Portugal Business Visa - Definitive Guide

Also known as the Portugal Schengen business visa, this endorsement allows you to enter Portugal and take part in business-related activities. Being a type of the Schengen short term permit, this is issued for a short stay duration of fewer than 90 days in a 180-day period. Depending on the number of times you would have to exit and enter the Schengen zone to do business, you can get this permit as single-entry, double-entry, or even multiple-entries. 

The application for the Portugal business visa from India is dependent on the jurisdiction. However, the Portuguese diplomatic mission in India has outsourced most of the application process to the VACs (Visa Application Centre).

Applications from people who have a state of residence as Goa, Maharashtra, UTs of Daman & Diu and  Dadra & Nagar Haveli must apply to the Consulate General of Portugal in Goa. All other states will have to make their application to the Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi. 

Before starting the application, you must ensure that you are eligible to apply for the business visa. You must then obtain all the necessary documents for the visa. After this, you may proceed to make the application as follows - 

At Consulate General of Portugal in Goa -

1. Visit the online visa application portal of the Portuguese Republic. 
2. In the application form, choose the consular post as the ‘consulate general of Portugal in Goa’.
3. Fill in the rest of the application form with all the relevant details. You must choose the purpose of the visit as ‘business’.
4. Choose your preferred consulate appointment time and date on the same application form. If you belong to Maharashtra, you can schedule the appointment at a VAC in Mumbai or Pune by visiting their website. Note that even this date must be the same as the one mentioned during your online application.
5. Visit the respective appointment centre with the print out of the completed application form, booking confirmation, and the documents. You will also have to provide your biometrics and pay the fees as well. 

At the Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi -

1. Visit the website of the embassy of Portugal and download the Schengen application form.
2. Fill in the form with all the relevant details. You must mention the purpose of the visit as ‘business’.
3. Proceed to book your appointment at one of the VACs located across India. You can do this by visiting their website.
4. Visit the appointment centre with the application form, appointment confirmation, and the documents. You must provide your biometrics as well as pay the fees. 

Note that if you have submitted your biometrics for a Schengen visa in the past 5 years, you do not have to submit them again. Also, keep in mind that you must not submit any fake documents or false information. Doing so can get you a Schengen visa rejection. 

To be able to travel to Portugal on a business permit, you must meet the following eligibility criteria - 

• You must be living in the country you are lodging the application. If you are residing in a residence permit in any foreign nation, you may apply it to the corresponding visa authority in that country.
• You must possess a valid passport meeting all the regulations.
• The sole purpose of your visit must be to take part in business-related activities.
• You must possess sufficient funds to cover all your expenses during the entire stay period in Portugal.
• You must apply for the permit only if Portugal -

• 1. Is your only destination, or
  2. Is one of your multiple Schengen destinations, in which case you will be spending the majority of the time here, or, 
  3. Is your port of entry into the Schengen region.

As per the requirements of the Portuguese embassy, the following are the list of documents you must submit for a successful application - 

• A valid passport- 

• 1. It must contain at least 2 blank pages.
  2. It should not be older than 10 years.
  3. It should be valid for at least 6 months from the date of travel.
  4. Old passports, if any, are to be attached.
• Invitation letter from the Portuguese organisation/company stating complete details of the visit.
• A covering letter from the sending Indian company - 
  1. This should include the visitor’s basic details and source of funds. 
  2. It should clearly state the purpose and duration of the visit.
  3. It must be on the company letterhead and must contain the seal. 
  4. It should be addressed to the Embassy of Portugal/Consulate General of Portugal.
• Proof of accommodation -  hotel bookings/invitation to stay/residence bookings, etc 
• Round flight trip bookings
• Medical travel insurance coverage up to at least 30000 Euros
• Proof of occupation - 

Proof of occupation such as employment letter, Copy of business license, etc.

• Financial documents -

Financial documents such as bank statements of the past 3 months, Passbook copy, ITR, etc.

• Dimensions: 35mm X 45mm
• Colour: Coloured
• Head must occupy the central position
• Must be captured within the last 3 months
• Background: Solid, plain white or grey
• 80% face coverage
• Neutral expression
• Glasses: Non-thick framed and prescription glasses
• Headgears - only for religious reasons
• Facial hair - permitted

The processing time for the business permit is dependent on the validity, the number of entries, the volume of applications at the embassy or consulate, as well as your previous travel history. Normally, you can expect a processing time of about 15 working days. However, this can even take up to 30 days in a few cases, and even up to 60 days in extreme cases. As a result, it is suggested that you apply well in advance.

The application fees for the Portuguese business permit is dependent upon the currency exchange rates, as well as the embassy decision. The embassy has the right to change the fees without prior notice. Apart from the application fee, there will be biometric charges, delivery charges, as well as any service charges levied by the VAC. As a result, you must check the exact amount before starting the application. 

Once you have submitted your application, it is then forwarded for processing. If you have submitted at a VAC, they will then send it to the respective diplomatic mission for processing. Note that the VAC has no control over the processing. They are simply handling the administrative part. 

Once the visa is approved, you can pick up the passport directly from the VAC/embassy/consulate, or you can have the VAC deliver it to you for an additional delivery charge. 

You can check the status of your Portugal business visa by visiting the online portal of the Portuguese embassy and logging in using the username and password if you have applied to the consulate in Goa. If you have applied at a VAC, or to the embassy in New Delhi, you can check it by entering your reference number and date of birth here.

On successful receipt of your visa, you must keep in mind the following factors to ensure a pleasant travelling experience.

• Check the expiry date, the duration of stay, as well as the number of entries mentioned on the visa sticker. You must strictly follow these.
• Ensure that you carry all your travel documents while travelling. You will be denied entry into Portugal without this. 
• Ensure that you travel to Portugal within 6 months of the visa issue date, or as mentioned in the Schengen sticker. After this date, your permit will become invalid and you will not be able to enter the country. 
• While you are travelling within the country, ensure that you always carry a copy of your travel documents on you. 
• While you are under the business category, you cannot take part in paid work for a Portuguese company or establishment. You may be allowed to do unpaid voluntary work.  
• You will not be able to extend this type of visa under any normal conditions
• You can move freely within the Schengen zone with the business visa.