- Who Needs Portuguese Visas?
- Short Stay (Schengen) Visas
- National Visas for Temporary Stay in Portugal
- Self Support Visa
- National Visas for Long Stay in Portugal
- Golden Visa
- Retirement Visa
- HQA Visa
- Work Visa
- Study Visa
- Professional Training, Internship, Volunteering Visa
- Family Reunion Visa
- Frequently Asked Questions
Portugal is a country that offers several solutions for various needs.
As you may see in a little while, there are many types of Portugal visas.
Some visas share similar benefits, while others are completely different. The choice can be difficult, but it fully depends on your interests and business goals.
Below you’ll find out more about Portuguese immigration and Portuguese visas. Let’s get started!

Who Needs Portuguese Visas?
Do you need a Portugal visa if you are an American? And what about citizens from the UK or South Africa? It all seems too confusing. So the short answer is — it depends. Depends on the country of your origin, age, the purpose of visit, and many other factors.
EU/EFTA Citizens
Portugal is one of the European countries. Thus, it grants EU visa-free entry to all EU/EFTA citizens and their family members if they come from the EU. This is just one of the many benefits of being a part of an EU/Schengen Area.
Being exempt from holding a visa means you have 90 days visa-free. But that’s not the end of the story.
For example, EU/EFTA citizens can establish a Portuguese business or find work there without obtaining extra permissions or passing through specific Portugal visa requirements. Once hired, EU/EFTA citizens have the same rights as natural-born citizens.
Portugal belongs to Schengen Area. Its citizens can freely cross the borders of 26 countries just with their passports.
It is also essential to consider that EU/EFTA citizens must request a registration certificate if they decide to stay in Portugal for more than three months.
Non-EU/EFTA Citizens
As opposed to EU/EFTA citizens, non-EU nationals should get visas coming to Portugal. The only exceptions are countries that have Visa Facilitation Agreements with this state. For example, UK residents must go through the process of getting residency visas. But no paperwork is required for Canada, even though it is not part of the European Union.
Seems confusing?
The Ministry of foreign affairs provides a list of nationalities that don’t need visas:
Albania | Holy See | Peru | Uruguay | El Salvador | Chile |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Andorra | Honduras | Samoa | Venezuela | North Macedonia | Monaco |
Antigua and Barbuda | Israel | San Marino | Guatemala | Ukraine | Timor-Leste |
Argentina | Japan | Serbia | Paraguay | Dominica | Colombia |
Australia | Kiribati | Seychelles | United States of America | Nicaragua | Canada |
Bahamas | Malaysia | Singapore | Grenada | Tuvalu | Moldova |
Barbados | Marshall Islands | Solomon Islands | Panama | Costa Rica | St Vincent and the Grenadines |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Mauritius | South Korea | United Kingdom | New Zealand | United Arab Emirates |
Brazil | Mexico | St Kitts and Nevis | Georgia | Trinidad and Tobago | Montenegro |
Brunei Darussalam | Micronesia | St Lucia | Palau | Tonga |
Citizens of those 61 countries do not need short-stay visas.
They always have here an opportunity to stay longer than 90 days.
And this is the list of countries that need a visa even for short periods (90 days):
Afghanistan | Bhutan | Chad | Egypt | Guinea-Bissau | Kenya |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Algeria | Bolivia | China | Equatorial Guinea | Guyana | Kuwait |
Angola | Botswana | Comoros | Eritrea | Haiti | Kyrgyzstan |
Armenia | Burkina Faso | Congo | Eswatini | India | Laos |
Azerbaijan | Burma/Myanmar | Cote d´Ivoire | Ethiopia | Indonesia | Lebanon |
Bahrain | Burundi | Cuba | Fiji | Iran | Lesotho |
Bangladesh | Cambodia | Democratic Republic of Congo | Gabon | Iraq | Liberia |
Belarus | Cameroon | Dominican Republic | The Gambia | Jamaica | Libya |
Belize | Cape Verde | Djibouti | Ghana | Jordan | Madagascar |
Benin | The central African Republic | Ecuador | Guinea | Kazakhstan | Malawi |
Maldives | Mali | Mauritania | Mongolia | Morocco | Mozambique |
Namibia | Nauru | Nepal | Niger | Nigeria | North Korea |
Oman | Pakistan | Papua New Guinea | Philippines | Qatar | Russia |
Rwanda | Sao Tome and Principe | Saudi Arabia | Senegal | Sierra Leone | Somalia |
South Africa | South Sudan | Sri Lanka | Sudan | Suriname | Syria |
Tajikistan | Tanzania | Thailand | Togo | Tunisia | Turkey |
Turkmenistan | Uganda | Uzbekistan | Vanuatu | Vietnam | Yemen |
Zambia | Zimbabwe |
A Schengen visa is a short-stay visa that allows circulating in the Schengen area for 90 days within 180 days.
The Schengen visa covers the following countries: Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden, the Chech Republic, Spain, Slovenia, Denmark, Estonia, Slovakia, Finland, Portugal, France, Poland, Germany, Norway, Greece, the Netherlands, Hungary, Malta, Iceland, and Luxembourg.
Depending on the purpose of the visit, applicants must decide which type of visa they wish to apply for.
Below you’ll see a breakdown of the different Short Stay Visa types
General Short Stay Visa
Schengen Visa allows you to travel around the Schengen area for a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period.
The reasons that may justify your Short Stay Visa may have to do with the following:
- Tourism
- Family reunification
- Business
- Temporary work
- Airport transit
- Other stays in Portugal of a temporary or seasonal nature
To apply for a Schengen Visa, you must make a Schengen Visa application at the Portuguese embassy no more than six months and no later than 15 days before you arrive in Portugal.
Cost: The general fee for short stay visas is €80. However, children aged 6-12 can pay double less. Some countries also need an extra service fee, which should be no more than half of the standard visa cost.
For residents of the countries with Visa Facilitation Agreements, there is a reduced cost of €35.
- A valid passport and a passport photo
- Proof of health insurance
- Proof that you can support yourself and your family during your stay
- Return ticket reservation
- Accommodation details
- Evidence of the nature of your visit (optional)
Seasonal Work Portugal Visa
This Schengen visa is designed to serve the following sectors:
- Agriculture, fishing, forestry, hunting
- Land transport
- Hospitality
- Construction
- Food and tobacco industriesSeasonal Work Visa is issued for workers who have a job offer in Portugal and shouldn’t exceed 90 days. Before applying, ensure that your job is registered in the work sectors for which seasonal work is available.
- A valid passport and a passport photo
- Proof of health insurance
- Proof that you can support yourself and your family during your stay
- Return ticket reservation
- Accommodation details
- Work contract with a temporary work company or an employer established in Portuguese territory. The work contract should identify duration, salary, location, time, and type of work.
- Compliance with national legal requirements for regulated professions
Airport Transit Schengen Visa
This Portugal visa is necessary to allow transit within the international area of an airport. It is mandatory for all passengers who want to change flights from one to another in a Schengen country. The only exception is made for those who are exempt from obtaining a Portuguese visa.
There are two types of these visas for Portugal:
- Airport Transit Schengen Visa
- Transit Schengen Visa for seafarers
Such Portuguese visas do not allow leaving the international transit area of an airport (even if its holder has to wait overnight). It is also important that you can’t use an Airport Transit Visa if you have to transit through several airports within Schengen Area. Instead, the rules require you to apply for a Regular Schengen Visa (C Type). This decision is because flights between several Schengen countries are “domestic” even for transit purposes.
- A valid passport and a passport photo
- Return ticket reservation
- Proof that you can support yourself and your family during your stay
- Entry visa for the destination country (optional)
Temporary stay visas allow multiple entries and are valid during the entire stay.
Temporary stay visas include Temporary Work Visa, Study Visa, Professional Training, Internship, Volunteering Visa, Medical Treatment Visa, Youth Mobility Visa, Self-Support Visa, and Religious Purposes Visa.
Application procedures and the documents required vary depending on your visa type.

