Portugal Visas From Tunisia

Proof of Accommodation

This is a vital requirement for your Schengen visa application. You must show the Portugal Embassy that you have somewhere to stay when you get to Portugal. You can meet this requirement in various ways. Here are the options you can choose from:

• Document that shows you have acquired a house or an apartment where you will stay upon arrival.
• Hotel, short-let or Airbnb booking that covers the length of your stay.
• Rental contract signed by you and a property owner in Portugal showing you have rented the property or apartment for a while.
• Invitation letter signed by a family member or friend in Portugal showing that they will house you for the length of your stay. The person writing the invitation letter must include a copy of their identity document, sign and then get the letter notarised before the Embassy can accept it.

Proof of Employment Standing

The Embassy requires you to show proof of your employment standing. You can show that by presenting any of the following:

• A letter from your school showing that you still have one or more semesters/terms to complete if you are still a student.
• A business licence and proof of tax returns if you are a business person.
• A bank statement that shows how much you have earned for the past 6 months if you are self-employed.
• A letter from your employer showing that your leave was approved and that you will return to work once your vacation is over. This is if you are employed.

Tunisian Passport

Perhaps this is the most important document of all. It is proof of your identity and nationality. The passport you will show must be valid for at least 6 months after the expiration of the Schengen visa. There must also be at least 2 pages free where the Embassy or Consulate will attach your visa.

Portugal Visa Application Form

All Portuguese visa applications must come with an application form. This form is available for download from the website of the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The form is also available on the e-visa website.

You must download the form, complete it, and sign it before sending your application to the Embassy. Do note that your application will be rejected if you do not sign your form or forget to attach it.

If you are making the trip with a minor or disabled, you are required to sign the form yourself on their behalf.

Proof of Funds

It is vital that you show you can fend for yourself when you get to Portugal. You have to convince the Embassy and Consulate that you have enough money for your airfare to and fro and your living, accommodation and feeding expenses.

You can show this by submitting a notarised bank statement if you submit the document by yourself. While there is no specific amount the Embassy stipulated to be in your bank account before moving to Portugal, it is advised you have €45 to €75 to spend daily.

Receipt of Visa Fee Payment

Your application is incomplete if it does not include your Portugal visa fees payment receipt. If you submit your application without this, the Embassy or Consulate will not process your application.

Ties to Tunisia

Overstaying is a severe immigration crime, and as such, you need to prove to the Portuguese authorities that you do not intend to overstay. You must show them proof that you are leaving the country once your visa expires. There are options below that you can choose from:

• Presenting a marriage or birth certificate that shows you have a family you need to return to in Tunisia.
• Presenting a letter from the school you attend showing you are on break but will need to return when your break ends to avoid losing your admission.
• Presenting proof that you have booked a flight to Portugal and back to Tunisia.
• Presenting a business licence showing you have a company you run that you must return to Tunisia to manage.
• Presenting a letter from your employer showing you are on leave and would need to return to work when the leave expires or stand a chance of losing your job.

Cover Letter

You must present a cover letter when applying for a Schengen visa. This letter is addressed to the Consulate or Embassy. The purpose of this letter is to specify the details of your trip to Portugal. You have to tell the Embassy your intended arrival and departure date. If you want to visit other Schengen countries, mention this in your letter.

Passport Photograph

Another document you need to present to the Embassy or Consulate when making an application is your passport photographs. You need 2 photographs that show all the details of your face clearly. If you wear medicated glasses, you must ensure the camera light is not reflecting on the glass.

Medical Insurance Certificate

Before you enter Portugal, whether on a short or long-stay visa, you must get an EU-standard medical insurance certificate. Your medical policy certificate must cover at least €30,000.

Get Your Supporting Documents Together

The first thing to do when you want to apply for a Schengen visa is to gather all your supporting documents. It is advisable to gather these documents before you start the application. Doing so will make your application less burdensome and swift.

Should you need help at this stage, our team can help you out. Call us at +44 (0)333 305 9375. We are also available to take your messages online. Alternatively, you can use the documents required section as a guide in gathering the documents you need.

Complete Your Application Form

The next step after getting all your documents is to get the application form. You must complete the form and sign it for it to be valid.

Plan the Submission of Your Documents

After completing the application form, you have to schedule your appointment with the Portuguese Embassy or Consulate. You can call them on the phone or send an email. You can also go to the Embassy to schedule your appointment there.

Proceed to the Consular section of the Portuguese Embassy in Tunis, located at 2 Rue Sufétula, Tunis Belvédère. Upon getting there, get an appointment date. Come back and drop off your application on the said date.

Bear in mind that you must submit your application on the date given to you by the Embassy. The Portuguese Embassy does not accept walk-in submissions.

Your biometrics will be collected after the Consulate officers are satisfied with the documents you presented in your application. You are exempt from this only if you are under 12, cannot provide fingerprints or a diplomat.

