Applications remain open until March 2026 for Programa Regressar, the Portuguese government initiative designed to support Portuguese nationals who choose to return and reintegrate professionally in mainland Portugal.

By extending the application window through 2026, the program continues to encourage permanent return, job creation, and economic reintegration for thousands of Portuguese living abroad. 

The program offers financial incentives and employment support to facilitate the return of Portuguese citizens and their families, strengthening the connection with the diaspora and addressing labor-market needs.

Programa Regressar is also eligible to Portuguese who have emigrated, including their descendants, who have returned and have been working in mainland Portugal between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2025. 

This includes individuals hired under open-ended employment contracts, as well as self-employed workers or entrepreneurs who create companies or jobs during the qualifying period.

Programa Regressar, created in 2019, remains one of Portugal’s key tools for supporting the diaspora and reversing demographic decline, offering incentives for relocation, professional reintegration, and long-term settlement in the country.

Returnees will get a provisional 50% discount on the IRS, the national income tax, among other measures aimed at entrepreneurs of small and medium-sized companies, which allows for the creation of new businesses in the national territory.

The program will also offer recognition of academic or professional qualifications, vocational training, integration into the Portuguese labor market, and other measures, such as specific credit lines for returnees who want to invest.

Find more information @ gov.pt.en

PAJ/Staff