Portugal Tourist Visa From UK

British citizens travelling to Portugal from the UK do not require a visa provided they meet all of the following conditions:

• They are travelling to Portugal for purposes/activities allowed under a Schengen visa
• They will not be staying in Portugal for more than 90 days in a 180-day period
• They have a full ‘British citizen’ passport

A Schengen visa will be required if you have any other type of British nationality, i.e., you are a British overseas citizen, a British subject, a British national (overseas), or a British protected person.

If you are an EEA (the EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) or Swiss national, you will not need to apply for a Portugal visa. However, if you are a third-country national travelling to Portugal from the UK, whether or not you have to apply for a visit visa will depend on your nationality.

Visa-required foreigners (e.g., Indians or Chinese) will need to apply for a Schengen Visa for Portugal from the UK, which will allow them to enter the country and remain there for up to 90 days in a six-month period. Visa-exempt country nationals can travel to Portugal without a Schengen Visa for short stay purposes.

Do keep in mind that even if you are allowed to travel to Portugal without a visa, Portuguese immigration officers at the border controls may ask you to show certain documents before you are allowed to physically enter the country.

Page Contents

• Do I Need a Visa to Visit Portugal From the UK?
• Entry Requirements to Portugal From the UK
• Travel Requirements for a Portugal Tourist Visa from UK
• Application Process for a Portugal Tourist Visa From the UK
• Required Documents for Portugal Tourist Visa
• Application Fee for Portugal Tourist Visa
• How Long Does it Take to Get a Portugal Tourist Visa from the UK?
• Agreements on Mobility
• How Can Total Law Help?
• Frequently Asked Questions

In addition to the entry requirements, you must also fulfil certain travel requirements if you are visiting Portugal from the UK. For example, if a child (i.e., aged under 18 years) is travelling alone to Portugal, or with someone who is not their parent or legal guardian, they must:

• Be received by their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) at their point of entry to Portugal
• Carry with them a travel authorisation letter signed and dated by their parent(s) or legal guardian(s). Such signature(s) must also be certified by a solicitor or notary public

The travel authorisation letter should include the child traveller’s arrival and departure dates, full address of where they will be staying in Portugal, the name of their responsible adult(s) in Portugal, details of their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) (i.e., full names, dates of birth, passport numbers, and contact information). Without a properly certified letter of authorisation, minor travellers may be refused entry to Portugal.

In addition, you must ensure that:

• You have taken the required vaccines mandatory for travellers visiting Portugal, e.g., the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and diphtheria-tetanus-polio vaccine
• You are aware of what goods you are allowed to carry with you to Portugal, as there are strict rules around the same. Declare anything that may be prohibited, or subject to tax or duty, in Portugal beforehand to avoid any custom rule breach

If you are a visa-required country national, start your Portugal visa application process from the UK with filling up the application form. You must be a legal resident in the UK to apply for a Portugal Schengen visa. You cannot apply for a short stay Portuguese visa if you are currently travelling in the UK itself on a short-term visa.

The next step would be to schedule a visa appointment. VFS Global is the official third-party consular services provider on behalf of the Embassy of Portugal in the UK, and they run visa application centres (VACs) in London, Manchester, and Edinburgh. Book your appointment at the centre nearest to your UK residence.

On the date of your visa appointment, attend the concerned VAC along with your documents and pay the Portugal tourist visa application fee. You may have to attend a visa interview as well. Note that if you are also travelling to other Schengen countries, you will be eligible to apply for a Schengen Visa to Portugal only if:

• You will not be visiting any other Schengen country
• Although you will be visiting other Schengen countries, you are going to spend more days in Portugal than the other Schengen countries
• You are going to enter the Schengen Area through Portugal, although you will be staying for the same number of days in the other Schengen countries you are visiting

We have provided here a list of required supporting documents for a Portugal tourist visa, but do keep in mind that the below list is not exhaustive by any means. The Portuguese consular authorities may ask you for additional documents based on your circumstances.

You may need to submit the following documents along with your Schengen visa application:

• Completed and signed application form
• Passport or additional travel documents, valid for the duration of the travel
• Passport photos
• Photocopy of the biometric page of passport
• Copy of all previous visas, including rejected visas (if any)
• Valid travel insurance, to cover necessary medical expenses and any emergencies
• Proof of your residency status in the UK
• Complete travel itinerary
• Proof of intended means of transport including onward/return journey ticket
• Visa fee payment receipt
• Proof of accommodation:
  • Reservations in hotels, guest houses, rental holiday homes etc.
  • If you will stay with family or friends in Portugal, proof of sponsorship and/or proof of accommodation from the host(s)
  • If you are travelling to several EU Member States, proof of accommodation in each of them
• Proof of financial means:
• • Bank statement(s) for the last three months, duly stamped and signed by the bank
  • Income tax returns
  • Pay slips for the last three months, employment contract, and employers’ statement on approval for holidays, if you are employed
  • Registration certificate of the company or similar proofs such as business licence, if you are a company owner or self-employed
  • Proof of sponsorship and/or private accommodation, if you are being sponsored
  • Pension statements for the last three months and/or proof of regular income generated by ownership of property or business, if you are retired
• Copy of identification document(s) (with signature and photo) of the parent(s)/legal guardian(s) if you are a minor
• If you are a minor and travelling with only one parent, certified written consent from your other parent or guardian (except if only one of your parents has your sole custody or guardianship, in which case a court order or other proof of sole custody or guardianship must be provided)
• If you are a minor travelling without both parents or any legal guardian(s), certified written consent from both parents or guardian(s) having your custody or guardianship
• If you are a student, certificate from your current educational institution
• Certificate from the concerned travel agency confirming the booking of an organised trip or any other documents confirming your travel itinerary

All the above supporting documents must either be in English or in Portuguese. If not, you will have to get them translated by a certified translator and then notarised.

You may need to pay a visa fee of €80 if you require a Schengen visa to visit Portugal. Children over six and under 12 years of age will have to pay a fee of €40. You may have to bear additional costs if your supporting documents are not in Portuguese or English, since you will have to arrange for their certified translated copies.

No visa fee is required for children under six years of age, or if you are travelling with or visiting a close family member in Portugal who is an EEA national, or you are on an educational trip (covers both teachers and students) to Portugal.

It takes around 15 days to process a Schengen visa application for Portugal. However, it may take up to 45 days depending on the complexity of a case.

To avoid any unnecessary delay in processing, ensure that you have filled up the visa application form completely and correctly as well as submitted all relevant supporting documents.

In July 2021, the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) signed a mobility agreement in Luanda, which was to serve as a framework agreement to facilitate mobility between Portuguese-speaking countries. The aim was to establish minimum standards to facilitate three types of movement across the CPLP countries: short stay, temporary stay, and residency.

If you are a citizen of any of the CPLP countries (i.e., Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Timor-Leste), you have easier access to Portugal under the said mobility agreement. As long as you obtain a short stay visa or can enter Portugal legally, you may be eligible to apply for a temporary residence permit in the country.