Pay the Relevant Visa Fees

You should also pay your visa fees. You can make payments online by using a credit card. You can also pay by writing a cheque or via money transfer in favour of the Embassy. If you cannot pay via these options, you can attach a money order for the Embassy to use.

You can also pay your fees at the Embassy. However, you must attach the fee payment receipt to your application package before submission. Remember, applications without the receipt of visa fee payment will not be processed.

Pick Up Your Visa

After you have submitted your visa, you can now await a decision from the Embassy. The Embassy will notify you via mail or phone if your visa application is successful. They will also tell you where and when to come for your visa pick-up.

Overview

Another visa you can apply for is the golden visa. This is also known as the Portugal investment visa. The golden visa is the permit you get to live, work, study or do business in Portugal after you have invested between €200,000 and €500,000 in Portugal.

This visa is valid for 5 years. After that, the holder can apply for citizenship or permanent residence. After getting your citizenship, you can also get a Portuguese passport, which makes you an EU citizen. They can also wish to continue living in Portugal on a golden visa.

The golden visa is also a valid visa for family reunification. You can move to Portugal with your family. Upon getting there, they can live, study and work freely. You and your family can also visit Schengen countries for 90 days without applying for a visa.

While the downside of this visa is that it is for the rich, Portugal has also added incentives to make the golden visa more attractive. Here are some of those incentives:

Family Reunification

If you apply for the golden visa, you can visit Portugal with your family. However, there are stipulated family members that can go with or join you in Portugal. They are:

• Your de facto partner or spouse.
• Your children 18 and below.
• Your dependent and unmarried children above 18, and have a study offer from a Portuguese institution.
• Your siblings who are your legal wards and are below 18.
• Your parents if they are above 64 and are dependent on you.
• Your spouse’s parents if they are above 64 and are dependent on them.
• Your spouse’s siblings who are their legal wards and are below 18

Exemption from Paying Taxes

As a golden visa holder, you can become a non-habitual resident (NHR). As an NHR, you are not required to pay tax on any money you earn outside of Portugal. But your investment in Portugal will be taxed at a reduced rate. You will be taxed 20% of your income instead of 48%.

Minimum Stay Requirement

If you have a golden visa and opt to be an NHR, you must only stay 7 days at a stretch out of 365 days a year.

Route to Citizenship

After 5 years of being on a golden visa, you can apply for citizenship and get your Portuguese passport.

Access to the Schengen Zone

With the golden visa, you and your family members can visit the Schengen zone and stay for 90 days without needing to apply for a visa.

Golden Visa Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for a golden visa, you are required to meet the following criteria:

• You must be at least 18.
• You must have invested in Portugal between €200,000 and €500,000.
• You must have acquired the money you are using for investment in Portugal outside of Portugal.
• You have not been convicted of any criminal offence.
• You must have medical insurance valid for all EU countries and cover at least €30,000.
• You must have enough funds to take care of yourself in Portugal.
• You must sign an affidavit promising to maintain your investment in Portugal for 5 years.
• You must have a NIF number and a Portuguese bank account.

Valid Investments Routes for the Golden Visa

You must note the valid investment routes so you can invest correctly. Here are the valid investments:

• €500,000 to start a business or a company that will offer at least 10 persons permanent roles.
• €400,000 in an existing business or company offering at least 8 persons permanent roles.
• €200,000 to €400,000 to maintain or repair a dilapidated piece of art or cultural symbol.
• €200,000 to €400,000 to conduct research in science, engineering or tech in Portugal.

Documents Required

Present these documents while applying for your golden visa:

• • Valid passport issued in the last 10 years and valid 3 months after your visa has expired.
  • Criminal Record certificate from the Police in Tunisia and every other country you have spent at least 3 months in the past 5 years.
  • Recent passport photograph no later than 6 months.
  • Affidavit showing you would take care of the investment for a minimum of 5 years.

Receipt of visa fee payment.

• Filled out visa application form that is duly signed.
• Evidence you have invested in Portugal
• Marriage and birth certificate that shows you have a family.

Fees for the Golden Visa

• €533 processing fee.
• €83 visa fee for each family member.
• €5325 visa application fee.

Note that the Embassy does not refund these fees even in the case of a visa rejection.

Processing Time

It might be up to 2 years before your application is approved and you move to Portugal.

Overview

The D7 visa is available for Tunisians who are digital nomads, freelancers, self-employed, passive income earners or remote workers.

With this visa, you can only take jobs you can do remotely and get paid for from outside Portugal. You are not permitted to apply for jobs in Portugal.

The D7 visa is of 2 types: the temporary stay and residency visa.

When you apply for a temporary stay visa, you get a permit to work remotely for 1 year in Portugal. It can be extended for 2 years, giving you multiple entries into Portugal. With the visa, you get visa-free access to the Schengen zone. The downside of this visa is that it does not allow for family reunification. It is also not a route to citizenship or permanent residency.

