Student visa for Portugal: documents, fees and steps

Documents requested

National visa application form ("requerimento"), filled in and signed by the applicantThe visa portal requires a requerimento on the official model, filled in and signed by the applicant; for a minor or a person lacking capacity, it is signed by the legal guardian.
Two identical passport-type photographs, recent and in good condition for identificationThe general list requires two identical passport-type photographs, recent and allowing the applicant to be identified.
Passport or other travel document valid for more than 3 months after the planned duration of stay, with a photocopy of the biographical pageThe travel document must remain valid for more than three months beyond the planned duration of stay. The page also requires a photocopy of its identity page (biographical page).
Criminal record certificate from the country of origin or from the country of residence for more than one year, with The Hague apostille or legalizedConditions and details
The criminal record certificate is issued by the country of origin or by the country where the applicant has resided for more than one year. It bears The Hague apostille, if applicable, or is legalized. Minors under 16 years of age are exempt from it.

Depending on your situation

Proof of lawful stay in the country of submission, for an applicant who does not have its nationality, valid beyond the end of the visa requestedConditions and details
A person applying for the visa in a country of which they are not a national attaches proof of their lawful status in that country, whose validity extends beyond the end date of the visa requested. This condition is to be verified by the applicant.
Travel insurance covering emergency medical assistance and repatriation, unless a waiver appliesConditions and details
The general list requires valid travel insurance covering the expenses necessary for medical reasons, including emergency medical assistance and possible repatriation. The page notes that this requirement may be lifted by a bilateral or international medical assistance agreement that recognizes the insurance of certain beneficiaries (Brazil and the United Kingdom are cited as examples). It also states that higher-education students admitted to an institution officially recognized under the law on foreigners are exempt from presenting health insurance or equivalent cover, proof of admission, travel insurance and means of subsistence.
Proof of meeting admission requirements or of acceptance into higher education, unless presentation is waivedConditions and details
The student proves that they meet the admission conditions or have been accepted into a higher-education institution to follow a study programme, and that they have sufficient resources. The law exempts students admitted to an institution approved under Article 91, paragraph 5 et seq., from presenting these supporting documents. The portal also exempts scholarship holders, in particular from the Camões Institute, from supporting documents for admission and means of subsistence. It exempts from proof of means of subsistence the national of a third country with Portuguese as an official language admitted to higher education. These documentary waivers do not exempt from meeting the conditions of the route.
Proof of means of subsistence for studying, unless waived: reference to the guaranteed monthly minimum wage (920 EUR in 2026)Conditions and details
The portal requires proof of means of subsistence allowing the person to live in Portugal. For studies, they are assured for 12 months, or for the number of months of stay in an exchange programme; they may be reduced by half if accommodation is assured, and by up to 90% if meals are also assured. The reference is the guaranteed monthly minimum wage (920 euros in 2026), taken net of social security contributions and counted per person in the household: 100% for the first adult, 50% for each subsequent adult, 30% for children under 18 years of age and dependent adult children. Means from subsidies, scholarships, an employment contract or a promise of an employment contract may be taken into account. Waivers of supporting documents are provided for students admitted to an approved institution, scholarship holders and nationals of countries with Portuguese as an official language admitted to higher education. Article 62, paragraph 9, also allows a waiver of the minimum amount according to the circumstances of the case; have the applicable waiver confirmed by the consulate.

Official fees

National long-stay visa: administrative processing fee for the application, per application 110 €

Steps

Meet the admission conditions or be accepted into higher education; prepare the proof of admission and resources taking into account the exemptions provided for.
Identify on the page "Onde deve solicitar visto" the consular post of Portugal, or the external service provider, competent according to nationality or country of residence.
Download, fill in and sign the national visa application form, then gather the documents in the "Residência" list.
Apply for the visa at the competent consular post or at the external service provider it designates.
Pay the national visa processing fee of 110 euros, unless an exemption applies.
Wait for the decision: the period is 60 days for a residence visa, except for shorter periods provided for by law.
If the visa is granted: it is valid for two entries and four months, and a residence pre-authorisation is issued with it (tax, social security and health numbers allocated provisionally).
After entry into Portugal, apply to AIMA for the student permit by appointment, with form and documents. Use the electronic platform only if it is available for your procedure.
Receive the student permit: in principle three years, or the duration of the programme if it is shorter; particular durations apply to mobility programmes.

