Portugal Visa From Philippines

The Schengen Visa

This is also called the Type C, short stay or tourist visa. With the visa, you can stay in Portugal for 90 days. You can as well visit other countries in the Schengen area.

The Schengen visa serves many purposes. It serves as a permit for you to tour Portugal. You can also attend business, religious and work-related meetings and conferences with it.

It is also the visa you apply for if you intend to visit friends and family during holidays. This visa also serves as a permit if you are going to Portugal for health reasons.

If your reason for visiting Portugal falls within the above reasons, you must apply for a Schengen visa. It is usually the quickest visa Portugal processes and does not require you to show as much funds as you would when applying for other Portugal visas.

You must note that you cannot work while on a short-stay visa. Doing so will lead to your removal and reduce your chances of re-entry when needed.

To get the visa, you must prove you have a place to stay and intend to return to the Philippines when your visa expires.

Application Form for Schengen Visa

You are required to submit an application form for a Schengen visa. You can get this form by visiting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website for Portugal. You have to download the form, complete it and attach it to your application package.

Application forms are filled on an individual basis. If you are travelling with a child under 18, you can sign on their behalf if they are your child or legal ward. Note that an unsigned application form will result in a visa denial.

Philippine International Passport

Your Philippine passport doubles as a means of identification and proof of nationality. The passport you will present upon application must be valid for up to 6 months after the visa you are applying for expires. Again, there must be at least 2 blank pages where the Consulate will attach your Schengen visa.

Health Insurance Policy

If you are applying for a Schengen visa, you must have a health insurance policy. This policy must comply with the EU health insurance standards and be valid for use within the Schengen area. Note that your insurance certificate must show it covers a minimum of €30,000.

If you are travelling with your family, note that each family member must present a separate health insurance policy certificate.

Proof of Funds

One document that must not be missing in your application is evidence that you have enough money to cater to your trip to and from Portugal. You must also prove you have enough to cover your daily living expenses in Portugal.

To prove this, you must present a bank statement showing you have enough money for your trip. Note that the Portuguese government did not specify any amount you must show. But it is safer to have at least €45 to €75 daily to spend in Portugal.

Passport Photograph

When applying for the Schengen visa, you have to attach two digital passports to your application. The passports must not be older than 6 months and should show all parts of your face.

Employment Details

You have to show proof of what you do before a visa is granted to you.

• If you are a student, you must provide a letter from your institution showing good academic standing and eligibility to continue schooling in the next term or semester.
• If you are employed, you must provide a letter that shows your company granted you leave and that you will return to work after your leave expires.
• If you are a business person, you have to provide your tax return and business licence.
• If you are self-employed, you are to provide a bank statement showing your pay for the past 6 months.

Proof of Accommodation

You must show the Embassy or Consulate that you have somewhere to stay on arrival to Portugal. You can show:

• A hotel or Airbnb booking that covers the time you will spend in Portugal.
• A letter of invitation from a family or friend who resides in Portugal. Note that this must be notarised and signed for it to be valid. The host will also need to add a notarised copy of their ID.
• A rental contract between you and a Portuguese landlord.
• A property deed that shows you have purchased a property in Portugal

Ties to the Philippines

You must prove to the Consulate that you have ties to your home country. Presenting any of the documents below proves so:

• Marriage certificate that shows you have a spouse to go back to.
• Birth certificate shows you have children to return to in the Philippines.
• Admission letter indicating you are still enrolled to complete a school degree.
• Business licence showing you run a business in your country.
• Letter that establishes your company approved your leave and you would return to work once your vacation is finished.
• Flight itinerary showing that you have booked your flight to and from Portugal. This indicates you will leave the country once your visa expires.

Proof You Have Paid the Relevant Visa Fees

You must attach the receipt that shows you have paid the visa fees. If you did not pay the fees online, you must attach a money order for the Consulate.