Unlike the temporary stay, the residency visa is a route to permanent residency or citizenship. It also allows you to come to Portugal with your family. The residency visa gives you 2 years to work in Portugal. You can extend for 3 more years. With this visa, you have only 2 entries into Portugal.

When you apply for the D7 visa in Tunisia, you are issued a permit that lets you enter Portugal and stay for 4 months. Within those 4 months, you must change your entry permit to a resident permit that will cover you throughout your stay.

Eligibility Criteria

If you want to apply for a D7 visa, you are required to prove your eligibility by presenting these documents:

• Valid Tunisian passport.
• Recent digital passport photograph.
• Portuguese bank account. (Note: If you have an account with a bank with a branch in Portugal, you have met this requirement).
• NIF number from the tax offices in Portugal.
• Birth certificate proving you are at least 18.
• Marriage and birth certificates if you intend to move with your family.
• Medical insurance policy certificate covering medical expenses of up to €30,000.
• Proof that your source of income will outlast your visa’s validity.
• Criminal history certificate from the Police in Tunisia.
• Cover letter stating why you want to come to Portugal.

Application Fee

• You will pay €180 as the application fee.
• You will pay €320 to obtain your residence permit.

Processing Time

The Embassy typically takes 90 to 180 days to decide on your visa application.

After the SEF interviews you, getting your residence permit could take 2 weeks.

Overview

If you intend to study or conduct research in Portugal, you must apply for a study visa. The study visa is of two categories: the short-term visa and the long-term visa.

The short-term visa is for Tunisians taking courses that will not take more than 90 days to end. The validity of the visa is 90 days.

The long-term visa is for Tunisians studying courses requiring them to stay more than 90 days in Portugal.

The validity of the visa is 1 year, but it can be extended until you finish your course.

Your relatives can join you in Portugal, but must be your spouse, children or both.

Eligibility Criteria

To prove you are eligible for the study visa, you must show the following:

• Tunisian passport, issued within the past 10 years, and would still be valid up to 3 months after your visa expires.
• Recent passport photograph (not later than 6 months).
• Admission letter from a school in Portugal.
• Proof you have paid the tuition fee as demanded by your institution. If you have any document proving that your tuition is covered, you can also present that.
• Proof you have accommodation in Portugal. You could show you have rented an apartment, bought a house, booked a hotel or have someone willing to house you throughout your stay.
• Completed Portuguese national visa application form.
• Criminal record certificate from Tunisia.
• Medical Insurance certificate that has a minimum value of €30000.
• Cover letter that speaks to what you are going to Portugal to do.

Fees

• €90 for the application at the Portuguese Embassy in Tunisia.
• €83 for the residence permit in Portugal.
• €72 for the SEF to issue a residence permit.

Processing Time

It may take between 4 and 12 weeks to get a decision on your application. To avoid delays, which could lead to missing some essential resumption activities in school, you should apply for a visa immediately after you get your letter of acceptance from the school.

Overview

If you have a job offer from a Portugal-based employer, you can apply for a work visa as a Tunisian citizen. The visa has 1-year validity but can be extended as long as your employer needs you. After 5 years on a work visa, you can switch to permanent residence or citizenship.

The Portuguese work visa is unique in the sense that your employer is the one who starts the application process for you. They have to inform the labour authorities in Portugal that they want to employ you.

If the authorities approve of this, you can now start your application. The Portuguese Embassy in Tunisia will issue you a residency visa, which you must change to a residence permit within 120 days of entering Portugal.

You can also move to Portugal with your family on a work visa.

Note that with this visa, you can only work for the employer who requested it. You cannot live anywhere apart from the location specified by your employer.

If you want to change jobs and locations, it must be approved by the SEF. Your prospective employer will have to seek approval from the SEF. If it gets approved, you must start the work visa application process anew.

If you do not have a job offer from Portugal but wish to work in the country, you can apply for the Job Seeker Visa. With this visa, you can come to Portugal and look for a job within 4 months.

Eligibility Criteria

To prove you are eligible for the work visa, you must present the following documents:

• Employment contract from a Portugal-based employer.
• Medical insurance policy certificate that is worth a minimum of €30000.
• Birth and Marriage certificate if you are travelling with your family.
• Bank statement showing that you can cater to yourself in Portugal.
• Criminal record certificate from the Police in Tunisia.
• Valid Tunisian passport.
• Consent form that shows you have permitted SEF to run a background check on you.
• Document showing you have a place to stay in Portugal.

Fees

• €90 for the visa application from Tunisia.
• €83 for the application for a residence permit.
• €72 for the issuance of a residence permit.

Processing Time

You may have to wait for 2 months before the SEF approves the request of your employer.

You may have to wait for 3 months for the Embassy to respond to your visa application.