Portugal Residence Permit
If you want to live in Portugal for study or work that will take longer than 90 days, you must apply for a Portuguese residence permit.
Do you need more details about the Portugal temporary residence permit requirements, eligibility, associated fees and how to apply for the permit? Contact us at +44 (0)333 305 9375 or message us online.
Portugal Residence Permit For Nepal Citizens
As a Nepali citizen, you must apply for a temporary residence permit Portugal for non-EU citizens. This permit allows you to live in Portugal for longer than 3 months. The residence permit usually lasts from 1 to 3 years.
There are different types of residence permits. However, the type you will apply for depends on how long you intend to stay in Portugal and your reason for going there.
In general, there are 2 categories of Portugal residence permits:
The first is the residency visa, and the second is the residence permit.
Page Contents
- Portugal Residence Permit For Nepal Citizens
- Residency Visa
- Types of Portugal Residence Permits
- Portugal Residence Permit Requirements
- The Cost of a Portuguese Residence Permit
- How to Apply for a Portuguese Residence Permit From Nepal
- Benefits Associated With the Portugal Residence Permit
- How Long is a Residence Permit for Portugal Valid For?
- Residence Permit to Portuguese Citizenship: What is The Process?
- How Can Total Law Help?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Residency Visa
For any Portuguese visa lasting more than 90 months, the Portuguese Embassy or Consulate will issue you a residency visa. This visa serves as your permit to enter Portugal. You can enter Portugal twice with the visa, valid for 120 days.
Within those 120 days, you are expected to schedule an interview with the SEF. In most cases, the Portuguese Consulate in Nepal will do this scheduling for you. You have to show up with your documents on the said date. If this does not happen, you must set up the interview online.
Upon a successful interview with the SEF, you are then issued a residence permit which covers you for at least 1 year. The residence permit is renewable, depending on how long you are staying. It is also the visa that permits family reunification.
Another benefit of the residence permit in Portugal is that the holders are eligible for permanent residence if they spend up to 5 years in Portugal. It is also a route towards Portuguese citizenship.
Types of Portugal Residence Permits
There are many residence permits based on why you are going to Portugal. See the types below:
Residence Permit for Work
As a Nepali citizen, you can migrate to Portugal if you have an employment contract. You can scout for job opportunities open to non-EU nationals and apply for them.
If you get the job, you can apply for a work permit. The residence permit for work is slightly different from other permits. This is because your employer has to request on your behalf to the labour heads in Portugal. If your employer is approved to employ you, you can apply for your permit.
If your application succeeds, you will be issued a residency visa, which can get you into Portugal. Upon arrival, you must apply for a work residence permit within 120 days.
The work residence permit’s validity is 1 year, but it will be eligible for renewal depending on how long your employment will last.
A benefit of the work permit is that you can bring your family to stay in Portugal while you work. They are permitted to study or work as long as your permit is valid.
One of the downsides of the work permit is that it ties you to a particular location and work. You cannot move to another location other than the one specified in your application by your employer. If there is a reason for you to move, then you have to notify the SEF and labour authorities.
Again, if you find another job, you must reapply for a work permit to be authorised to work for a new employer and live in a new location.
The residence permit for work is also of many types, each one depending on the kind of job you are being employed for. There are the following:
- Skilled worker residence permit for professionals.
- Highly skilled worker residence permit for professionals employed to carry out highly specialised work in Portugal.
- Teaching residence permit for lecturing and research purposes.
- Tech residence permit for IT professionals.
- Cultural activities residence permit for those coming to Portugal for creative and artistic purposes.
- D7 residence permit for retired pensioners
If you intend to apply for a work residence permit, you must meet certain requirements. You must have:
- A valid job contract from a Portuguese-based employer.
- A document showing the labour authorities approved your employment.
- A recent Nepali passport.
- A criminal history certificate from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Nepal Police.
- A completed consent form that gives the SEF the go-ahead to do a background check on your criminal history.
- A document that shows you have health insurance with a value of up to €30,000.
- A document that proves you have a place to stay in Portugal. This could be a rental contract, proof you bought a house or a letter of invitation from someone living in Portugal.
- A bank statement that shows you have enough money to survive in Portugal.
- A document that proves you are a legal resident in the country you are applying from, if it is not Nepal.
Residence Permit for Students
If you get admission to study a course that will last longer than 90 days in Portugal, you must apply for a student visa. Just like the work visa, what you get upon applying for the student visa is a residency visa that allows entry into Portugal.
When you get to Portugal, you can apply for a residence permit within 120 days. This permit allows you to study in Portugal for 1 year. You must renew the student residence permit yearly until you finish your study.
A downside to this visa is that you can only bring your spouse and children to Portugal. This is unlike other permits allowing you to bring other family members.
Again, the student residence permit is not a route to permanent residence or citizenship. You will have to switch to another kind of permit to be eligible for citizenship or permanent residency after 5 years of stay.
