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Schengen Short-Stay Visa (type C)

PortugalShort stays and visits

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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For the relevant traveller scope, is a visa, electronic authorisation, visa on arrival or no advance visa normally required?

A Schengen visa is mandatory to enter Portugal for nationals of countries listed in Annex I of the Visa Code. The Portuguese MNE publishes the full list of nationalities exempt from a visa (some exemptions apply only to biometric-passport holders) and the list of nationalities that must hold a visa.

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What short-visit purposes does this route cover?

Entry for purposes accepted by the authorities that do not justify another visa type, notably transit, tourism, and visiting or accompanying family members who hold a temporary-stay visa; it is generally requested for professional reasons or family visits.

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What maximum stay, rolling-period rule, validity and entry rules apply?

The visa can be issued with a validity of one year for one or more entries; an uninterrupted stay or the total of successive stays cannot exceed 90 days in any 180 days, counted from the first crossing of an external border.

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What important funds, accommodation, invitation, insurance, onward-travel or passport evidence may be required?

The visa does not guarantee entry. At the border, besides the passport with the visa, the traveller may be asked for proof of sufficient means for the stay and return, accommodation arrangements, an invitation letter/statement of responsibility, or valid travel medical insurance, and should carry copies of the visa-application documents. The application requires a travel document valid more than 3 months after the date of exit and a return-ticket reservation.

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Where/how is permission obtained when required, and under what important circumstances can a stay be extended or changed?

The visa is requested at the Portuguese consular post indicated for the applicant's nationality and/or country of residence, between 6 months and 15 days before the intended entry (later in duly justified cases); the consulate may require an interview within two weeks. A stay may be extended by up to 90 days, extendable for an equal period, for short-stay visa holders or visa-exempt entrants, provided the conditions of admission are maintained (save duly justified cases); the extension is limited to Portugal when the stay exceeds 90 days per semester.

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These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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