The Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP) offers financial assistance through a scheme known as Emprego Interior Mais to people who are employed or run their own business and whose place of work requires them to move to an inland area of the country. The support is also available to self-employed workers who work remotely while living in an inland area.

The IEFP also states that the support is available to people who are already employed but whose workplace has been transferred to an inland area. It may also be available to people who already work and live in the interior if they are required to commute at least 100 kilometres between their home and workplace.

Inland territories

Although the official list is extensive and defines inland territories at parish level, it is possible to identify districts where every municipality and parish is considered part of Portugal’s interior. If they meet the relevant conditions, workers in these areas may therefore be eligible for IEFP support.

The districts in which all municipalities and parishes meet the criteria are Beja, Bragança, Castelo Branco, Évora, Guarda, Portalegre and Vila Real.

The scheme is part of the Working in the Interior Programme (Programa Trabalhar no Interior), which was approved by the Council of Ministers in 2020.

Objectives of the scheme

The scheme aims to encourage geographical mobility in the labour market, while creating favourable conditions for job creation and professional activity in inland areas. The programme seeks to encourage workers to settle in the interior to reduce regional disparities while promoting territorial cohesion.

Who can apply?

Citizens of other European Union countries, Switzerland and the European Economic Area can apply for the support if they are prepared to work in Portugal’s interior. Citizens of non-EU countries may apply provided they meet the requirements set out in Law No. 23/2007 of 4 July.

The support can be requested by unemployed local Portuguese looking for a new job who are registered with the IEFP or with the employment services of the Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira.

It is also available to people who were not registered with Social Security as employees or self-employed workers in the month preceding their application or the signing of their employment contract. The same applies to those who create their own job or business.

The scheme also covers emigrants who left Portugal after 31 December 2015 and who have lived abroad for at least one year.

Employees and self-employed workers may also be eligible.

How much financial support is available?

The amount paid to workers is based on the Social Support Index (IAS), which stands at €537.13 in 2026. The amount awarded is then multiplied depending on the type of employment contract.

For example, in the case of permanent employment contracts, whether they are new contracts or involve a transfer of the workplace, as well as for those creating their own job or business, the IEFP provides seven times the IAS, equivalent to €3,759.91.

People with fixed-term employment contracts or scholarship contracts lasting at least one year may receive five times the IAS, equivalent to €2,685.65. This amount also applies to employment contracts of an uncertain duration with an expected duration of at least 12 months. For these purposes, new contracts lasting more than 12 months and transfers of the workplace under existing contracts are also covered.

The support is not limited to workers who need to move home. It can be increased by 20% for each member of the worker’s household. In this case, each household member may receive €751.98 or €537.13, depending on the circumstances of the worker who is moving.

A further payment of €805.70 may be available to help cover the cost of transporting belongings to the new home.

Eligibility conditions

IEFP mentions that eligibility for the support depends on signing an employment contract or creating a job or business. Crucially, the work must be carried out in an inland territory and must require the worker to change their place of residence.

To receive the support, employment contracts must have started on or after 1 January 2020 and must specify the terms of the contract, as well as the guaranteed monthly salary. The contract must also state the place where the work will be carried out, which must be located in an inland territory included on the IEFP’s official list.

For those creating their own job, such as self-employed workers issuing green receipts (recibos verdes), or setting up their own business, eligibility extends to people carrying out independent professional or commercial activities in the areas covered by the scheme. Those establishing private for-profit entities are also eligible, regardless of their legal structure. Cooperatives are also covered by the Emprego Interior Mais programme.

Changing residence

People who are eligible for the support and need to move to one of the parishes listed by the IEFP must meet certain requirements. The move must be permanent, meaning that the new residence must be maintained for at least one year.

The worker’s previous residence must not have been in one of the designated inland parishes, unless it was at least 100 kilometres from the new residence.

The move must take place within the 180 consecutive days before or after the start of the employment contract or the creation of the worker’s own job or business. The workplace must also be located in an inland area.

Foreign citizens

Foreign workers may also be eligible if they are required to establish residence in an inland territory following the granting of their visa.

For foreign workers, the employment contract must have started on or after 1 January 2022, and they must receive a salary equal to or higher than the national minimum wage in force.

How is the support paid?

The financial support is paid in two instalments. The first 60% is paid within 10 working days of the submission of the acceptance form and the relevant supporting documents.

The remaining 40% is paid in the 13th month, based on the employment contract signed between the worker and their employer.

The Emprego Interior Mais programme can be combined with other forms of support, including Compromisso Emprego Sustentável, the Programme for Support for Entrepreneurship and the Creation of Own Employment, and Empreende XXI.

However, it cannot be combined with the Support for the Return of Emigrants to Portugal programme. Other members of the worker’s household may still apply for ATIVAR.PT internships and Compromisso Emprego Sustentável.

How to apply

Application deadlines are published by the IEFP online through its official website, with approval subject to the available budget.

Applications can be submitted within a maximum of 180 days of signing the employment contract, setting up a business or transferring the workplace.

Applications are submitted online through the iefponline portal, where applicants can also find details of the documentation required to apply for the support.