In accordance with Portuguese legislation, HQA Visa approvals must be either granted or denied within 30 days of an application being submitted. From the first meeting with the startup incubator until the issuance of your residency cards in Portugal, the process takes between 3 and 5 months in total:

Application phase 1: The visa applicant accepts an invitation to join the HQA incubator program. Within 2 to to 6 weeks, a strategic plan is finalised, and an R&D project is identified and negotiated with a Portuguese public research institution (typically a rural Portuguese university)

Application phase 2: The applicant attends a visa appointment at their local Portuguese consulate or embassy. Within 30 days, a decision is issued by the Portuguese immigration authorities.

Application phase 3: Once the applicant’s visa application has been approved, you’ll receive an entry stamp type visa with which you can travel to Portugal for their SEF appointment. (The applicant has a 4 month window in which to visit Portugal for their residency appointment.) Residency cards are delivered by mail within 60 days of this appointment date.