitation. Verify that all recruitment practices connected to your facility remain compliant and free of fee-charging practices.

Finding care workers on the Workuro registry

If you are a manager or HR lead at a Portuguese care home, facility, or agency, you can search the Workuro registry to find caregiver and elderly care candidates who have explicitly stated their desire to relocate to Portugal.

Workuro is a candidate registry, not a recruitment agency. We do not charge per-hire fees, we do not take commissions from your hiring decisions, and we do not act as an intermediary in negotiations. You use the registry to search candidate profiles, review qualifications, and contact prospective workers directly to conduct your own interviews and manage your own hiring process.

Please note that the Workuro registry is young and continuously growing. While candidate listings expand weekly, we prioritize real profiles over inflated database numbers. You can filter candidates by background, language skills, and readiness to move, giving you a transparent starting point for your direct recruitment efforts in Portugal.