Before applying for the student residence permit for Portugal, ensure you meet all of these eligibility criteria:
- You must complete a student visa application form. You can get this from the Foreign Affairs website of the Portuguese government.
- You must have a valid Nepali passport.
- You must have two recent digital passport photographs.
- You must present a criminal record certificate from the CID of Nepal Police.
- You must have a health insurance policy with a minimum value of €30,000.
- You must have a place to stay. Your accommodation could be the school’s hostel, a rented apartment or an invitation letter from a friend or family who stays in Portugal.
- You must show that you have paid all or part of your tuition fee as stipulated by the school. This requirement will be waived if you have a scholarship, sponsorship letter or any other kind of study grant or funding.
- You must show that you have paid the visa application fees.
Residence Permit for Family Reunification Purposes
If you have a family member who lives in Portugal, you can also apply for a residence permit. Alternatively, if you are in Portugal with a valid residence permit, you can apply for a residence permit on behalf of your family members in Nepal.
For this visa, the primary eligibility requirement that the Portuguese Consulate looks at is the relationship between the person in Portugal and the family member in Nepal.
Not all family members can move to Portugal with the family reunification residence permit. Here are the eligible family members:
- Spouse or de facto partner.
- Under-18 children.
- Adopted children and legal wards below 18.
- Dependent biological children above 18 but have been admitted to study in Portugal.
- Siblings who are under 18 and are legal wards.
- Dependent parents and parents-in-law above the age of 65.
For the family reunification residence permit, you have to show:
- Proof of adequate accommodation in Portugal.
- Completed visa application form.
- Proof the principal applicant in Portugal has enough funds to care for the family members coming over.
- Passport of all the family members who are coming via this route.
- Recent passport photographs of all the family members coming via this route.
- Marriage, adoption or birth certificates that prove there is a genuine relationship between the person in Portugal and the person in Nepal.
Residence Permit for Investment Purposes
You can get a residence permit in Portugal if you have invested in Portugal. This type of residence permit is popularly known as the Golden visa. It was established in 2012 and has drawn many people to Portugal.
You must invest between €200,000 and €500,000 in Portugal to get this residence permit. Your investment must be in an eligible pathway. You must follow one of the following pathways for your residence permit to be approved. The pathways are:
- Investing €400,000 in an existing business and creating a minimum of 8 permanent jobs.
- Investing €500,000 to start a new company and creating a minimum of 10 permanent jobs.
- Investing €200,000 to €400,000 to maintain or restore a cultural heritage or art.
- Investing €400,000 in a tech or scientific research or project that will be carried out in Portugal.
The benefits of this residence permit are many:
- You can bring your family members to Portugal to live or work in Portugal.
- You and your family are free to visit the Schengen area without a visa.
- You can get citizenship or permanent residence after maintaining your investment for 5 years.
- You are not required to pay tax on any income you earn outside Portugal.
- You are required to spend only a mandatory 7 days per year.
The major downsides to this visa are that the Portugal TRC process time is long and the residence permit cost is expensive.
For you to be eligible for this visa, you must have:
- A valid Nepali passport.
- A criminal record certificate issued no later than 3 months.
- A certificate of medical insurance policy worth a minimum of €30000.
- A printed and completed ARI form.
- A proof that you have invested in Portugal.
- A marriage and birth certificate if you are coming with your family.
- A digital passport.
- A receipt that shows you have paid the relevant visa fees.
Special Portuguese Residence Permit
Sometimes, an applicant can get a Portuguese residence permit due to their condition. The Portuguese authorities approve these permits as they deem fit. Here are some of the instances when the Portuguese Consulate can issue a residence permit:
- The applicant has a severe medical condition that needs special treatment from the health services in Portugal.
- The applicant represented the Portuguese Armed Forces in battle.
- The applicant was born abroad to foreign nationals holding a residence permit.
- The applicant spent the first 10 years of their life in Portugal.
- The applicant has been in Portugal since clocking 10 and was born to foreign nationals with valid residence permits.
Portugal Residence Permit Requirements
Generally, if you are applying for the residence permit, then you must show the following documents that prove you meet the eligibility criteria:
- Recent passport photographs.
- Valid Nepali passport.
- Proof you have a place to stay in Portugal. This could be a rented space, a purchased house or an invitation letter.
- Evidence you have enough money to take care of yourself and your family members if applicable.
- Visa application form.
- EU-standard health insurance policy valued at a minimum of €30000.
- Criminal history certificate from the Police.
- Birth, marriage or adoption certificates if coming with family.
- Employment or admission letter if applicable.
- Payment of visa fees.
- Proof of investment in Portugal.
The Cost of a Portuguese Residence Permit
For the Portugal residence permit, you have to pay the following fees:
- €90 is the fee you have to pay for the residency visa. This is also the application fee.
- €72 is the fee you have to pay to get the residence permit.
- €83 is the processing fee.
Note that these fees are payable again whenever you are renewing your visa. It is also vital to note that you may have to pay other fees like administrative charges, and costs to get certain documents like the criminal record and health insurance certificate.
