Portugal Visa from UK

If you are a UK citizen visiting Portugal for a stay of up to 90 days, you will not require a visa in order to do so. If you are a UK resident who does not have UK citizenship, however, whether or not you require a visa in order to visit Portugal will depend on your particular nationality. If you are a citizen of an EU member state, for example, you can live and work in Portugal indefinitely without requiring a visa, owing to the freedom of movement agreement within the EU.

If you are not an EU citizen and are looking to visit Portugal for more than 90 days, it is likely that you will require a visa in order to do so. The specific route will depend on the reason for and duration of your stay.

Portugal offers a range of Visitor, Study, Work and Family visas. These broadly fall into 3 categories: the Schengen visa, intended for short stays of up to 90 days; the Temporary Stay visas, intended for stays of 90 days to one year; and the Long-Stay Residency visas, valid for 4 months, during which time the holder should apply for a Residency permit.

The main details of these different routes are provided later in the article.

Page Contents

• Do I Need a Visa for Portugal from the UK?
• Types of Portugal visas from the UK
• Entry Requirements
• Portugal Visa Requirements from UK
• How to Apply for a Portugal Visa from the UK?
• Portugal Visa Application Form
• Portugal Visa Appointment in UK
• Portugal Visa Fees from UK
• Portugal Visa Processing Time from UK
• Portugal Visa Validity and Renewal
• How Do I Know If a Portugal Visa Is Approved or Not?
• Route to Portuguese Citizenship
• What Are the Common Portugal Visa Application Mistakes to Avoid?
• Is My Portugal Visa Valid to Travel to Other Countries as Well?
• How Can Our Portugal Visa Lawyer Help?
• Frequently Asked Questions

Portugal’s visa entry requirements vary significantly depending on the particular route in question. In general, however, you will need to satisfy the following criteria:

• Provide a completed application form
• Provide proof of your identity
• Obtain medical insurance
• Provide proof of an offer of employment or study, if applicable
• Provide proof of accommodation, if applicable
• Provide proof of your ability to support yourself for the duration of your stay

In general, you will not need to satisfy any Portuguese language requirements in order to obtain a Portuguese visa. However, you will need to demonstrate sufficient Portuguese proficiency in order to apply for Portuguese citizenship.

If you enter Portugal on a Residence visa, this is only valid for 4 months. During this time, you will need to apply for a Residence permit.

If you are a UK citizen, you will not require a visa in order to visit Portugal for stays of up to 90 days. If you are planning on staying for longer than that, however, then you will generally require a visa.

You will be expected to provide evidence of your reason for travel and, if applicable, evidence of an offer of employment or study. If you are entering in order to visit family or receive medical treatment, you will need to provide the details of this. You will also, generally, be expected to provide evidence of your ability to financially support yourself for the duration of your stay.

If you are a British citizen but have dual citizenship with an EU member state, you will not require a visa in order to visit Portugal for any period of time.

When applying for a Portugal visa from the UK, there are a number of steps which you will need to complete. These are as follows:

Step 1: Identify the right visa route for your circumstances and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility criteria. Once you have done so, you will need to gather the required documentation in support of your application.

Step 2: Complete the relevant application form for your visa. These can be found online.

Step 3: Contact your local Portuguese embassy or consulate. In the case of the UK, these can be found in London, Belfast, Edinburgh, Hamilton, and St. Helier (Jersey).

Step 4: Wait for your application to be processed. If your application is successful, you will be granted a visa which you can then use to enter Portugal.

If your application is unsuccessful, you can submit an appeal against the decision.

When applying for a Portuguese visa, you will need to complete the appropriate application form. If you are applying from within the UK, this can be found online, via the VFS Global website. You will be asked to choose from the following categories:

• Short Stay Schengen visa (stays of up to 90 days)
  • Tourist
  • Visitor Family/Friends
  • Business
  • EEA/EU and Swiss National Family Member
  • Minors
• National (Stays of over 90 days, i.e. Temporary Stay and Residence visas)

Once you have downloaded the correct application form, this will need to be submitted as part of your application.

When applying for a Portuguese visa from within the UK, you will need to make an appointment with your local Portuguese consulate or embassy. You will need to bring your supporting documents to this appointment.

In the UK, Portugal’s embassies and consulates can be found in London, Belfast, Edinburgh, Hamilton, and St. Helier (Jersey).

If you are applying from outside of the UK, you should check which Portuguese consulate or embassy is closest to you.

When applying for a Portuguese visa, you will need to pay an application fee. The exact fee varies depending on the particular visa route in question.

Some of the most common fees are shown in the table below:

Some applicants also choose to pay for legal assistance to help ensure that the process runs as smoothly as possible. Contact Total Law today on +44 (0) 333 305 9375 to learn more about how we can help and our full range of services.

Visa applications processed by a UK consulate or embassy generally have a minimum waiting time of 2 weeks, but note that this could be longer if a high number of other applications are also being processed. As such, it is important to apply for your visa in good time of your intended travel date and to ensure that your application is submitted correctly in order to avoid delays.

In the event that you are asked to provide additional information in support of your application, make sure to do so as quickly as possible.

Visa validity varies depending on the type of visa for which you apply.

In the case of a Short Stay Schengen visa, this is valid for up to 90 days and cannot generally be extended.

In the case of a Temporary Stay visa, this is valid for up to 1 year and can sometimes be extended for an additional year, provided you continue to satisfy the eligibility criteria, after which you may be able to apply instead for a Residence permit.

In the case of stays of over a year, you will first be granted a Residence visa with a validity period of 4 months, in which time you will need to apply for a Residence permit. These permits can then be renewed via the Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo (AIMA). Permits are generally granted for a validity period of 1 year, after which point they can be renewed. After living in Portugal for at least 5 years, you can then generally apply for permanent settlement status.

Once a decision on your application has been made, you will be informed by email. You can also track the status of your application online, using your personal reference number.

Once a decision has been made, you will then be able to collect your passport. In the event of a successful application, your visa will be added to your passport and can now be used to enter Portugal. If your application is unsuccessful, your passport will be returned to you without a visa.

Once you have legally resided in Portugal for at least 5 years, you may be eligible for Portuguese citizenship via naturalisation. In order to be eligible for this route, you will need to satisfy the following criteria:

• Be at least 18 years old (or emancipated)
• Have been living legally in Portugal for at least 5 years
• Have sufficient proficiency in the Portuguese language
• Not have been convicted and sentenced to a prison sentence of 3 years or more (the crime in question must also be punishable in Portugal)
• Not have any history of involvement in terrorist activities

If you successfully obtain Portuguese citizenship, you will be able to settle in Portugal permanently. You will also be able to apply for a Portuguese passport, visit and settle in any other EU country without requiring a visa, and participate in Portuguese elections.

There are many reasons why your application for a Portugal visa may be unsuccessful, such as:

• Failure to provide adequate proof of your ability to financial support yourself during your stay
• Failure to provide sufficient evidence of an offer of employment or study in Portugal, if applicable
• Failure to provide any additional information which is requested

If you are asked to provide additional information in support of your application then you should make sure to do so as quickly as possible in order to avoid application problems.

Whether or not your Portugal visa can be used to travel to other countries will depend on the specific visa in question. If you enter Portugal with a Schengen visa then this can be used to visit other Schengen countries, such as France, Spain, and Italy.

Note that, where possible, you should apply for your Schengen visa via the country which will be your main destination during your travels. If you will spend most of your trip in Portugal, for instance, you should apply via Portugal, whereas if you will spend most of your trip in Spain then you should instead apply via Spain.

If you have a Portuguese Long Stay visa, you can also use this to visit other countries within the Schengen area.