Is it hard to get a visa in Portugal? It can be hard and near impossible in most cases because visas are supposed to be obtained abroad and not in Portugal. The visitor is supposed to apply for the visa by submitting their application at the Portuguese embassy in their country of origin or residence and obtaining it before traveling to Portugal. When it comes to visa application, many factors are at play to determine whether you will get the Portugal Schengen visa. The embassy considers these factors, and we discuss them below.
Your Nationality
Your nationality is the most important factor as far as eligibility is concerned. We will break nationality into three parts.
Persons From Visa-Free Countries: If you are from a country that appears on the visa free list, you don’t even need a visa to enter Portugal. All you need is to apply for a Portuguese visa waiver called ETIAS. Etias is a special waiver program designed to vet the Identity of trackers from countries with passport harmonization agreements with Schengen countries. Examples of visa-free countries are Australia, Japan, Canada, and the US.
Persons From Non-Visa Free Countries: The second category is the non-visa-free set of travelers. These are persons from countries that do not have passport harmonization agreements with the Schengen zone. If your country is on this list, you definitely need to apply for a Portugal tourist visa and get it before you are allowed into Portugal or any other member state in the zone. Such travelers must submit only valid documents to the embassy. Common examples of non visa free countries are Ghana, South Africa, India, China, Pakistan, etc.
Banned Countries: The third category is people from banned countries. Some countries are banned from entering Portugal and other countries due to multiple factors like diplomatic disputes, security risks, etc. Persons from these countries will find it hard to get a visa.
Stateless Persons: Last but not least are stateless persons who are refugees or displaced by war. Such persons are given special statuses, and their applications are considered under the UN refugee charter.
Reason For Your Trip
Another factor that will determine whether the embassy gives you a visa or not is the reason for your trip.
You may come from a visa free country, but if your reasons don’t align with the feature and purpose of the Schengen visa, your application will be rejected. Schengen visas are only issued for short term trips like tourism, transit, business, medical care, etc. The visitors are not allowed to stay for more than 90 days on a Schengen visa. If this is the case, their application will be rejected, and they will be advised to apply for a long term visa instead.
Furthermore, if your purpose for the trip doesn’t align with the laws or your intentions are unclear, the visa will not be issued to you. Your request will be denied as well if you are deemed a security risk.
These are the conditions that the embassy will consider before deciding whether to issue the visa or not.
Is It Hard To Get A Visa In Portugal?
Is it hard to get a visa for Portugal, or is it easy? It will depend on a range of factors, some of which are within your control and others outside your control. Application rates for Portuguese Schengen visas are quite high as it is among the top ten countries with the most applications received, including France in the top spot, Spain in the second spot, and others like Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, to mention a few.
Portugal also has a high rejection rate, so near this in mind before you submit your application.
How To Visit Portugal The Easy Way?
There are ways to apply for Schengen visas; the easy way is by bypassing countries with high rejection rates and applying to countries with exceedingly low rejection rates. If you still wish to visit Portugal, you can apply to a low-rejection country like Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, or Slovenia. With the Schengen visa issued by any of these countries, you can enter and exit Portugal freely.
Schengen Visa Documentary Requirements
What are the documentary requirements for a Schengen visa?
Valid for with a minimum of three months validity post departure
Two recent passport photographs
Cover letter
Letter of invitation, if required
Proof of financial means
Travel health insurance
Proof of accommodation
Round trip flight reservation and itinerary
Receipt for visa fee
These documents and any other documents requested by the embassy must be added to the completed application form and submitted for review. Is it hard to get a visa in Portugal? It depends on several factors, but if your documents are in order, you will definitely get the visa.