Portugal tourist visa (Schengen type C): requirements and steps

Whether you need a visa depends on your nationality: citizens of countries on the EU visa-required list need one for any tourist stay in Portugal. Some holders of special or service passports are exempt under bilateral agreements.

Apply to Portugal when it is your only or main destination, measured by the length of stay, or your first Schengen entry point if the stays are of equal length. Apply in the country where you legally reside; if you are not a national of that country, you need a valid residence permit there.

Missions apply the Schengen checklist: proof of travel and accommodation, recent bank statements and income, and occupation documents that differ for employees, business owners, farmers, pensioners and students. Hotel bookings or a written travel plan cover accommodation.

Bring originals and photocopies. Missing documents can lead to the application not being accepted at the counter.

Portugal sets a reference amount of EUR 75 for each entry plus EUR 40 for each day you spend on Portuguese territory. A 10-day trip therefore requires EUR 475. The money can be shown with bank statements for the last three months together with proof of regular income such as payslips.

If a Portuguese citizen or a foreigner legally resident in Portugal guarantees your accommodation and costs through a certified Term of Responsibility, the daily amount can be waived.

The Schengen visa fee is EUR 90 for adults and EUR 45 for children from 6 to under 12; children under 6 pay nothing. Spouses and children under 18 of EU citizens are exempt. The mission sets how the fee is paid.

If the mission works with an external service provider, the provider may charge its own service fee. Fees are not refunded if the visa is refused.

You may apply up to six months before the trip and, as a rule, at least 15 calendar days before it. The consulate decides within 15 calendar days of an admissible application; in individual cases the period can be extended to 45 days. Some nationalities are subject to prior consultation of other Schengen states, which can add seven days.

A refusal is notified with the reasons on the standard EU form. Under Portuguese administrative law you can file a complaint with the consulate that decided within 15 days, a hierarchical appeal to the Minister of Foreign Affairs within three months (lodged at the consulate), or a court action at the Administrative Court of Lisbon within three months. The routes can be combined.

Each appeal procedure costs EUR 75 in administrative fees. A new application with stronger documents is often faster than an appeal.