Hiring a Japanese Chef in Portugal: Work Visa Routes

Portugal handles work immigration in two stages. First the chef gets a national visa from a Portuguese consulate; then, once in Portugal, they apply for a residence permit from AIMA, the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum. For a Lisbon restaurant the practical choice is between a long-term hire on a residency visa for subordinate work and a short-term hire through the youth mobility agreement with Japan. This guide covers both, using what Portugal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes on its visa portal.

1. The visa routes that matter for a restaurant

The portal also lists a skilled job seeker visa, but it is aimed at holders of specialised technical skills looking for highly qualified work, not at restaurant hiring.

2. The residency visa for subordinate work

For employed work, the specific documents the consulate asks for are short:

• A work contract, work promise or demonstration of interest from the employer.
• A professional certificate, only if the profession is regulated in Portugal.

Proof of means of subsistence can be based on the income from the contract or promise, and the employer can support it with a signed term of responsibility. The consulate's document list for this visa does not ask for evidence of a labour market test. Pay must still meet Portuguese labour law and any collective agreement that covers your restaurant.

3. Documents, fees and decision times

On top of the work documents, the chef submits the general residency visa file:

1. Completed national visa application form, signed.
2. Two passport photos.
3. Passport valid for three months beyond the planned return, plus a copy of the data page.
4. Travel insurance covering medical expenses, urgent care and repatriation.
5. A criminal record certificate from Japan (and from any country where they lived for over a year), apostilled or legalised.
6. Proof of means of subsistence.

The processing fee for a national visa is EUR 110. The legal deadline for deciding a residence visa application is 60 days, except where the law provides otherwise; for a temporary stay visa it is 30 days.

4. After arrival: the AIMA residence permit

The residency visa is only the entry ticket. It allows two entries and is valid for four months, and during that time the chef must apply for a residence permit with AIMA. Build that step into your onboarding: help the chef book the appointment, keep copies of the contract and payslips ready, and do not let the four months run out. Our onboarding guide has a first-month plan you can adapt.

5. Youth mobility for Japanese under 31

Portugal and Japan signed a youth mobility memorandum on 27 March 2015, in force since 1 July 2015. It covers young people aged 18 to 30 on an extended holiday with permission to work. According to the Portuguese visa portal, stays under these memoranda last up to 12 months with no extension, and work or study is allowed on a secondary basis. Japan's foreign ministry lists no annual cap for Portugal.

A working holiday cook is a good way to add a Japanese speaker to the line for a season. Because work is meant to be secondary to the holiday, do not plan your core staffing around it. For a comparison across Europe, see our European working holiday guide.

6. Hiring for a Lisbon kitchen

Japan's foreign ministry counted 1,017 Japanese nationals in Portugal as of 1 October 2025, up 5.6 percent, with 618 long-term residents and 399 permanent residents. There is no separate Lisbon figure. That is a very small community to recruit from locally, so plan on hiring from Japan, from other EU countries, or through youth mobility.

Portugal's shorter document list is an advantage, but relocation still costs money, and support on arrival is part of a competitive offer. Read our relocation package guide before making an offer, and compare the process with neighbouring Spain. When you are ready to advertise, you can post the job on WashokuJob.

General information gathered from official sources in September 2026, not legal or immigration advice. Portuguese immigration rules have changed several times in recent years; confirm the current requirements with the Portuguese consulate and AIMA before applying.