Portugal Visa Guide

Portugal Visa

Country profile

Home to over 10 million people, the east European country Portugal is flanked by the North Atlantic Ocean on the east and Spain on the west. The archipelagos of Azores and Madeira in the Atlantic Ocean also belong to Portugal territory. Lisbon is the capital city of Portugal, which has very good bilateral relations with Australia. One of the oldest countries of Europe, Portugal was a world power in the 15th and 16th centuries but lost most of its wealth to a devastating earthquake in 1755. A revolution in 1910 dismantled the monarchy in Portugal, but the next 6 decades were dominated by repressive governments. However, in 1974, a military coup ushered in democratic reforms, and now Portugal is a democratic member of the European Union -- since 1986. As such Portugal is also a member of the Schengen zone which has 26 European countries as its members who have done away with all border controls and regulations. This means that once you have a visa for Portugal you can freely move within the 26 countries of the Schengen zone.

The main types of Portugal visa?

If you are planning a visit to Portugal for a short duration, you will have to apply for a Schengen visa to Portugal, which could be any one of the following:

Airport transit visa:This visa is required if you are going to pass through one of the Portugal airports for travelling to your destination which is out of the Schengen Area.

Visitor visa: his Portugal visa is required for foreigners who have family members, relatives or friends staying in Portugal and want visit them for a short vacation.

Tourist visa: This visa is needed if you wish to spend your holidays in Portugal for sightseeing or exploring the country.

Official visit visa: You will need this visa type if you are a member of a delegations visiting Portugal for official purposes

Medical visa: If you need to take medical treatment in Portugal, you will have to get this type of visa.

Business visa: If your purpose to Portugal is to do business, then you will have to procure a business visa.

Study visa: As the name implies, this visa is issued to students who wish to pursue their studies in Portugal for a short duration.

Cultural, sports and film crew visa: If the purpose of your visit to Portugal is for attending a cultural, sports or film activity, you need to get this type of visa.

Documents required for Portugal visa

To apply for a Portugal visa, you are need to submit the following documents to the Portugal embassy or consulate.

• A Portugal visa application form fully filled and signed
• Two sized photos which taken in the last three months.
• Your passport, which should not be older than 10 years, and should be valid for at least three months till after your intended departure from Portugal.
• You will also have to submit copies of your previous visas, if applicable.
• Portugal is bit of a multi-lingual country, and you may be allowed to select the language in which you need your visa, but if you want it in English, just check the box against the “no preference” option.
• You may need to submit a copy of your travel insurance policy which proves that you are covered for the whole of your visit to the Schengen Zone to the minimum extent of 30,000 Euros. This may be needed in cases of medical emergencies or repatriation in case of death.
• With the application, you need to submit a cover letter stating the purpose of your visit to Portugal.
• Your round-trip itinerary needs to be submitted which clearly states the dates and flight numbers of your entry and exit from the Portugal or the Schengen area.
• Also, you will have to show a proof of accommodation -- your hotel booking or any other arrangement for the whole duration of your visit to Portugal.
• A proof of your civil status has to be submitted, like a marriage certificate, birth certificate of children, or death certificate of spouse, etc. which are applicable.
• You will have to also submit a proof of your financial status, showing that you have enough means to support yourself for the whole duration of your visit to Portugal. This can be a bank statement of the last 6 months.

Extra documents for self-employed people:

• A copy of your business license needs to be proffered
• A bank statement of your business company of the last 6 months
• An Income tax return (ITR) of your company

Extra documents for employed people:

• A copy of your employment contract needs to be submitted
• A copy of your bank statement for the last 6 months
• Leave permission from your employer in writing
• Your latest Income tax return (ITR) or a certificate of tax deducted at source (TDS)

Extra documents to be submitted by students:

• Copy of admission letter to an educational institution
• A bank statement of your business company of the last 6 months
• A ‘no objection certificate’ (NOC) from your former school or university.

Extra documents if you are retired:

• If you are retired, you will have to submit your pension statement for the last 6 months.

Extra documents for minors:

• A birth certificate has to be submitted
• A Portugal visa application form which has been signed by both your parents
• A family court order will have to be submitted in cases where a minor visitor is in full custody of one parent
• Copies of ID proof and passport of both parents
• If you are a minor and travelling alone, you will have to submit a notarized authorization signed by both your parents or guardians

Extra documents required based on the purpose of your visit to Portugal:

Depending on the purpose of your visit to Portugal, you will need to submit some additional documents as follows:

Extra documents for a tourist Portugal Visa:

• Your bank statement of the last 6 months should be submitted
• You have to submit your travel itinerary stating the purpose of your visit to Portugal, including your entry and exit dates in the Schengen zone.
• Your hotel reservations during your stay in Portugal. Also list out the places you plan to visit and the activities you will be undertaking during your stay in Portugal.

Extra documents needed for airport transit Visa:

• A valid visa for the final country in the Schengen zone which you will be visiting.
• Your flight ticket to the final country in the Schengen Zone that you are traveling to.