Cover Letter

The last Portugal visit visa requirement is the cover letter. In this letter, you have to supply the Consulate with your details. You must also tell them why you are going to Portugal when you intend to arrive and leave.

It is also vital to mention if you intend to visit other Schengen countries while on your trip.

Gather Your Supporting Documents 

If you want to apply for a Schengen visa, you must first gather the documents you need. You can use the document checklist as a guide. If you are still confused about what documents you must present, contact our team at +44 (0)333 305 9375 or message us online. We are eager to help you with your application.

Complete the Schengen Visa Application Form

You have to download this form from the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website. Fill out the form, sign it and attach it to your application package. Alternatively, you can get the application form from the Consulate.

Get an Appointment

Once you have completed the application form and gathered your documents, you can schedule an appointment with the Portuguese Embassy or Consulate. You have three options: A Portugal visa online application, emailing or calling the Embassy or physically going to the Embassy to schedule it.

Note that there is no Portuguese Embassy or Consulate in the Philippines. The Embassy of Greece, located in Manila, handles all Portuguese visa applications. The Embassy is at Unit 701, SEDCCO 1 Building, 120 Rada Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines 1229.

Pay the Schengen Visa Fees

You can pay the visa fees online. This is a quicker method. Alternatively, you can pay the visa fees when you get to the Embassy. Attach the receipt to your supporting documents after payment of the visa fees.

Submit Application

Go to the Embassy on the scheduled date for your appointment and submission of your documents. Note that the Embassy does not allow walk-in submissions. You have to get a date from the Embassy for that purpose.

Collect Your Visa

If your application is successful, you will get an email from the Embassy directing you to where and when to pick up your visa. If the application is refused, the Embassy will also tell you why.

Portugal Work Visa

Filipino citizens interested in working in Portugal must apply for a work permit. The work visa or permit enables you to work in Portugal for 1 year, but you can renew for up to 5 years or as long as your employer needs you.

Your employer is the one who kickstarts the application process. You can only start your application after your employer appeals for you. The application process is initiated by your employer when he submits a petition to the Ministry of Labour.

You can then apply for a visa in the Philippines upon approval of your employer’s application.

If your visa is successful, you will get a residency visa that grants you entry into Portugal. You have  4 months to obtain your residence permit when you enter the country.

The residence permit is valid for 1 year.

Your work visa is a route to permanent residency or citizenship; your family can join you in Portugal.

The type of work visa you will get depends on the work you are employed to do. Below are the available work visa types:

• Visa for skilled workers like professionals in engineering, medicine or technology.
• Visa for those who have work contracts with tech companies.
• Visa for teachers and academic researchers.
• Visa for those into cultural activities.
• Visa for specially-skilled workers, whose salaries are 1.5 times more than the average annual salary in Portugal.

Eligibility

Before you apply for the work visa, here are the documents that you must submit to prove your eligibility:

• Valid Philippine passport, which serves as proof of identity and your nationality. This must have been issued within the last 10 years and is valid up to 3 months after your work visa expires.
• Recent digital passport not later than 6 months. This passport must show all the parts of your face.
• Evidence you have health insurance. The value of your insurance policy should not be less than €30000.
• Proof of employment in Portugal. You can present the job offer and contract from the Portuguese employer.
• Criminal record history. This should be obtained from the National Bureau of Investigation, a division of the Philippine Police Force. If you are applying for the Portugal work visa, apply online for the criminal record history certificate. You must also get this certificate from every country you have lived in for at least 3 months in the past 5 years.
• Consent form that shows you agree for Portugal to run a background check on you.
• Evidence you have accommodation in Portugal.
• Marriage and birth certificates if you are going to Portugal with your family.

Fees 

To apply for the work visa, you have to pay

• €90 for the initial visa application from the Philippines.
• €83 before applying for your Portuguese residence permit at the SEF.
• €72 when you are issued the residence permit from the SEF in Portugal.