Again, be aware that the fees you pay are for processing your residence permit and there will be no refunded even if your application is denied.
How to Apply for a Portuguese Residence Permit From Nepal
Here is how to get residency in Portugal for non-EU citizens:
Submit an Application for the Residency Visa
The application for the residence permit for Portugal is two-fold. First, you must apply for the relevant visa and submit all the required documents. This application is made to the Portuguese Embassy at No 4, Panchsheel Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, India.
Note that the Consulate in Kathmandu is an honorary consulate and does not have the authority to process Portuguese residence permit applications. So, you must visit the Embassy in India to make your application.
The processing time for residency visas is usually 60 days. But this is subject to the workload of the Embassy.
Note that you cannot make an application online. You can print out and complete the application form, fill it out by hand, attach your documents and then schedule an interview. You must attend a physical interview with the Embassy before your application will be processed.
If you are applying for family reunification, your family member in Portugal first starts the application. After they get approval from SEF, you can then proceed with your application.
The same applies to work residence permits. You have to wait for the SEF to approve your employer’s application to the Labour Department before you start your application.
If you succeed with your application, the Embassy will issue you a residency visa valid for 120 days. This visa grants you double entry into Portugal.
Enter Portugal
If you get your residence visa, you can enter Portugal and stay for 120 days. Within these days, schedule a meeting with the SEF. This meeting is another interview to determine whether you will get the residence permit.
Settle in Portugal
If the SEF approves your application, you get a permit that will last for 1 year and is renewable. You must also open a Portuguese account and get an NIF tax identification number.
Some residence permits, like the Golden visa, require you to get this before the initial application from your home country.
Benefits Associated With the Portugal Residence Permit
The Portugal residence permit has many advantages. Here they are below:
- With the residence permit, you and your family can enter the Schengen area visa-free and stay for 90 days straight out of 180 days.
- With the residence permit, you can access good healthcare if you have a valid health insurance policy.
- With the residence permit (apart from the study visa), you are eligible for permanent residency or citizenship after 5 years in Portugal.
- With the residence permit, your family can join you and live, study and work in Portugal.
- With a residence permit, you can get unemployment benefits if you lose your job.
- With the permit, you can get a job in Portugal, especially after you are done with school. You can also switch jobs if your current job no longer serves you.
- With a residence permit, you can access affordable education in Portugal.
How Long is a Residence Permit for Portugal Valid For?
The validity of the residence permit for Portugal is 1 year. After that, you can renew. The validity of the renewed permit is dependent on the kind of permit you are on.
Residence Permit to Portuguese Citizenship: What is The Process?
One of the advantages of a Portuguese residence permit is that it leads to permanent settlement or citizenship after 5 years.
To apply for the Portuguese citizenship, you must follow the following steps:
Apply Online
Employ the services of an expert immigration lawyer or solicitor to apply online for Portuguese citizenship. You cannot apply online without the aid of a lawyer. At Total Law, we have competent lawyers who have applied for Portuguese citizenship on behalf of others. Do not hesitate to contact them to help with yours. Call us at +44 (0)333 305 9375 or message us online.
By Post
You can also make your citizenship application by post. So, gather your documents, download, complete and sign the application form and then send them by post to Conservatória dos Registos Centrais, Rua Rodrigo da Fonseca, 202, 1099-033 Lisbon.
In Person
The last option is to make your application in person. All you have to do is pay the visa fees, gather your documents, download, complete and sign the application form and then submit your documents at any of the application centres below:
- The Nationality desk.
- The Registry spaces in Lisbon.
- The Civic Registry locations in Portugal.
- The Institute of Registration and Notary Affairs (IRN) is in the National Support Centre for the Integration of Migrants (CNAIM). You can find their offices in Lisbon and Porto.
- The Portuguese Consulate or Embassy near you.
- The Citizens’ shop is located at Odivelas.
How Can Total Law Help?
Our team of experienced immigration lawyers are well-versed in Portuguese immigration laws. You can contact us if you need us to help you make your residence permit application.
Our services include reviewing your circumstances to assess your eligibility, helping you gather your documents, estimating how much the residence permit will cost and helping you make the application.
You can trust our expertise to increase the chances of you getting a denial. In this way, we help you save time and resources that go into visa applications.
So, whether you want to make a residence permit application or are interested in another type of Portuguese visa, Total Law can help.
If you need more information on the services we offer, call us at +44 (0)333 305 9375 or message us online.
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Related pages for your continued reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
The cheapest way to get residency in Portugal is via the work residence permit route. Unlike the study or golden visa route, which requires you to pay tuition or invest, the work route has no other fee besides the visa fees. All you need is a valid job offer from a Portuguese employer.
With the Portugal residence permit, you travel to the Schengen member states visa-free. You can spend up to 90 days in these countries without applying for a visa.
It takes you 5 years to get a residency card in Portugal. After that, you can also apply to get Portuguese citizenship.