Portugal is one of the oldest European nations. It is probably every traveller’s dream to visit the country at least once and experience its interesting architecture and unique cuisines. However, you can only visit here if you have a visa for Portugal. Among other requirements, you must get travel insurance, which is mandatory while travelling to an international destination from India.

So, if you want to know more about Portugal visas, continue reading this blog. You can also note the visa-related details, which will later come in handy.

1. Short Stay Visa or Schengen Visa

A short stay visa is only applicable for stays that are of 90 days maximum. This can be categorised under the following.

• General Short Stay Visa: This is a 90-day valid visa for general occasions like tourism, family visits, short-term work or business.
• Seasonal Work Visa: This work visa is specifically for seasonal work. It includes sectors like agriculture, fishing, forestry, food and liquor, hospitality, retail, land transport and construction.
• Airport Transit Visa: As the name suggests, this is applicable for transit within an international airport without entering the Schengen area. This is mandatory for those who have to change flights in a Schengen country.

2. Temporary Stay Portuguese Visas

A temporary stay visa for Portugal is the national visa of the country. This allows you to stay here for a year. In addition, it allows you to re-enter Portugal if you leave for a short duration.

• Temporary Work Visa: This is applicable for 90 days or one year of employment in Portugal. Visa-holders can use this for seasonal work, self-employment, and freelancing, academic and even amateur sports.
• Study Visa: You can apply for this visa if your course lasts 90 days to one year. This can include secondary, graduate, or postgraduate education.
• Professional Training, Internship or Volunteering Visa: Applying for any professional training or doing an unpaid internship in Portugal demands for this particular visa. Likewise, if you are doing any volunteering job for a charity or NGO, you need this particular visa to confirm your stay.
• Medical Treatment Visa: Visa for medical treatment is applicable for a patient and those who will accompany them. So, if you are obtaining healthcare facilities within Portuguese health service, you need this visa.
• Self-Support Visa: Working individuals and retired persons travelling to Portugal need a self-support visa to prove they can survive on their own for a one-year stay.
• Religious Purposes Visa: People who are moving to Portugal to study religion or participate in religious training under a recognised organisation. They will need to have a religious purposes visa.

3. Long Stay Portuguese Visas

The long-stay Portuguese visas are also known as residency visas. Similar to the temporary visa for Portugal, these are also considered as national visas. This is applicable if your stay is going to be longer than a year.

• Professional Training, Internship or Volunteering Visa: This visa is compulsory for someone taking any vocational training, enrolling in unpaid internships or volunteering for any organisation for more than a year.
• Work Visa: A work visa is only needed if someone has received a long-term employment opportunity in Portugal. This must guarantee job continuation for more than a year. However, if someone has got a permanent placement in the country, they would also need the same.
• Study Visa: This particular visa is granted when the study period lasts longer than a year. Therefore, this states any educational level after secondary school requires a study visa in Portugal.
• Family Reunion Visa: Someone who is a non-EU member visiting their families in Portugal who are also non-EU or EFTA. This visa is only applicable to the following relatives:
  • Spouses and legally recognised partners
  • Dependent children this is including adopted children and children of the spouse/partner
  • Dependent parents of both the spouses
  • Any dependent sibling who is also a minor

• Retirement Visa: People who have retired and are now moving to Portugal to spend time without working or using the country’s welfare services require a retirement visa.This also applies to those who are dedicating themselves to religious placements.

Here are some of the essential eligibility criteria that one must adhere to while applying for a Portuguese visa.

• A visitor must have a valid purpose for travelling to Portugal.
• They must own a valid passport with at least two blank pages.
• The passport must remain valid for three months after the visitor has left the country.
• Applicants should have sufficient financial resources to support their tour throughout their term of stay.
• Travel insurance is also one of the critical aspects which everyone must plan to get along with preparing for the trip to Portugal.

Indian citizens who are planning to visit Portugal need to arrange these documents while applying for a visa for Portugal.

• A valid passport which is not older than ten years.
• Two passport-sized coloured photographs of the applicant.
• Photocopies of your previous visas.
• Completely filled Portugal Visa application form.
• Travel health insurance details for each traveller.
• Payment receipt of the Portugal tourist visa charges.
• Return ticket reservation details.
• Your flight tickets or travel itinerary.
• Cover letter for Portugal tourist visa.
• Proof of your travel funds.
• Any evidence for accommodation in Portugal, like hotel bookings or an invitation letter from a relative or friends.
• Documents supporting your employment status.
• Proof of no criminal records on your end.

