Why this opportunity
- Residency built on a qualified role in Portugal, not on buying property.
- One structured programme: company set-up, incubation with Portuguese universities and innovation hubs, and the legal and immigration work.
- Keeping the residence permit does not depend on the company's profits.
- Your family can be included in the same process.
- Exempt from the 2-year waiting period for family reunification — the family comes together from the start.
- The Portugal side is led by Albi Muaraf (Muaraf Consulting) in Lisbon — HQA is his focus area.
HQA (Highly Qualified Activity) is one of the fastest-growing routes to Portuguese residency. Instead of buying property, you take a highly qualified role in an innovation company that is part of an incubation programme run with Portuguese universities and innovation hubs. You enter Portugal with a D3 visa and build your life there, with your family.
Who it suits
Graduates and experienced professionals — founders, managers, engineers, consultants — who want EU residency and a real base in Portugal, and investors who prefer a structured programme to a passive investment.
Good to know
- The programme amount covers the company’s funding, the incubation and the legal and immigration work for three years. Ask for the full breakdown before you sign; we review it with you.
- An investment in an innovation company is a business risk. Residency does not depend on the company’s profits.
- Read the full guide: HQA visa — requirements, family and timelines.
Turnkey package — what's included
- Eligibility review of your profile, degree and family
- Comparison with the Golden Visa and D2 routes
- Coordination with the programme provider and company set-up
- D3 visa and AIMA residence-permit files
- NIF, bank account and accounting set-up with our Portugal partners
- Relocation support in Lisbon
Optional add-ons
Residence route: HQA Visa (Highly Qualified Activity) →
Presented with our partner
Albi Muaraf
Founder & Strategic Advisor, Muaraf Consulting
Authorised HQA partner of Empowered Startups
Details and figures come from the programme provider and our partners and may change. They are not an offer or a guarantee of income; everything is verified in the legal due diligence before signing.