How to Apply for Short Term or Tourist Visa

Applying for Short-Term & Tourist Visa

Please note this does not apply to UK Residents with British passports who are free to enter as tourists for 90- days.

If you are coming to Portugal and are not a resident of one of the Visa Waiver Countries which now includes the UK, then you will need to apply for a Short Term Visa at your local Portuguese consulate or embassy in your country.  Please get in touch with the consulate to be certain of the requirements.  As a general guide the following details are the standard requirements: 

• You have not been subject to deportation from Portugal or are still within the ‘ban period’ of entry into Portugal should you have been deported from Portugal

• You do not have a warning in the Schengen Information System indicating the refusal of entry by any of the Schengen countries

• There is no warning in the SEF Integrated Information System indicating non-admission

• You must prove that you have funds to cover your costs while staying in Portugal, as defined by decree order of the Members of the Government responsible for home affairs and social security areas

• You must have a valid transport document, such as your passport or other identification document issued by your country

• You must have taken out sufficient travel insurance for the duration of your stay.

Give the process plenty of time.  Request your visa as much as two-to-four weeks in advance.  This gives the consulate time before your travel to approve your visa.

Extending Your Stay

If you arrived in Portugal without a visa, and then decide you want to stay beyond the 90-day maximum stay, you should apply for a Temporary Stay Visa. Call your nearest SEF Contact Center to find your options and make a request. 

Entering a Frontier without Border Control in Place

If you are entering Portugal by sea or across a land border from Spain and there are no border control officers on site, you are still required to notify Portuguese Immigration within three days of entering.  Those who do not need to report their entry are: 

• Residents or people previously authorised to stay in the country for more than six months

• Those benefiting from the Schengen community system ie.  Are from one of the Visa Waiver Countries such as the UK.

• If you stay and register with a passport in a hotel establishment or equivalent.

If you do not fall into any of these categories, then you will need to:

• Print and fill in Form Declaration of Entry available online at SEF or click here to download.

• Deliver the filled-in form in person, after calling and scheduling meetings in a SEF bureau. You need to present your passport or another valid travel document.

You can learn more on the Portugal Immigration Short Stay Visa page.