Temporary Stay Visa: Work
This Portuguese national visa is for people who want to enter Portugal for employment lasting a fixed period (between 90 days and one year). However, it shouldn’t exceed 9 months, according to the duration of the seasonal employment contract. Before applying for this visa, ensure that your job is in the work sector for which seasonal work is available.
What to Know Before Applying for a Temporary Work Visa in Portugal
Before filling out the Portugal Visa application form for a Temporary Work Visa, your employer should prepare a work contract. They also need to apply for a Work Permit on your behalf at the Portuguese Labor Authorities. If you suddenly decide to find a new job, you must reapply for a Work Permit.
The Most Common National Work Visa Types
- Independent Work Visa
- Portuguese Work Visa
- A valid passport and two passport photos
- Return ticket reservation
- Proof of health insurance
- Accommodation details
- Proof that you can support yourself and your family during your stay
- Access to criminal records by the Portugal immigration authorities
- Work contract with a temporary work company or an employer established in Portuguese territory. The work contract should identify duration, salary, location, time, and type of work.
- Compliance with national legal requirements in the case of regulated professions
Portuguese National Visa: Study
Study visa suits for secondary, graduate, or postgraduate education between 90 days and one year. It is evident that if you are accepted to a Portuguese higher education institution, this is a lifetime experience.
- A valid passport and two passport photos
- Proof of health insurance
- Clear criminal record
- Proof that you can support yourself and your family during your stay
- Return ticket reservation
- Accommodation details
- Confirmation that you will be studying at an accredited Portuguese educational institution and proof that your course will be no longer than one year
- Application form
- Evidence of tuition payment required by the higher education institution (not needed for students of higher education admitted in a higher education institution approved under decree order of the members of the Government of the Interior and High Education, under no. 5 of article 91 of REPSAE)
You will be aware of updates to conditions, closure or resumption of programs, promotional offers for investment citizenship.
Professional Training, Internship, Volunteering Visa
As the name implies, these Portugal visas serve different purposes:
- Unpaid internship
- Volunteer work
- Professional training
- Training
- A valid passport and two passport photos
- Proof of health insurance
- Clear criminal record
- Proof that you can support yourself and your family during your stay
- Return ticket reservation
- Accommodation details
- Proof that you are going to undertake activities during 3-12 months (f.e. a letter from the organization)
Medical Treatment Visa
This temporary stay visa can be for your treatment within the Portuguese health service. You can also go with your family member with the help of this document.
- A valid passport and two passport photos
- Filled application form signed by the applicant or their representative
- Proof of health insurance
- Clear criminal record
- Proof that you can support yourself and your family during your stay
- Return ticket reservation
- Accommodation details
- Medical report of the patient (f. e. a doctor’s note from the patient’s native country). The document should be issued by an officially recognized health care institution
- Proof that your treatment would be performed in Portugal, mentioning that an applicant has a vacancy for in-patient or out-patient treatment or that they are on a waiting list. Otherwise, an applicant can be in the integrated management system for surgery
- Proof of relationship in case you accompany your family member

