Need for the visa to Portugal

A Portugal visa is required for all foreign nationals if one is looking to visit Portugal for tourism, study, family/friends meetings, business, or for medical purposes. Depending on a few nationality criteria there are some supporting rules according to the stay duration.

Know about the visa requirement perks enjoyed by EU citizens which are different from the Non-EU or EFTA nationals who are looking to visit Portugal.

EU/EFTA Nationals- Any EU or EFTA citizen requires no visa to enter Portugal for a stay of up to 90 days. One can stay 90 days and 180 days in Portugal for tourism, family visit, or work purpose. Also, Family members of EU or EFTA Nationals don’t require a visa to Portugal for 90 days of stay. Show the proper documents of your relationship proof e.g. Marriage certificate, birth certificate, and sponsorship letter.

For a longer stay period, you can request a registration certificate. Staying in Portugal for 5 years in case of EU/EFTA nationals can allow you to obtain permanent residency in the country.

Non-EU/EFTA Nationals- Applicants who come as Non-EU/EFTA Nationals need to apply for a Portugal visa to visit even for a stay of fewer than 90 days. Also, know that Portugal has diplomatic agreements with 61 countries. If your country comes under the list then you don’t need to apply for a short-stay Portugal visa.

Different types of Portugal visas as per stay-

As per the duration of stay, there are three different types of Portuguese visa, let’s know in brief about each of them-

Short stay visa- A short stay visa also known as a Schengen visa is applied for a stay of 90 days for a tourist, transit, or family visit in Portugal. You can choose the category among general short stay visa, seasonal work visa, and transit visa as per the purpose of your visit.

The fee for a Portugal Schengen visa is €80 for adults whereas children between 6 to 12 years pay half of it which is €40 and children below 6 years of age do not pay the visa fee.

Temporary stay National visa- For those looking to stay in Portugal for more than 90 days, can apply for a temporary stay visa which will allow staying in the country for up to 1 year. Through that year you can enter as many times in the country. You can choose the type of temporary stay visa from the categories like temporary work visa, study visa, professional training or internship visa, medical treatment visa, self-support visa, and a religious purpose visa.

The temporary stay visa fee is €75 and children’s under the age of 6 years don’t need to pay the visa fee.

Long stay National visas- This is also known as a residence permit visa. This visa is required if your stay is planned for more than a year. Even if the applicant’s country comes under the visa-free agreement also then needs to apply for a long-stay visa. Before applying for the long-stay national visa, you need to apply for a residency permit with the Portuguese immigration and border service.

Financial proof is required to make sure you have a good financial status and can support yourself throughout your stay. There are various types of long-stay national visas for Portugal. You can choose according to the purpose of visit among work visa, study visa, professional training or internship visa, family visit visa, Portugal golden visa, Portugal D7 visa, and D2 entrepreneur visa.

Applying for Long stay National visa will cost you € 90.

Long stay visa: Process and guide-

Know which Long stay visa is suitable for you and how to apply for it. The most popular long-stay visa for Portugal is the Golden visa, D7 visa, and D2 visa. Being a non-EU/EEA/SWISS National you can apply for these visas. All of this share almost the same benefit. Know about each of them-

Portugal Golden visa- You can apply for Portugal golden visa if you have enough sufficient funds to invest in the country. The Portugal Golden visa allows even non-EU citizens to get a long-term residence permit or even citizenship.

You don’t need to stay permanently in the country all requires is to stay for 7 days in the first year and then 14 days in the subsequent year. The family member of this visa holder also enjoys the same residence rights.

Steps to apply for a Portugal Golden visa-

First, you need to choose your investment option between the 5 investment types: real estate, investment fund, capital transfer, job creation, or donation.
Be prepared with all the required documents. Passport, clear criminal record, bank statements, and rest. Better to hire a lawyer to guide you in this stage.
Open a bank account in Portugal and get your NIF i.e. VAT identification number.
Make your investment payment.
After purchasing the investment and being ready with the certified documents, now it’s time to submit the pre-application.
Visit the appointment center with accurate documents and with the dependent.
Once the appointment is done it will take around 4 months to get your Golden visa to Portugal. It comes with a validity of 2 years so you can renew it annually.

Portugal D7 Visa- Another name for the Portugal D7 visa is a retirement or passive visa and is also suitable for remote workers or nomads. Applying for this visa requires no investment all you need is your reasonable passive source of income, e.g. income from real estate, retirement pension, salary, etc.

To apply for a Portugal D7 visa the minimum income should be at least €8460 annually. For a spouse, it is € 4230 annually and for a dependent child €2538 per annum is required to apply for a D7 visa.

At the time of applying you need to show that spend 16 months in the country during the first two years with a clean criminal record and a Portugal address proof either rental or purchase. The family member of the visa holder also enjoys the same residency rights.

Steps to apply for a Portugal D7 visa-

Open your bank account in the country.
Secure accommodation.
Submit your application.
Go to Portugal with a temporary visa.
Visit at SEF appointment with all your correct documents.
After the appointment, you will get your D7 visa and residents permit in Portugal.
Portugal D2 visa- D2 visa is less popular than D7 or Golden visa but it is good to go if you are an entrepreneur, freelancer, or independent service provider and looking to reside in Portugal being a non-EA/EEA/Swiss national. You can apply for a D2 visa if looking to shift or start your business in Portugal. It is also suitable for small and medium businesses that contribute to the Portuguese economy.

In terms of financial eligibility applying for a D2 visa only requires viable business proof. The family members of D2 visa holders also enjoy the same residential rights. One can apply for a permanent residency after 5 years and citizenship after 6 years.

Steps to apply for a Portugal D2 visa-

Open your business in Portugal.
Fill out the D2 application form on the Portuguese consulate website.
Prepare the required documents for the Business plan that is- Portuguese company certificate, Portuguese bank account showing capital transfer, personal tax number, social security number, contract of employment, past 3 months receipt of social contribution, and Proof of accommodation.
Once you get the D2 visa that remains valid for 120 days, now you have to book an appointment with SEF to apply for a resident permit. This might take 6 months.
Once your resident permit is approved you become a citizen of Portugal.

This blog holds the complete details required to apply for any type of Portugal visa whether for a long stay or short stay depending on the nationality. Now applying for a Portuguese visa bit easy you can apply online to book the appointment slots with the embassy. Apply online for an express Portugal visa and go ahead with the easy and hassle-free visa process.