Portugal is working on a plan to get more AI experts into the country quickly through a fast-track visa program.
Portugal has a goal to become a main AI center in Europe, and they know it takes more than just tech to make that happen, they need talent, too. The National Agenda for Artificial Intelligence (ANIA), which was approved in early 2026, shows Portugal’s AI plan through 2030. It has over €400 million in backing, mostly from EU funds.
A key part of ANIA is setting up a quicker visa system for top AI pros, called an “AI Fast Track”. The aim is to reduce red tape, speed up the time it takes to get a visa, and make Portugal a better place for global talent in fields like machine learning, data science, AI engineering, and cybersecurity.
This new system isn’t up and running just yet, but Portugal has other options for tech workers right now, like the Tech Visa, D3 Highly Qualified Activity Visa, EU Blue Card, and Startup Visa. ANIA won’t get rid of these, but will add to them with faster immigration that is more focused on what the AI field needs.
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