Where to apply

Consular post of Portugal (embassy or consulate general) competent according to nationality and country of residence, listed country by country on the page "Onde deve solicitar visto"
External service provider (VFS) indicated next to many posts for the receipt of national visa applications
"Formulários" page of the visa portal: national visa application form to be filled in and signed
AIMA offices, by appointment, for the student residence permit application after entry into Portugal
AIMA electronic platform, being set up for residence visa holders

Good to know

Residence visa and temporary-stay visa for studiesConditions and details
The portal classifies studies under two types of national visa: the temporary-stay visa, which allows entry for stays of less than one year, valid for the duration of the stay and for multiple entries, and the residence visa, valid for two entries and for four months, during which period the holder applies to AIMA for a document to establish residence. For higher education (bachelor's degree, master's, doctorate, post-doctorate), the "Estudo" table refers, in the residence tab, to a residence visa for research, studies, secondary-school pupil exchange, internship and volunteering.
Studies of one year or less: temporary-stay visaConditions and details
The portal reserves the temporary-stay visa (less than one year) for study programmes with a duration equal to or less than one year and for student exchanges of the same duration. It then requires, together with the common documents, the proof of acceptance issued by the institution and a declaration of reception by a family or proof of accommodation; the transport ticket guaranteeing return is also required. This sheet describes the residence visa, for longer studies: check the visa that corresponds to the duration of your programme.
Persons exempt from the long-stay visaConditions and details
The long-stay visa is required of all nationals of third countries who wish to stay in Portugal for more than 90 days. It does not apply to nationals of a Member State of the European Union, of a State party to the European Economic Area or of a third country linked to the Union by an agreement on the free movement of persons, nor to members of their family.
Nationals of the EU, the EEA, Andorra and Switzerland: right of entry and residenceConditions and details
AIMA states that nationals of all European Union countries, family members who accompany or join them, and nationals of States party to the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway), of the Principality of Andorra and of Switzerland, as well as their relatives, enjoy the right of entry, stay and residence in Portugal. This right derives from Law No. 37/2006; it is sufficient to prove nationality or the family link, without a residence permit.
Visa fee exemptionsConditions and details
The fees page exempts in particular children up to 6 years of age, descendants of holders of a residence permit under family reunification, foreign nationals who receive a study scholarship awarded by the Portuguese State, highly qualified research activities (residence and temporary stay) and certain patients benefiting from cooperation agreements in the field of health, together with their accompanying persons.
Validity of the residence visa and residence pre-authorisationConditions and details
The residence visa allows entry into Portugal in order to apply for a residence permit. It is valid for two entries and for four months. Its issuance is accompanied by a residence pre-authorisation, which carries the information on obtaining the permit and the provisional allocation of the tax, social security and health numbers. The decision period is 60 days, except for shorter periods provided for by law.
Health insurance required by law for this visaConditions and details
The law requires health insurance, or equivalent cover, for the planned duration of the stay. For a student admitted to an institution approved under Article 91, paragraph 5 and following, Article 62, paragraph 5, waives the presentation of supporting documents for health insurance, admission and resources, as well as the means of subsistence and travel insurance provided for in Article 52. This waiver concerns the presentation of documents. The minimum amount of means of subsistence may also be waived depending on the circumstances of the case.
General conditions and grounds for refusal of the residence visaConditions and details
Subject to the particular conditions and exemptions provided for, the visa is granted only if the applicant is not subject to a removal measure with an entry ban, is not flagged for the purposes of refusal of entry or return, and has means of subsistence, a valid travel document and travel insurance (and, if a minor, parental authorisation). The residence visa is refused to a person who has been convicted of a crime punishable in Portugal by a prison sentence of more than one year, even if not served or suspended, and to a person who constitutes a danger or threat to public order, security, national defence or public health.
Student residence permit issued by AIMAConditions and details
The student residence permit is valid for three years and renewable for equal periods; if the programme is shorter, it is issued for its duration. For European Union or multilateral mobility programmes, or agreements between institutions, it is two years or the duration of the programme if that is shorter; it may be one year if the conditions of Article 62, paragraph 4, are not met at the time of its issuance. Its holder may work as an employee or self-employed person in addition to his or her studies. The possibility previously provided for in Article 91, paragraph 4, of obtaining this permit without a residence visa after a lawful entry was repealed as of 11 September 2026. It must no longer be presented as an open procedure on that basis; for a situation already initiated, ask AIMA for confirmation.
Documents requested by AIMA for the residence permitConditions and details
For the student residence permit, AIMA requests a valid passport, a valid residence visa, a declaration on honour of the address and of the right to occupy the accommodation, with proof of ownership or a declaration by the landlord or the host as the case may be, means of subsistence, the criminal record of the country of nationality or of the country where the student resided for more than one year before settling in Portugal, proof of enrolment, proof of payment of tuition fees where they apply, and health insurance or proof of coverage by the National Health Service. The student admitted to an approved institution is exempt from presenting proof of means of subsistence and of payment of tuition fees. The scholarship holder of the Camões Institute is exempt from proof of enrolment, payment of fees, health insurance and means of subsistence. These are exemptions from presenting documents, not free education. The reference still present on the AIMA page to the former Article 91, paragraph 4, must be read together with its repeal as of 11 September 2026.
Family members who accompany the studentConditions and details
The portal provides for a residence visa to accompany an applicant for a residence visa: the family links must be proven and the applicant and the relatives accompanying him or her must have sufficient stable and regular resources, for the shorter of these two periods: the duration of stay requested or 12 months. Family members include in particular the spouse, minor or incapable dependent children and the partner in a de facto union. This visa is not intended for relatives of legal residents in Portugal, who apply for a family reunification visa after AIMA's decision.
Basic documents: the post may request othersConditions and details
The documents indicated by the portal are the basic documents: the consular post may request additional documentation. Therefore consult the page of the competent post and, if it designates one, that of the external service provider.
Refusal and appealsConditions and details
A refusal may be challenged under Portuguese law: complaint to the author of the decision within 15 days of notification, hierarchical appeal to the member of the Government responsible for Foreign Affairs within three months (filed at the consular post), or administrative action before the Lisbon administrative circle court within three months. These avenues are not mutually exclusive. The processing of each administrative guarantee procedure costs 75 euros, except for applications arising from family reunification authorisations.