Moreover, with these general documents, specific visas need other additional documents too. The list below highlights the visas and some specific requirements.

General Short Stay Visa

• Proof for the purpose of your visit, like a business conference or family living in Portugal.
• Financial records to prove you can support yourself throughout your stay.

Seasonal Work Visa

• Reservation of your return ticket.
• Offer letter for seasonal work by a recognised Portuguese employer.
• Agreement with national or legal requirements.

Airport Transit Visa

• Entry visa for the destination country only if applicable in your case.
• Proof of your basic necessity to support your stay in the destination country.

Work Visa

These requirements remain the same for long-term work visas as well.

• Contract letter or service agreement for temporary work.
• A letter from the academic institution describing the work purpose is only applied if you travel for scientific or scholarly research work.
• Documents from the sports federation if you visit for sports purposes.

Study Visa (Temporary)

• Confirmation or acceptance letter from an acclaimed Portuguese educational institution.
• Course details to prove it does not last longer than a year.

Professional Training, Internship or Volunteering Visa (Temporary)

• Details of the training, internship or volunteering to show that you have been involved in these activities for 3-12 months.
• Letter of the training course.

Medical Treatment Visa

• Medical reports and data of the person undergoing the treatment.
• Treatment explanation that is needed to be taken care of by the healthcare services in Portugal.
• Patient and the attendant’s relationship proof.

Self-Support Visa

• Bank statements or any proof of savings.
• A detailed justification of the purpose of living in Portugal for a temporary period.

Religious Purposes Visa

• Letter from the religious organisation.
• Proof of the activity you are involved in with the religious institution.

Study Visa (Long-Term)

• A formal letter of your acceptance letter from any renowned Portuguese institution.
• Evidence that ensures you meet the admission criteria only required for higher degree courses.

Professional Training, Internship or Volunteering Visa (Long-Term)

• Documents that reconfirm you are enrolled on some training, internship or volunteering activities that last longer than 12 months.
• Acceptance letter from these institutions and duration of these programs.

Family Reunion Visa

• Authorised notice by the Portugal Immigration Service for a family reunion.
• Relationship proof of the family like a marriage certificate or birth certificate.

Retirement Visa

• Evidence of earnings and savings to support that you can sustain on your own.
• For any involvement with a religious institution for a long-term stay, a letter from that particular organisation.

The Portuguese visa application process for Indian applicants is described below in a few simple steps.

Step 1: Visit the nearest embassy to get your visa for Portugal.

Step 2: Fill in the application form for a Portuguese visa, as per the details on your passport.

Step 3: Once done, pay the charges for the visa application and submit the form.

Step 4: After your application is approved, you will get a confirmation email.

Step 5: Visit the embassy to collect your passport and visa.

Obtaining a tourist visa for Portugal for up to one year can cost around USD 82.57 and USD 164.16 for up to 5 years. While getting a business visa for one year can cost around USD 98.3 (EUR 91.04) and the same for up to 5 years can cost USD 205.45 (EUR 190.28). The charges applied are inclusive of visa fees, VFS fees and service charges.

The processing charges to get a visa for Portugal can vary according to the type of visa.

Disclaimer: The visa fees are subject to change, based on new immigration rules, the country in which you apply, the local currency and currency exchange rates.

The processing time for a Portugal visa is around 15 days. However, to complete the entire system, the duration is subject to change depending on the number of applications the Portuguese embassy receives. There are instances when the entire processing time takes 30 days or more during peak seasons.

If your case gets presented as sensitive and the Portuguese embassy feels it needs consultation from other Schengen member countries. It may take a much longer time (60 days or more) to receive your visa.

Visitors to Portugal are not eligible to get free medical treatment. The European Union states that every non-EU citizen must have travel insurance covering their medical emergencies.

So, to avoid any unexpected expenses, you must get travel insurance from reputed service providers. Furthermore, ensure that the insurance covers hospitalisation charges and repatriation in case of a patient's death.

The total number of Indian immigrants in Portugal is more than 80,000. Indians are spread all across the country. Since India shares a history with Portugal, it is evident that it will leave some footprints even today. If you are keen to explore this country, you are now aware of the process. So, based on your purpose of visit, apply for a visa for Portugal.