How to Apply for a Portugal Tourist Visa from India

The process below is as published on the official sources, checked on 2026-10-15: the Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi, the Consulate General of Portugal in Goa, the Portuguese Foreign Ministry's visa portal and VFS Global. Portugal has no eVisa or visa on arrival for Indian passport holders, and applications by post or through a third person are not accepted. Our Portugal visa overview for Indians covers work, study and residence routes too.

Who decides your visa: New Delhi or Goa?

Portugal splits India between two offices, and each publishes its own document checklist:

You must have been legally resident in the relevant jurisdiction for at least 6 months. Someone only present there, not resident, is accepted only with a credible, documented reason for not applying in their country of residence.

How do you apply, step by step?

1. Fill in the Schengen application form. The Portuguese visa portal offers a PDF form and an online form. Print every page back-to-back and sign it; a parent or guardian signs for a minor.
2. Book your VFS appointment online. Pre-pay the INR 3384 service fee by Visa or MasterCard when you book. Give your own phone number, not an agent's.
3. Assemble the file in checklist order. Use A4 sheets, unstapled, in Portuguese or English; translate anything else.
4. Attend the centre in person. Submit the file, give biometrics and pay the visa fee in cash or by Visa, MasterCard or RuPay.
5. Attend an interview if called. VFS schedules a Skype interview with the Consulate for short-stay applicants at VFS Mumbai or Pune who have not travelled to a Schengen country in the last 3 years. Any applicant can be called.
6. Track and collect. Follow your application on the VFS website and collect your passport, or pay INR 750 for courier return.

Which documents go into a tourist file?

The New Delhi tourism checklist starts with the same core set for everyone:

• The signed Schengen form.
• A passport issued within the last 10 years, valid at least 3 months after your return, with at least two empty pages; handwritten passports are not accepted.
• Previous passports bound with a rubber band, copies of earlier Schengen visas and any valid UK, USA or Canada visas, plus details of visa refusals in the last 2 years.
• A recent ICAO photo, 35-40mm wide, with the face filling 70-90%, not stapled or pinned.
• A personal covering letter explaining your trip plan and itinerary.
• A round-trip flight reservation, plus proof of travel between Schengen states if you visit more than one.
• Accommodation proof for the entire stay.
• Original travel medical insurance with the Travel Health Declaration: minimum 30,000 Euro / 50,000 USD / 50,000 CHF, valid in all Schengen countries, from the approved list of Indian insurers.

Then add the financial papers for your profile:

• Employed: last 3 months' personal bank statements, ITR-V for the last 2 assessment years, salary slips and your employer's letter approving the holiday.
• Self-employed or company owner: business or GST registration with annex A and B, a partnership deed or proprietorship proof, and ITRs for 2 assessment years.
• Retired: proof of regular income from pension, property or business.
• Student or unemployed: parents' bank statements and ITRs for 2 assessment years, a letter of financial support, their passport copies and your enrolment letter.

Bank documents must be originals on A4 with the bank's stamp and signature. If a Portuguese citizen or resident invites you, add an original Termo de Responsabilidade certified by a Portuguese notary or lawyer.

How much money should your statements show?

Portugal's means-of-subsistence reference, in the European Commission table dated 8 June 2026, is EUR 75 for each entry plus EUR 40 for each day spent in Portugal. Your three months of statements should show funds comfortably above that for your dates, with salary credits that match your slips and ITR.

What will the application cost?

The rupee figure follows the current exchange rate. Neither the visa fee nor the service fee is refunded if the visa is refused.

How often are Indian applications refused, and why?

European Commission data show that 20.3% of short-stay Schengen applications lodged at Portuguese consulates in India were not issued in 2025 (3,138 of 15,422), up from 16.2% in 2024. That figure describes all applications, not your personal odds. Avoid the common gaps:

• Applying in the wrong jurisdiction or without 6 months' residence there.
• Photocopied insurance instead of the original with the Travel Health Declaration.
• Stapled photos or documents out of checklist order.
• A cover letter whose dates differ from your flight and hotel bookings.

To keep the bookings consistent with your cover letter, Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, itineraries and cover letters, from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for the full bundle. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or get in touch.

Frequently asked questions

Can a travel agent submit my Portugal tourist visa for me?

No. Portugal requires every application to be lodged in person at a VFS Global centre with biometrics, and applications by post or through a third person are not accepted. You must also give your own phone number when booking, not an agent's.

Can I get a multiple-entry Portugal visa as an Indian?

Under EU Implementing Decision C(2024) 2434, Indians living and applying in India who have obtained and lawfully used two Schengen visas in the previous three years can be issued a two-year multiple-entry visa. Consulates may issue up to 5 years in justified cases.

Do I need an airport transit visa to change planes in Lisbon?

No. India is not on the common Schengen airport-transit list or on Portugal's national additions (Guinea, Senegal and Uzbekistan), so Indians changing planes in Portugal do not need an airport transit visa.

Is the Portugal visa fee different for family visits?

A family visit costs the same adult fee, INR 9736 / EUR 90. Relatives of EU, EEA, Swiss or UK nationals are listed at EUR 90 by VFS but as free by the Embassy, so confirm before you pay.