Youth Mobility Visa
Youth Mobility Visa is available for educational or training purposes. Unlike the Professional Training, Internship, Volunteering Visa, this temporary stay visa is an option only for individuals aged 18 to 30 from the following countries: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, New Zealand, Peru, Republic of Korea, the US.
REQUIREMENTS
Requirements vary from country to country for this temporary stay visa. For example, for citizens of Argentina, you would need the following:
- A valid passport and two passport photos
- Filled application form signed by the applicant or their representative
- Proof of health insurance
- Clear criminal record
- Proof that you can support yourself and your family during your stay
- Return ticket reservation
- Accommodation details
- Tertiary qualifications or proof that you have completed at least two years of undergraduate university study
Additional conditions to be fulfilled for this residency visa:
- To get this temporary stay visa, applicants must be participating in the program for the first time
- Applicants should not live in Portugal for more than one year under this program
- Participants can work only half the period (half of the year). They also are not allowed to have a permanent work contract
- Participation in training courses is permitted only for up to 6 months
Self Support Visa is granted under exceptional circumstances for those who stay in Portugal for more than 9 months but less than one year. It is mostly used by working-age or retired individuals. This temporary stay visa is given only in case of providing details for a reason for your visit.
- A valid passport and two passport photos
- Filled application form signed by the applicant or their representative
- Proof of health insurance
- Clear criminal record
- Proof that you can support yourself and your family during your stay
- Return ticket reservation
- Accommodation details
Religious Purposes Visa
This temporary stay visa is necessary for religious studies or training in a recognized institution.
- A valid passport and two passport photos
- Filled application form signed by the applicant or their representative
- Proof of health insurance
- Clear criminal record
- Proof that you can support yourself and your family during your stay
- Return ticket reservation
- Accommodation details
- Proof of activity (f.e. a letter from the religious organization)
Long stay national visas include Work Visa, Study Visa, Professional Training, Internship or Volunteering Visa, Family Reunion Visa, Retirement Visa, and Golden Visa.
- A valid passport and two passport photos
- Proof of health insurance
- Accommodation details
- Proof that you can support yourself and your family during your stay
- Access to criminal records by the Portugal immigration authorities

