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Visa and Residence Permit

Visa and Residence Permit

European Union (EU) Citizens:  No visa needed. EU citizens only need to travel with a valid National Identity Card or a valid Passport and the European Health Insurance Card. For stays longer than 3 months, EU citizens must also register at the Lisbon City Hall or the City Hall of the students' residence in Portugal. More information about this registration can be found here (Portuguese only).

Non-European (Non-EU) Citizens: 

For stays longer than 3 months and up to 1 year: non-EU students need to apply for a Student Visa at a Portuguese Embassy or Portuguese Consulate in their home country or in their country of residence before entering Portugal. A Student Visa may take up to 3 months to be issued. While staying in our country students may be required to extend their Student Visas.

For stays longer than one year: non-EU students will need a Residence Permit. Firstly, in order to apply for a Residence Permit, students need to have completed and entered a Residence Visa into their passports before entering Portugal (valid for a period of 4 months). Non-Eu students can apply for the Residence Visa at a Portuguese Embassy or Portuguese Consulate in their home country or in their country of residence. Afterwards, the application for a Residence Permit is automatically appointed at the Integration, Migration and Asylum Agency (AIMA) and it must be submitted personally on a standard form signed by the applicant.  The application can be submitted at any AIMA’s directorate or regional delegation and it may take up to 90 working days to be issued by our authorities. Residence permits are valid according to the duration of the student's program.

Non-EU students that are holders of a Residence Permit for study purposes in a higher education institution of an EU member state, that intend to participate in an international mobility program, like Erasmus+, can inform AIMA, within a maximum of 30 days before the beginning of their program, that they will be traveling to Portugal to participate in the aforementioned program. This communication can be made by e-mail, including additional documentation, plus the corresponding travel tickets (arrival and departure) for the period of mobility. After you comply with this procedure, AIMA will issue you an official entry form stating that you are allowed to stay until a maximum of 360 days.   

Important: Non-EU students who already have an European Residence Permit from another country must keep it valid throughout their stay in Portugal.   

The authority in Portugal responsible for these issues is the Integration, Migration and Asylum Agency (AIMA).

 

For your Residence Permit request, some or all of the following standard documents may be required:

  • Residence Visa
  • Two identical passport-sized color photographs with plain background
  • Valid Passport
  • Completed AIMA's application form
  • Proof of address
  • Proof of sufficient means of support
  • Criminal record from the country of nationality of the person applying or criminal record from the country where the citizen resided for more than one year before residing in Portugal, duly authenticated
  • Proof of enrollment
  • Proof that you have no debts at Universidade Católica Portuguesa 
  • Proof of health insurance coverage or proof that you are covered by the National Health Service

 

More Information:

If you require more information please check AIMA’s website or contact our Student Experience team at we.are.clsbe@ucp.pt.

We collaborate closely with a dedicated team of legal experts who will support you every step of the way through the process.

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