VISAS

TEMPORARY RESIDENCE PERMITS

VISAS

You are planning a trip with the intention of entering, or going through States implementing the Schengen Agreement (Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Austria, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Poland, Estonia, Lathua, Lithuania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Malta, Hungary, Cyprus  and Norway). Should you need a visa to get into any of the aforementioned States, you may be granted a "uniform Schengen visa" that will allow you to enter/go through any of the above-listed countries. If, however, you are required to have a visa only for certain Schengen States, you should apply for a visa at a Consulate of the destination country. The conditions set out below must be understood to be the general rule; within this context, any visa request is subject to analysis and decision as part of an individual application.

Conditions for the issue of a uniform Schengen visa

Requirements for issuing national visas (outside of Schengen visa categories A,B,C)

Requirements for entering Schengen States

Conditions for the issue of a uniform Schengen visa

A. Stopover Visa to go in transit through the international transit area of an airport (category A)

The stopover visa allows citizens of certain countries, or the holders of travel documents issued by those countries, to transit through the international territory of the country in question. This visa is to be issued by the Consulate of the relevant transit country. It is sufficient to produce an air ticket and a visa application form with a photograph. 

B. Transit Visa (Category B)

This is the visa that is granted to foreigners planning to go through the territory of Schengen States, as part of a trip which begins in a third party State and is intended to end in the territory of another third party State. This visa must be applied for at the Consulate of the first transit country. The duration of each transit is restricted to the period of time seen as indispensable. It cannot exceed a maximum period of five days. 

The following documents are normally required:

• A passport or a travel document recognized by all Schengen States, the validity of which must exceed by three months the validity of the requested visa
• Visa application form with a photograph ( visa application form)
• Visa for the destination country (the country of final destination is outside the Schengen area) if necessary.

In addition, the following documents and/or other proof may/must be produced:

• Aircraft/train ticket and/or confirmation that an aircraft/train ticket has been reserved, or production of documents in respect of a vehicle to be used to transit the relevant country, or countries, whether it be in transit once on the way in, or twice or more times on the way in and for the return trip
• Proof of sufficient financial means
• Travel-insurance, minimum coverage EUR 30.000 for medical treatment and/or repatriation (as from June 1st 2004 mandatory!)
• Documents proving the existence of health and personal accident insurance.

C. Visa for short stays or travel visa (category C)

This is the visa that can be granted to a foreigner for tourism, family, or business purposes, for one or more entries. The total duration of an uninterrupted stay, or the sum total of sucessive stays in the territory of Schengen States must not exceed 90 days for any six-month period (as at the date of first entry).

A category C visa request must be presented to the Consulate of the Schengen State in whose territory the trip's principal destination is found, irrespective of the Schengen State where first entry is due to take place. If no Schengen State can be determined as the point of principal destination, the request will have to be brought before the Consulate of the Schengen State where first entry is due to occur.

The following documents are normally required:

• A passport or a travel document recognized by all Schengen States, the validity of which must exceed by three months the validity of the requested visa
• Visa application form with a photograph (click  here for a visa application form)
• A document proving there is a request pending for the renewal of a residence permit previously issued by SEF (The Portuguese Immigration Service)

The following documentation may/must be produced in accordance with the aim of the trip:

Professional trips:

• Invitation form company
• Business documentation
• Conference/fair entry tickets
• Confirmation of participation of training and professional refresher courses
• Invitations to meetings of a political, scientific, cultural, sporting, or religious nature.
• Travel-insurance, minimum coverage EUR 30.000 for medical treatment and/or repatriation (as from June 1st 2004 mandatory!)

Private or tourism trips:

• Documents bearing evidence of financial and/or professional standing (for instance, travel cheques, money, or bank guarantees)
• Ticket and/or confirmation of return trip, or a tour reservation
• Documents bearing evidence of reservations by travel agencies or lodging reservations in hotels and/or a duly certified sponsorship documents by the host
• Documents proving the existence of health and personal accident insurance.
• Travel-insurance, minimum coverage EUR 30.000 for medical treatment and/or repatriation (as from June 1st 2004 mandatory!)

This list of necessary documents does not purport to be complete. On any given individual case, the relevant Consulate may demand other documents. The production of all necessary documents does not presuppose a right to be granted the requested visa. The decision to grant a visa shall be taken by the Consulate once verification of the application is complete.

Requirements for issuing national visas (outside of Schengen visa categories A,B,C)

Among other visas.
For a long stay, for instance:

• to be admitted for work purposes
• for study purposes (scholarship holders, trainees, etc.)
• for medical treatment
• to accompany relatives falling under the aforementioned conditons
• to obtain a residence permit

These are national visa, "not uniform Schengen visas". They only grant the right to enter the country of destination. They are good, however, as transit permits within the other Schengen States.  

Requirements for entering Schengen States

Categories A, B, C visa requirements must also be fully complied with upon entry into the Schengen States, and must be so verified at the request of the appropriate border official. If entry or transit conditions are no longer fully complied with, or if it is not possible to produce the relevant evidence, the border official may refuse you entry or transit - even if you hold a valid visa. Upon entry, you should be carrying the original documents produced together with the visa request or, wherever possible - in the event that the Consulate has retained the original documents - certified copies of those documents.

Processing time for tourist visa applications may differ for each application, but takes in general between 2 and 30 days.

The visa handling fee amouts to EUR 60.

The visa handling fee amounts to EUR 35 for nationals from countries that have concluded, or are in the process of concluding, a visa facilitation agreement with the European Union, These countries are: Rússia, Ukraine, Macedonia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Albania, Serbia, Montenegro and Moldova.

TEMPORARY RESIDENCE PERMITS