Visa-free travels for Portugal passport holders

The list of 172 visa-free countries for Portugal includes states allowing Portuguese passport holders entry without a visa.

The states that issue a visa on arrival or online are included in the list because to visit them, Portuguese citizens do not have to go to the consulate, queue, or make appointments, that is, handle all the visa hassles people want to avoid so much.

The difference between entry conditions is the following:

1. Visa-free entry allows passing the country’s border just on your passport without any additional entry permit. Portugal has visa waiver agreements with all European countries. Overall, the list of visa-free countries for a Portugal passport includes 117 states.

2. The eTA, or the Electronic Travel Authorization, is a visa type you apply for and receive online. The process can take a couple of minutes to 2—3 days, depending on the country. 27 countries issue an eTA for Portuguese citizens.

3. The visa on arrival is a type of visa one gets immediately after crossing the border of the host country — for example, at the airport or the checkpoint. 28 states grant such visas to the Portuguese.

The freedom of travel that a Portuguese passport provides is one of the reasons so many people are looking to obtain citizenship of Portugal.

The EU and Schengen Area. As Portugal is a part of the Schengen agreement, its citizens and residents can travel visa-free to all the Schengen countries and stay there for a maximum of 90 days in total within every 6 months.

EU states that are not part of the Schengen Area, namely Bulgaria, Cyprus, Romania, and Ireland, also allow visa-free entry for citizens of Portugal. They can stay in each country for 90 days every 6 months.

Stays in non-Schengen countries are calculated individually. If one spends 90 days in Bulgaria, they can immediately travel to Romania and spend another 90 days there.

The UK. Portuguese citizens who visit the UK for tourism can stay there for up to 6 months without a visa. For that, they need only a passport valid for the whole duration of their stay in the country.

The United States. To visit the USA, Portuguese passport holders must apply for an eTA. The application takes around 20 minutes, and the document is ready within several minutes

The eTA allows only short visits for up to 90 days. The application fee is $21.

Canada. For Canada, an eTA is also required. The document is valid for 6 months. The application process is straightforward and won’t take more than half an hour. Another thirty minutes after submission takes the issuance of an eTA.

Those who enter Canada from the USA by land or sea do not need an eTA.

Australia. For short stays in Australia, EU citizens, including the Portuguese, need an eVisitor visa. It’s a type of visa to apply for online. An eVisitor entry permit is valid for one year and allows multiple entries to the country. Each stay should not exceed 90 days.

Singapore. To enter Singapore, citizens of Portugal need to apply for an SG Arrival Card, which can be obtained online. After that, staying in the country for 90 days is possible.

Hong Kong. For EU citizens, including the Portuguese, Hong Kong allows visa-free entry for short stays of up to 3 months.

Portugal. Portuguese citizens are not obliged to live in Portugal, but many choose to relocate or at least travel around the country. The country has something for anyone: ocean and surfing places, mountains and spectacular hiking trails, old castles and vibrant cities. On top of that, Portugal can brag about warm, sunny weather all year long.

There are several ways to obtain a Portuguese passport. A marriage to a Portuguese citizen or employment by a local company can lead to citizenship by naturalisation. Other paths that allow foreigners to become Portuguese citizens in several years are the D7 Visa, the Digital Nomad Visa and the Golden Visa.

The D7 Visa, or the Passive Income Visa, is issued to financially independent foreigners. To obtain the visa, one should buy or rent residential property in Portugal and prove to have a passive income, which must exceed the minimum wage. In 2024, the minimum monthly salary is €820, meaning the D7 Visa applicant demonstrates an income of at least €9,840 a year.

After the D7 visa, its holder gets a two-year residence permit that can be extended for another 3 years. The residence permit gives the right to work in Portugal and travel across the Schengen Area visa-free. To maintain residency, one should spend 183 days a year in Portugal.

After five years of temporary residency, they can apply for permanent residence or citizenship.

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The Digital Nomad Visa is granted to freelancers and remote workers on a permanent contract. To qualify, applicants must have arranged accommodation in Portugal, and their monthly income should be more than the country’s four minimum wages; the required amount is €3,040.

Candidates can apply for a temporary stay visa to reside in Portugal for up to a year or a residency visa that grants the right to apply for a 2-year residency. The residency visa can be extended, and after 5 years, one can apply for citizenship by naturalisation.

The Portugal Golden Visa allows wealthy foreigners to obtain a residence permit by investment of €250,000+ in the country’s economy. Investment options include:

• purchasing investment fund units;

• funding a company;

• investing in the country’s culture or research.

The Golden Visa does not require its holder to reside in Portugal permanently. To maintain the status and qualify for citizenship in future, the investor has to spend at least 7 days a year in the country.

The residence permit is to be renewed every two years. After five years of holding residency, the investor can apply for citizenship.

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A golden visa holder doesn’t have the same travel opportunities as a citizen. While the list of visa-free countries narrows down, it still includes all the Schengen states, as well as Cyprus, and Romania. These are usually the most desired travel destinations.

In total, 28 countries are visa-free for Portuguese Golden Visa holders.

1. Freedom of travel. The Portugal passport allows visa-free travel to 172 countries, including the USA, Canada, and Australia.

2. Business and work opportunities. Portuguese citizens can open a business in Portugal or any other European country. Additionally, being a citizen of Portugal, one can apply for a local or EU-based job without any work permits required.

3. Various paths to citizenship. Foreigners usually obtain Portugal citizenship by naturalisation, which requires getting a residence permit first. There are different paths for residency, including the D7 Passive Income Visa, the Digital Nomad Visa and the Golden Visa for investors. They all lead to a residence permit and citizenship in 5 years of living in Portugal.

4. Moving to Portugal or keeping the option of a “safe haven”. Investors with a Portuguese passport can settle down in Lisbon or any other city in Portugal no matter what is happening in their home country — a political crisis, a healthcare system breakdown, or a personal threat to family members.

Even when everything is fine in the investor’s current country of residence, Portugal is still a wonderful place to move to.

5. Opportunity to move to other EU countries. As Portugal is an EU member state, its citizens can live in any other EU country without a residence permit.

6. Access to European education. Portugal passport holders can study at local universities without tuition fees or choose to enrol at any other EU university. They enjoy other EU students' rights, pay lower tuition fees, and can apply for scholarships.

7. High quality of life. Portugal features affordable prices compared to other EU countries. At the same time, it provides a high quality of life and is ranked in the top 30 prosperous countries of the world.