Processing Time

There are no specific processing times when applying for the Portuguese work visa. On average, however, it may take the SEF 2 months to make a decision on your work permit.

The Consulate could take up to 90 days to issue a residency visa.

Processing time is usually affected by the workload the Embassy and the SEF have at the time of your application.

Golden Visa

Filipino citizens are also eligible to apply for the Golden visa. This is Portugal’s visa by investment. The visa is for people who can invest in Portugal.

You can get your Portugal permanent residency or citizenship after 5 years. If you get the citizenship, you can apply for an EU passport.

Your family members can also live, study and work in Portugal if your Golden visa application is approved.

The Golden visa also permits you to visit other Schengen countries visa-free for 90 days.

If the SEF approves your golden visa application, it is valid for 1 year. However, you can renew it twice for 2 years each.

The benefits of the golden visa are numerous. Here are some of them:

Pathway to Citizenship

With the golden visa, you can get Portuguese citizenship and a passport. With this passport, you can travel to other countries visa-free.

Family Reunion

You can move to Portugal with your family, or they can join you later. You can bring your:

• Spouse or partner.
• Children 18 years and below.
• Dependent and unmarried children above 18 who have admission to study full-time in Portugal.
• Spouse’s siblings below 18 who are your legal wards.
• Siblings below 18 who are your legal wards.
• Parents if they are above 64 and are dependent on you.
• Spouse’s parents if they are above 64 and are dependent on you.

Access to the Schengen Region

You can move around the Schengen region visa-free with the Portugal golden visa. You can stay there for 90 days.

Exemption from Taxes

If you do not want to spend much time in Portugal, you can opt to be a non-habitual resident (NHR). As an NHR, you are not required to pay taxes on money you earn outside Portugal. But the return on the investment you made in Portugal will be taxed. You get to pay 20% tax instead of the usual 48%.

Eligibility Requirements 

To apply for the Golden visa, here are the requirements you must meet:

• You have to be at least 18.
• You must invest between €280,000 and €500,000 in Portugal.
• You must have a clean criminal history. This is proven by submitting a Police clearance certificate from the Philippines.
• You must present a bank statement that shows the fund you are investing in Portugal was not sourced from Portugal.
• You must be in Portugal for at least 7 days each year.
• You must present an affidavit that you will spend at least 5 years maintaining your investment in Portugal.
• You will present a health insurance policy certificate with a value of up to €30,000.
• You must obtain a NIF number.
• You must open a Portuguese bank account. You do not need this if you have a bank in the Philippines with a branch in Portugal.

Eligible Investments for the Portugal Golden Visa

To be considered for the golden visa, you must make an eligible investment in Portugal. The investment must cost you between €280,000 to €500,000. Below are the investments you can make under this program:

• Use €500,000 to start a company that will create a minimum of 10 new permanent roles.
• Fund an existing company with €400,000 and create at least 8 new permanent roles.
• Invest in scientific or tech research to be carried out in Portugal.
• Invest between €200,000 to €400,000 to maintain or refurbish a cultural heritage.

Documents Required 

To prove you meet the eligibility requirements above, you have to submit the following:

• Philippine passport issued within the last 10 years and valid for up to 3 months after your golden visa expires.
• Digital passport not older than 6 months.
• Criminal history certificate from the Philippines and any other country you spent at least 3 months in the past 5 years.
• Receipt of visa fee payment.
• Affidavit promising to maintain your investment for 5 years.
• Signed application form from the ARI website.
• Evidence you have invested in Portugal.
• Marriage and birth certificates if you intend to move with your family.

Fees

The principal applicant must pay €533 for visa processing. This fee must also be paid whenever you want to renew your visa.

Your dependents will pay €83 for the processing fee. This fee must also be paid whenever they want to renew their visa.

You must pay €5325 as the application fee and renew your visa with €2663.

Processing Time

It could take anywhere from 1 to 2 years for you to get the golden visa.