Portugal Visitor Visa - Definitive Guide

More commonly known as the Portugal Schengen visitor visa, this permit allows you to enter Portugal if you are being invited by a family or friend living in the country. 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, you can get it as single-entry, double-entry, or even multiple-entries. 

The exact mode of application for the visitor category 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 for people who have a state of residence (residing state for the last 6 months) as Goa, Maharashtra, UTs of Daman & Diu and  Dadra & Nagar Haveli must apply to the Consulate General of Portugal in Goa. All other states and UTs 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 as a visitor. 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 ‘visiting family/friends’.
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 this date should 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 ‘visiting family/friends’.
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 will also have to provide your biometrics and pay the fees at the centre. 

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 only submit genuine documents and true information. Submitting fake documents or false information can lead to a Schengen visa rejection. 

To be able to apply for the Portuguese visitor permit, you must meet the following key conditions -

• You should 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 your relatives or friends living in the country.
• You must be invited by them to visit you.
• You must have 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.

Based on the requirements by the Portuguese Republic, the following are the list of documents you must produce for your Portugal visitor visa.

• 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.

1. Invitation letter from your relative/friend living in Portugal as well as proof of sponsorship
2. Residential proof of sponsor in Portugal, if applicable - rent copy, salary payslips, etc.
3. A covering letter - 

• 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 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 visitor 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, it takes around 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 must apply well in advance.

The application fees for the Portuguese visitor permit is dependent upon the currency exchange rates, as well as the embassy. 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 the 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 even if your application was made at the VAC, they have no control over the processing. The VAC is only in charge of the administrative side of the applications. 

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 application by visiting the online portal of the Portuguese embassy and logging in using the username/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. 

Once you have successfully received the visa, you must keep in mind the following points to ensure that you face no difficulties during your trip to Portugal. 

• Check the expiry date, the duration of stay, as well as the number of entries mentioned on the visa sticker. Your travel and stay must be by following these.
• Ensure that you carry all your travel documents while travelling to the country. 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 visa 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, you must ensure that you always have a copy of your travel documents on you. 
• While you are on a friends/family visit, you cannot take part in paid work. You may be allowed to do unpaid volunteer or charity work.  
• You will not be able to extend this permit under any normal conditions
• You can move freely within the Schengen zone with the visitor visa.