At the Portuguese embassies and consular offices different kinds of visas can be granted. Each visa has a distinct purpose, a certain validity period and only allows the temporary entry in the country for the purpose for which it has been granted. There are the following types of visa: Airport transit; Short stay; Temporary sty; To obtain residence permit (residence visa).
This visa aims to allow its holder, when using an international connection, the transit through an airport of a Member State of the Implementing Convention, having access only to the international section of airport.
The visa application must be accompanied by:
- Copy of the transport document to the country of final destination;
- Evidence that the passenger is authorized with the correspondent entry visa to that country, when applicable.
- This visa aims to allows its holder the entry in Portugal for purposes that, being accepted by the competent authorities, do not justify the grant of another kind of visa, namely for the purpose of traffic, tourism and visit or accompanying family members who hold a temporary stay visa.
- The short stay visa can be granted with a validity term (period of use) that can for up to one year, with one or more entries, not being possible that one uninterrupted stay or the total length of the successive stays, overcome 90 days per period of 180 days from the date of the first crossing of an external border.
This kind of visa aims allowing its holder to enter Portugal for:
- Medical care at official or officially recognised health facilities;
- Transfer of nationals of Member-States of the World Trade Organization, in the context of service provision or delivery of training on Portuguese territory;
- Exercise of a Professional activity, under employment contract or independent activity, temporarily, the duration of which does not exceed, usually, six months:
- Exercise of a scientific investigation activity, in investigation centres, of teaching profession in a higher education institution or of a high qualified activity for less than one year;
- Exercise in the country of an amateur sporting activity, certified by the corresponding Federation, provided that the club or sports association should be responsible for the accommodation and health care:
- To stay in the territory for longer than three months, exceptionally, duly supported, namely for the attendance of a study plan in a educational institution, exchange of students, non-paid training or volunteering, for a year or less, or for the purposes of fulfilling international commitments of the World Trade Organization and of the resulting from conventions and international agreements to which Portugal belongs, in freedom of services;
- Accompaniment of a family member subject to medical treatment at official or officially recognised health facilities
This visa is valid for 4 months, regardless, in case of a temporary stay visa for the exercise of a temporary professional activity, if the validity of the visa is the same of the duration of employment.
The residence visa aims to allow its holder to enter Portugal, to request a residence authorization. This visa allows its holder to stay in Portugal for 4 months, to request from the SEF the corresponding residence authorization. Usually, the time limit for the decision about the request for residence visa is 60 days.
It is important to draw your attention to the fact that, who has a residence visa is not yet a resident, being only entitled to ask for a residence authorization.