Portugal Golden Visa is a trendy Residency-by-Investment scheme allowing you to live, work, study, save on your taxes and legally be in Portugal.
This is a government-approved visa type. It is just an ideal fit for entrepreneurs or HNWIs wishing to expand their business, move to Portugal or travel there regularly. Portugal Golden Visa helps to reduce the tax burden and make a lifestyle change. Instead, participants are supposed to make foreign investments in a Portuguese economy.
To help you get started, we have prepared the most complete guide on Portugal Golden Visa.
Benefits of Portugal Golden Visa
- Beneficial tax treatment for 10 years — NHR
- Quality of education and healthcare
- Sunny weather and a relaxed pace of life
- Visa-free regime with more than 180 countries
- Low stay requirement
- A chance to apply for Portuguese citizenship and become a Portuguese citizen
- Low cost of living
- An opportunity to bring your family
- A chance to use real estate investments and make rental income

We have prepared a complete guide of Portugal Golden Visa. You will find all the benefits of Portugal Residency, interesting facts about the country and all investment options.
- Invest in real estate from €280,000
- Invest in funds from €500,000
- Invest in business from €500,000
- Capital transfer in government stocks/deposit from €1,500,000
You can try to do everything on your own. But it can be a bit overcomplicated and not yield the desired results.
At the same time, experts know what works and what does not. This means they’re taking over all troubles with formalities, and you can get your Golden Visa with a minimal participation.
Contact usPortugal is one of the TOP destinations for retirees due to the relative cost of living, sunny weather, preferential tax treatment, and the public healthcare system. Becoming a Portuguese retiree may seem tedious, but it’s definitely worth it. The popularity of a retirement visa is due to achievable financial requirements.
Anybody can apply for Retirement Visa if an applicant meets the passive income requirements (€8 460 per year). This residency visa is an easy way to get a Portuguese residency permit.
So how to get one of the most popular visas for permanent residence?
- Get a Portuguese taxpayer number
- Open a Portuguese bank account
- Purchase or rent a housing
- Apply for a residence permit at an immigration and border services. You can apply online at the Portuguese consulate
- Submit documentation package
- Get a residence permit card
Besides, if you are interested in retiring in Portugal, do not hesitate to read this definitive guide to get more insights into the process.
Often described as a hybrid between a Portugal Golden Visa and D7, HQA is a flexible visa for entrepreneurs and highly-qualified professionals. Famous for an opportunity to establish a business and get a Portuguese residence permit, it has very specific requirements.
The minimum investment amount is lower than that of the Golden Visa, only €175,000. The same goes for the processing time, which also takes less time. In addition, physical presence requirements are minimal.
If you strive to learn more, then visit this page with all the details about the program.
Benefits of HQA Visa
- One of the fastest ways to get an EU residency permit
- Complete security. Return on investment in case of rejection of an application
- Clear and transparent process
- Beneficial tax treatment for 10 years — NHR
- Path to EU citizenship for all 3 generations of a family
- Start a business in Portugal
- Decide how you would like to participate in the project
- Get a residence permit
- Get back-office for three years
- Come and go whenever you want

This Portuguese visa is for any long-term work placement period longer than one year.
Additional Documents
- Work contract or service agreement
- Confirmation from the sports federation if you are going for amateur sports purposes
- Confirmation from the research institution detailing the nature of your work (for a scientific area)
- In the case of regulated professions, compliance with national legal requirements
As the previous one, this residency visa belongs to long stay national visas. This means that an applicant should not just visit Portugal but study there for less than one year.
A study visa is granted for educational levels from secondary school.
Additional Documents
- A formal letter from an accredited institution or any evidence that you meet the admissions criteria for a higher education
Professional Training, Internship, Volunteering Visa is one of the residency visas necessary for NGO, charity, or volunteering that would last for longer than 12 months.
This residency visa is available for the following relatives (outside the EU):
- Spouses
- Legally recognized partners
- Dependent parents (parents of the spouse are also allowed)
- Dependent children (adopted children and children of the spouse are also allowed)
- Financially dependent minor siblings

There are three main visa categories in Portugal: short stay visas, national visas for temporary stay, and national visas for a long stay in Portugal
Yes, you need a Portuguese visa unless you are an EU/EFTA citizen or come from a country with a Visa Facilitation Agreement with Portugal.
Yes, Portugal belongs to the Schengen area, so you need a Schengen visa to visit this country.