Nationalities covered

This procedure applies to 217 nationalities.

Afghanistan
Åland Islands
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Bouvet Island
Brazil
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Brunei
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Caribbean Netherlands
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Côte d'Ivoire
Cuba
Curaçao
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Fiji
French Guiana
French Polynesia
French Southern Territories
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Honduras
Hong Kong
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Isle of Man
Israel
Jamaica
Japan
Jersey
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Macao
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
North Korea
North Macedonia
Northern Mariana Islands
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestine
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn Islands
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Réunion
Russia
Rwanda
Saint Barthélemy
Saint Helena
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
São Tomé and Príncipe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Sint Maarten
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Korea
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Türkiye
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
U.S. Outlying Islands
U.S. Virgin Islands
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Wallis and Futuna
Western Sahara
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Official links

Residência - Documentação instrutória - Vistos Nacionais - Vistos (new tab) vistos.mne.gov.pt
Regime jurídico de entrada, permanência, saída e afastamento de estrangeiros do território nacional | DR (new tab) diariodarepublica.pt
Meios de subsistência - Documentação instrutória - Vistos Nacionais - Vistos (new tab) vistos.mne.gov.pt
Diário da República — Portaria n.º 1563/2007 (new tab) diariodarepublica.pt
Tipo de visto - Informação Geral - Vistos Nacionais - Vistos (new tab) vistos.mne.gov.pt
Estada Temporária - Documentação instrutória - Vistos Nacionais - Vistos (new tab) vistos.mne.gov.pt
Quem precisa de visto - Informação Geral - Vistos Nacionais - Vistos (new tab) vistos.mne.gov.pt
Nacionais UE e Familiares - AIMA (new tab) aima.gov.pt
Emolumentos - Informação Geral - Vistos Nacionais - Vistos (new tab) vistos.mne.gov.pt
Diário da República — Assembleia da República (new tab) diariodarepublica.pt
Autorização de Residência Emitida a Estudantes do Ensino Superior – Art. 91.º - Estudar | Studying - AIMA (new tab) aima.gov.pt
Mecanismos de impugnação - Vistos Nacionais - Vistos (new tab) vistos.mne.gov.pt
Onde deve solicitar visto - Informação Geral - Vistos Nacionais - Vistos (new tab) vistos.mne.gov.pt
Formulários - Informação Geral - Vistos Nacionais - Vistos (new tab) vistos.mne.gov.pt

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