The main points
✅ In the U.S., the method of application varies depending on where you live. Some consulates accept documents directly, and some accept them through VFS visa centers. You can apply only at the consulate to whose area of jurisdiction your permanent residence belongs.
✅ The way to apply also differs. Usually you need to make an online appointment at the consulate or visa center and then submit the documents in person. However, Boston, for example, requires you to send all electronic versions of your documents first for initial verification and to get an appointment to file in person. Check with your consulate for procedures.
✅ Rental or property purchase agreements must be submitted in Portuguese, as translation is not legally binding according to the law.
✅ It is necessary to show all funds in a bank account in Portugal.
For DN visa you need to show income for the last 3 months and work contracts. For D7 visa you should prove a stable passive income - for example, provide pension certificates or payments from Social Security. For D2/4/6 visas, you need to show the employment contracts, bank statements for the last 6 months and an Income Tax Return (ITR) certificate. It is recommended that you show funds for 2 years of residency, instead of 1 (i.e., the entire term of the residence permit).
For the FBI criminal record certificate, you will need to ask the police for fingerprints. You can request the certificate online or through authorized agencies. Time: 3 to 5 working days, price from $18 to $50. You will need to have the certificate apostilled by the U.S. Department of State's Office of Authentication or - order a copy by email and a hard copy by mail. If you DO NOT open an envelope with the FBI report mailed to you, you will not need the certification (apostille) from the U.S. Department of State, except for the New York office. U.S. citizens applying from outside the United States will need the certificate apostilled.
Proof of residency for at least 12 months is required (except for some applications with a 6-month lease through Washington, D.C.). This can be a rental agreement, property purchase agreement, proof of residency on Airbnb or similar sites, staying with friends or relatives. If spouses are applying, it is advisable to have them both listed on the contract. If the contract of sale is in process, you will need a Contrato de Promessa de Compra e Venda (CPCV). If the accommodation is provided by the landlord free of charge, a Termo de responsabilidade certificate is drawn up, and the host's signature on the form must be notarized in Portugal. This is not the best option, you have to prove your relationship with the landlord and it reduces the chances of success
The main problems
✅ Processing times vary greatly from consulate to consulate. For example, in New York you can get your visa approved in 4 weeks, but in San Francisco the wait is up to 5 months.
✅ The requirements vary from consulate to consulate: they may request additional documents at their discretion.
✅ Once your visa is approved, you will receive an email telling you to send your passport to the consulate to have your visa affixed, along with a pre-paid and signed envelope to send it back. It is very important to check your spam folder and if there is a delay, check with the consulate (perhaps through a lawyer) to see if there is an error in the address. There are cases where people were not able to get their visas for over a year because of a simple error in their email addresses - the consulate itself will not try to contact you and clarify the data if there is no letter from you.
Where to apply
In USA the application for the Portugese visas is based on the jurisdiction.
✅Boston
AREAS OF JURISDICTION: States of: Maine, Massachusetts (except the area covered by New Bedford), New Hampshire and Vermont
• Use https://www.vistos.mne.pt/pt/ for applications and information. All documents should be uploaded on the site for pre-check, afterwards you will be assigned an appointment
• Consulate often requests copies of all documents
• Requires proof of travel arrangements to Portugal (entering Portugal as your first Schengen Area country)
✅New Bedford
AREAS OF JURISDICTION: Counties of: Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Nantucket and Plymouth; Cities of: Acushnet, Dartmouth, New Bedford and Fall River Use https://www.vistos.mne.pt/pt/ for applications and information.
✅New York (Uses VFS Global’s services)
AREAS OF JURISDICTION: States of: Connecticut, Michigan and New York; Territories of American Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Bermuda and Puerto Rico
• You should schedule an appointment and fill in the application form on VFS Global website.
• You should sign a form permitting Portuguese Criminal Records Check
• Consulate may request marriage and birth certificates even for solo applicants
• Correct Consular fee must be paid via Money Order/Banker/Postal/Cashier check payable to "VFS Services USA Inc.”
✅ Newark
AREAS OF JURISDICTION: States of: Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania
• Use https://www.vistos.mne.pt/pt/ for applications and information.
• Schedule an appointment on https://newark.consuladoportugal.mne.gov.pt/en/consularmatters/appointments
✅ Providence
AREAS OF JURISDICTION: State of: Rhode Island
• Consulate often requests copies of all documents
✅San Francisco (Uses VFS Global’s services)
AREAS OF JURISDICTION: States of: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming
• Requires printing out and bringing your visa application form and appointment verification
• Requires that applicants arrive no earlier than 15 minutes prior to the appointment
• Visa application form brought to the in-person interview must have your signature notarized unless you sign it in front of the agent
• Consulate often asks for a “reference” in Portugal
• Requests you complete a Release of Liability for Passport Mailing that they provide at the appointment. It specifies where you want your passport and visa sent, unless you wish to pick it up or aren’t leaving your passport
• Requesting and sometimes requiring that you leave your passport with them until it is stamped. This request isn’t legal.
• The full application package cannot exceed 50 pages
• Often pressures couples to have one person apply, the other follow Family Reunification in Portugal, to reduce their workload. Family reunification is a slightly more complicated process due to expiration of the FBI report and reprinting financial statements.
• Correct Consular fee must be paid via Money Order/Banker/Postal/Cashier check. Applications submitted to the VFS Center in San Francisco need this check payable to "Consulate General of Portugal” or “Embassy of Portugal”.
✅ Washington D.C. (Uses VFS Global’s services)
If you are a resident of the State of Illinois and need a Schengen Visa to Portugal, you can apply with the Consulate-General of Lithuania in Chicago
AREAS OF JURISDICTION: States of: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, District of Columbia.
• You should schedule an appointment and fill in the application form on VFS Global website.
• Correct Consular fee must be paid via Money Order/Banker/Cashier check. For applications submitted to the VFS Center in Washington DC, the Money order/Banker or Cashier check must be payable to “Embassy of Portugal"
Family
Each family member must fill out a separate visa application form. Some consulates advise parents of children under the age of 5 not to obtain accompanying visas but to use family reunification option within Portugal.
Tips
✅ Documents can be submitted in English, Portuguese or French.
✅ A motivation letter is required: However, do not include too much detail; it is detrimental to the consideration. The letter should mention your education, profession, reasons for choosing Portugal (family, friends, business, real estate), income, bank accounts and place of residence. You can include contacts for a landlord or your lawyer in Portugal.
✅ Prepare color notarized copies of your passport if you do not want to leave the original document at the consulate until the visa is pasted. Your passport must be maximum 10 years old and have at least 2 blank pages.
✅ If you are submitting a stamped, return address envelope (SASE) to the U.S. Department of State to return an apostilled FBI report, DO NOT use FedEx, as the Department of State does not work with this carrier and your document will be delayed.
✅ At times consulates require marriage and birth certificates even if the applicant is filing alone and is not requesting family visas.
✅ Consulates in San Francisco and Washington, D.C. sometimes ask for a recommendation from Portugal. The “reference” can be your attorney, landlord, Dean of Admissions, friend, real estate agent, family member, etc., who is a European Union citizen or permanent legal resident in Portugal. Along with the rest of your documents, submit a note with their name, address, phone number, nationality, and enclose a copy of their national ID card or residency card.
⏳ Timeframe waiting time for visa approval can take up to 5 months