Extra documents for a Portugal Visitor Visa

While applying for a Portugal visa to visit friends or family members, you will have to provide the following extra documents:

• You will need a proof of your financial status if you are going to fund your visit yourself, such as your bank statement of the last six months
• If someone else is going to support you, you will have to submit an obligation letter/ invitation from your guarantor which should not be older than 6 months, their salary statements of the last three months and proof of their tax payment.
• Copy of your guarantor’s ID and proof of their residence permit in Portugal.

Extra documents require for a business Schengen visa:

• An invitation letter from the company in Portugal with whom you will be engaging in business, along with the dates of your entry and exit from Portugal.
• If you are going on a business visit on behalf of your company, they you need to submit a certificate from your company to this effect.
• A bank statement of your business of the last 6 months has to be submitted.
• The memorandum and article of association of your company as officially registered. This should be an original certified copy.
• A copy of your trade license, both when it was originally issued and when it was renewed.
• You must submit proof of how your trip is being financed.

Extra Documents for a Student Visa to Portugal:

• You have to submit an enrollment certificate from the school, college or university where you have been admitted for the course.
• A no objection letter from your last (or current) educational institution.

Extra documents needed to be submitted for a medical visa to Portugal:

• A medical report stating that you need medical treatment in Portugal issued by a doctor, clinic or hospital in your home country.
• A medical attestation certificate from a hospital or a doctor in Portugal confirming your appointment for treatment.
• Proof that you have sufficient resources to meet any other related expenses for your medical treatment in Portugal.
• A receipt of the medical fees you have paid to the concerned clinic or hospital in Portugal.

Extra documents for a Portugal visa for cultural, film crew, sports or religious purposes

When you apply for a Portugal visa for attending a cultural, sports, or a religious event, you need to provide the following extra documents:

• An invitation letter from the appropriate organization in Portugal which outlines the type of events and activities being organized.
• Your entry ticket for the event taking place in Portugal
• The conditions of your enrollment in the event
• A detailed schedule of the events you are going to attend in Portugal
• Other documents of the names of the crew members and all relevant details of the event
• You will also need to submit a proof of your previous performance in similar activities at your national level or elsewhere on the international level.

Extra documents for joining your spouse who is a Portugal citizen:

• A Portugal marriage certificate
• The Portugal family record book

Eligibility criteria for applying for the Portugal visa:

• You must be a citizen of the country from where you are applying for the Portugal visa.
• You should be a foreign citizen who is currently on a temporary residence permit in the country from where you are applying.
• You are eligible to apply for a Portugal visa if it is the only country in the Schengen Zone that you are going to visit.
• You are eligible to apply for a Portugal visa if you are going to spend most of your trip duration in Portugal.
• If Portugal is the entry point of your visit to the Schengen Zone.

The process of applying for a Portugal visa

The procedure for applying for a Portugal visa for a short duration is as follows:

• You will first have to find out where you need to apply for a Portugal visa. It could be the Portugal embassy or consulate in your residence country. It could also be a visa application center which has been authorized by Portugal to process the visa applications. It could also be an embassy or consulate of any other Schengen country which Portugal has authorized to undertake the visa submission process.
• You will need to select the right type of visa that you need depending on the purpose of your visit to Portugal.
• Compile all the documents as outlined above to meet the specific criteria as required by the Portugal embassy/consulate in your country of residence.
• Make an appointment with the Portugal embassy or consulate to process your visa.
• Attend the visa interview in the Portugal embassy or consulate as per the appointment.

Time taken to process a Portugal visa

The entire process for processing a Portugal Schengen visa should take around 15 days under normal circumstances. However, the period may get extended depending on the number of applications being received by the Portugal embassy at the time you apply. If it is peak season, the process could go up to 30 days. And it could take up to 60 days in extraordinary circumstances, especially if your case is sensitive and when the Portugal embassy has to consult the embassy of one or more Schengen members countries.

How much does it cost to apply for a Portugal Visa?

Fees of a Portugal short-term visa

Validity of a Portugal Schengen visa

As per the Schengen Zone rules, you can get a short-stay visa for any country in the territory for a maximum of three months, with a validity period of 6 months. However, if you have a single-entry visa and leave without completing your quota of three months, you cannot come back. In the case of a double entry visa, you can use up your quota of three months in two visits, but if you have a multiple entry visa, you can enter and exit Portugal as many times as you wish within the validity period of your visa. However, once the validity of your Schengen visa has expired, you will not be allowed to stay in Portugal unless you get your visa extended, which is hard, but not impossible. In exceptional cases when you can convince the Portugal authorities that you really need to stay in Portugal, for medical reasons or whatever, you can get an extension.

How long can you stay in Portugal without a visa?

Citizens of a country which is not a part of the Schengen visa exempt countries, are not allowed to enter or stay in Portugal, or for that matter in any other Schengen country without a visa. However, nationals of a visa-exempt country, can remain in Portugal for a period of 90 days, but within a 180-day validity. The time that you spend in any other country in the Schengen zone is also counted in this validity period.

Can the Portugal visa be revoked?

This is a distinct possibility if the condition set while issuing the visa are violated at any time in anyway by the visa holder. A failure to provide the border officer with the relevant entry requirements does not cause automatic revocation of the Portugal visa, but further complications could lead to that.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here is a list of commonly asked questions while applying for visa.