Uk Visa In Portugal
We all know of the long queues at the Embassy and lack of facilities to support the people. We want our citizens to come back home and get a good Visa. For this reason, we would like you to join us on this platform where you can get all the information you need regarding the UK visa in Portugal.
With the new visa law change for non-EU citizens, it can be a bit tricky to figure things out. For those of us that have done our research and understand the process, it still might take some time to do everything we need to do to achieve our UK Visa in Portugal.
If you are looking to relocate to Portugal, you will want to know whether or not you can live there with a UK Visa. There are many reasons you might be considering living in this country and the most common one is that you have family or friends there. Another may be that you like the country and want to learn about it better. Whatever your reason for moving, it is important that you study the facts about this move carefully before making your decision.
Visa In Portugal
If you’re planning to visit Portugal, it’s important to know what types of visas are available.
The Schengen visa allows you to travel freely throughout the Schengen Area, which includes the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary and Iceland (and Italy since 3 October 2015). However, it only gives you access to the country where it was issued. In other words, if you want to visit more than one country in the Schengen Area on your trip then you’ll need a separate visa for each one.
Portugal is part of this agreement so if you’re travelling from another country within the European Union then you won’t need a visa to enter Portugal (or any other country within Europe). However if your trip starts in another country outside Europe then yes: you will need a visa.
If you’re looking for a visa for Portugal, then you’ve come to the right place. We can help you apply for a tourist, student or family visa from the UK to visit Portugal.
We offer visas to all nationalities and our services are fast, affordable and reliable.
We provide a secure online service that is easy to use 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you are a national of a country that does not require a visa to enter Portugal, you can stay for a period of 90 days, provided that you have a valid passport or identity card.
If you wish to stay in Portugal for more than 90 days, you need to apply for a residence permit at the Portuguese Immigration and Borders Service (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras).
The residence permit is required if you intend to reside in Portugal for longer than three months, or if you intend to carry out an activity that requires authorization from the Portuguese Immigration and Borders Service (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras)
The UK is currently home to over 250,000 citizens from Portugal who make up a significant proportion of the UK’s immigrant population. Portuguese citizens choose to move to Britain for many reasons, including to study as world-class education institutions, to pursue the many career options available in the country or to join partners or family members who are already residing in the country.
It can be easy for citizens from Portugal to settle into the UK, thanks to the many Portuguese communities across the country. Including the popular Little Portugal in London, home to an estimated 27,000 Portuguese nationals, the area brings a little bit of Portugal to the United Kingdom so you won’t feel too far from home.
Can Portuguese citizens still move to the UK after Brexit?
Following the end of the Brexit transition period and the UK’s departure from the European Union, immigration between Portugal and the United Kingdom has changed drastically. The main change is that freedom of movement between the UK and the EU countries officially ended on the 31 December 2020. This means that to move to Britain, Portuguese citizens must now secure a UK visa that grants them entry into the country.
Although it is more difficult for Portuguese citizens to make the United Kingdom their home now, it is still very possible and there is a wide range of visas that citizens from Portugal could be eligible for.
EU citizens who were already living in the United Kingdom before the 1 January 2021 however, may not be affected by the immigration changes. The Withdrawal Agreement ensures that the rights of Portuguese citizens, alongside other EU citizens living in the UK, are protected. If you were resident in the UK before this date, then you could be eligible for the EU settlement scheme.
If you are granted leave to remain under the EU settlement scheme, you will not need a visa to continue living in the country. EU citizens can apply for pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme on the gov.uk website. Settled status will usually be granted to those who have lived in the UK for more than 5 years, pre-settled will be granted to those who have lived in the UK for less than 5 years. Those with pre-settled status will later be able to apply for settled status after they have met the 5 year requirement.
UK visas for Portuguese citizens
Citizens of Portugal must now apply for a visa to come to the country under the new points-based immigration system recently introduced by the UK government. If you are planning to visit as a tourist for no more than 90 days, you do not need to apply for a visa.
The points-based system requires you to score a specific number of points depending on the type of visa you are applying for. These points can usually be achieved by meeting requirements such as understanding the English language or proving that you can support yourself financially whilst in the country.
Many visas are open to citizens of Portugal, the one you will need will depend on why you want to come to the United Kingdom and how long you intend to stay. Some of the most common visas include:
- The Skilled Worker Visa – for those who have a job offer at the appropriate skill level in the UK
- The Spouse Visa – for those who would like to join a British partner in the country
- The Student Visa – for those with an offer to study on a course in the UK
- The Fiance Visa – for those planning to marry their British partner in the UK
- The Temporary Workers Visa – for those planning to work in the UK temporarily, such as a seasonal worker
These visas are used to work, study and join partners in the UK. There are also visa options for those intending to start a business in the UK, such as the Startup Visa, Innovator Visa and Investor Visa.
Permanent residency and settled status for citizens of Portugal
Portuguese nationals can usually become permanent residents in Britain after living in the country on a valid visa for at least 5 years. To be able to live in the country permanently you will need to apply for settled status under Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). Many routes lead to ILR, just a few of these include:
- The Spouse Visa
- The Skilled Worker Visa
- The Ancestry Visa
As well as meeting the residency requirement, there are a few other requirements that you will need to meet to be granted ILR, these include:
- Passing the Life in the UK test
- Demonstrating your knowledge of the English language
Indefinite Leave to Remain is also a key step for Portuguese nationals who are hoping to become a British citizen. Once you have held ILR for at least 12 months, you could be eligible to apply for British citizenship via naturalisation. Having British citizenship will give you the freedom to live, study and work in the UK free of immigration restrictions. As well as this, you will have the rights of anyone else with British citizenship, including the right to a British passport and the right to vote in all UK elections.
There are also other routes to becoming a British citizen. These include:
- Citizenship by marriage – for those who are married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen or someone with settled status in the UK
- Citizenship by Descent -For those who have British parents of grandparents
- Citizenship by Birth – Those who were born in the UK may be able to register as a British citizen
Conclusion
To sum it up, the days are gone where visa seekers find it easy to travel to Portugal from UK. It is a long time since UK was an eligible country for a visa free visit to Portugal. But, for some countries like South Africa, Brazil, Australia and Canada you can still enjoy a visa entry to Portugal for 90 days. You should be happy about this great news because Portugal is probably one of the best places to go next year in Europe. Prove the above information, view some videos and photos from your smartphone or desktop, get some inspiration for your online trip planner so that you can make the most out of this journey to see absolutely everything you wanted and finally update your blog with new content and photos on wonderful places in Portugal.
