# Portugal VFS Appointment from India: Slots, Fees and Tips > How Indians book a Portugal VFS appointment: which of the 12 centres to choose, the INR 3384 pre-paid service fee, who cannot self-book and when to apply. _Published: 2026-10-22 · Reading time: 6 min · Words: 1401_ ## TL;DR Portugal visa appointments in India are booked on the VFS Global website, with the INR 3384 service fee pre-paid online at booking. Your centre must sit in the jurisdiction (New Delhi Embassy or Goa Consulate General) where you have lived for at least 6 months. D1 and E8 work-visa slots are requested by the Portuguese employer, not booked by you. ## Key takeaways - Portugal appointments are booked on the VFS Global website; the INR 3384 service fee is pre-paid online and is non-refundable. - The adult short-stay Schengen visa fee is INR 9736 / EUR 90; children aged 6-12 pay INR 4868 / EUR 45. - Residents of Goa, Maharashtra and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu apply at VFS Mumbai, Goa or Pune for the Consulate General in Goa. - D1 and E8 work-visa appointments are requested by the Portuguese employer through the Embassy in New Delhi, not booked by the applicant. - Short-stay decisions are due within 15 calendar days from admissibility, extendable up to 45 calendar days. **According to VFS Global India, you book a Portugal visa appointment online on the VFS website and pre-pay the INR 3384 service fee while booking; the INR 9736 (EUR 90) adult Schengen visa fee is paid separately. Choose one of 12 VFS centres in the jurisdiction where you have lived for at least 6 months.** ## Article VFS Global is the Embassy of Portugal's external service provider in India, so the appointment is the one step every applicant goes through. This guide covers the centre choice, the booking sequence, what you pay and which categories you cannot book yourself, as published on the official sources, checked on 2026-10-15. For categories and checklists in one place, see our Portugal visa guide for Indians. ### Which VFS centre can you book: New Delhi or Goa jurisdiction? Portugal splits India between two missions. Your appointment must be at a centre that serves the mission covering your home state. Mission that decidesStates and UTs coveredVFS centresEmbassy of Portugal, New DelhiAll of India except Goa, Maharashtra and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and DiuNew Delhi, Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, AhmedabadConsulate General of Portugal, GoaGoa, Maharashtra and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and DiuMumbai, Goa, PuneTwo residence rules decide whether you can apply at all. You must have been legally resident in the relevant consular jurisdiction for at least 6 months. A person who is only present there, and not resident, is accepted only with a credible, documented reason for not applying in their country of residence. The New Delhi and Goa jurisdictions publish separate document checklists. Download the checklist for your mission before you pick a date, because a Pune applicant following the New Delhi list can miss a Goa-specific item, such as the rule that photographs with eyewear are not acceptable in the Goa jurisdiction. ### How do you book a Portugal visa appointment step by step? - Pick the right category. Short-stay Schengen categories are Tourist, Business/Conference, Visiting Family and Friends, Film Crews and Transit (Seamen). Long-stay visas are either E (temporary stay) or D (residence). - Fill the application form. The Portuguese MNE visa portal offers the Schengen form as a PDF and links an online form next to it. Print every page back-to-back and sign all pages; a parent or guardian signs for a minor. - Book on the VFS website. Choose a centre in your jurisdiction and give your own mobile number. The Embassy does not accept an agent's number in place of the applicant's. - Pre-pay the service fee. The VFS service fee of INR 3384 per application is paid online at booking by Visa or MasterCard credit or debit card. It is non-refundable. - Attend in person. Every application is lodged at a VFS centre with biometrics. Applications by post or through a third person are not accepted. - Track the file. Follow the application on the VFS website. Courier return of the passport is an optional extra. ### What do you pay at booking and at the centre? ChargeAmountNotesVFS service feeINR 3384 per applicationIncludes 9% SGST and 9% CGST; pre-paid online at bookingShort-stay visa, adultINR 9736 / EUR 90Tourist, business, family visit, film crews, seamen transitShort-stay visa, child 6-12INR 4868 / EUR 45Children below 6 are exemptNational visa (E or D)INR 11900 / EUR 110As published by VFS India for long-term categoriesCourier (optional)INR 750Optional serviceSMS (optional)INR 350Optional servicePremium Lounge (optional)INR 3500 per applicationOptional serviceThe visa fee and service charge can be paid by cash, Visa, MasterCard or RuPay. The rupee amount follows the current exchange rate, so the INR figure can change while the euro fee stays fixed. Neither the visa fee nor the VFS service fee is refunded if the visa is refused. ### Which Portugal visas can you not book yourself? Some long-stay categories skip the normal self-booking route. Check this before you pay for a slot you cannot use. - D1 subordinate work. In the New Delhi jurisdiction, applicants cannot book VFS slots. The Portuguese employer asks the Embassy's visa department (visas.novadeli@mne.pt) for the appointment, and VFS then emails you the date. - E8 seasonal work over 90 days. The Portuguese employer requests the VFS appointment through the Embassy. Groups of more than 10 are accepted at VFS New Delhi only. - Accompanying family. Family members of D7 applicants apply together under DF, and family of E3 applicants apply together for EF visas, without a separate VFS appointment. - DP Skilled Job Seeker Visa. VFS India still lists the category, but the MNE visa portal says it is not yet available at Portuguese consular offices. The checklists we read do not say whether Goa-jurisdiction D1 and E8 appointments also have to come through the employer. Residents of Goa, Maharashtra and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu should confirm with the Consulate General in Goa before booking. ### How early should you book, and how long does the decision take? The official pages we checked do not publish a slot-release timetable, so book as soon as your documents are ready. The decision clock starts only once the file reaches the mission. - Short-stay Schengen: a decision within 15 calendar days from admissibility, extendable up to 45 calendar days. Transit from VFS to the Embassy takes up to two working days. The Embassy page gives an average decision period of 10 days. - Seasonal work up to 90 days: apply no later than 15 working days before travel. - Study visas D4 and E9: apply no later than 30 working days before travel. D4 takes a standard 60 calendar days and E9 a standard 30 calendar days from receipt at the Consular Section. - Work visas D1, D2 and D3: a standard 60 calendar days; D3 applications are treated as a priority. ### Who gets called for a Skype interview? Short-stay applicants, adults and children, who apply at VFS Mumbai or Pune and have not travelled to a Schengen country in the last 3 years must attend a personal interview with the Consulate by Skype. VFS schedules it. The Embassy or Consulate may also call any applicant for an interview, so keep your phone reachable after the appointment and answer from the number you gave at booking. ### Mistakes that cost Indian applicants their slot - Booking a centre outside your jurisdiction, or applying where you have lived for less than 6 months without a documented reason. - Giving an agent's phone number instead of your own. - Stapling papers. Documents must be A4, unstapled and in checklist order, in Portuguese or English (other languages translated). - Bringing a passport issued more than 10 years ago, a handwritten passport, or one with fewer than two empty pages. - Buying travel insurance outside the approved list of Indian insurers. Cover must be at least 30,000 Euro / 50,000 USD / 50,000 CHF and be submitted with the Travel Health Declaration. - Paying for a DP job-seeker slot while the MNE portal says the visa is not yet available. Your file also needs a roundtrip flight reservation and accommodation proof for the whole stay. A verifiable flight reservation is enough at this stage; the checklist does not ask for a paid ticket. Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for visa files. Packages run from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for a reservation, hotel booking, itinerary and cover letter. Reach us on WhatsApp at +91 95230 91018 or through our contact page. ### Frequently asked questions #### Is the Portugal VFS service fee refunded if I miss or cancel the appointment? VFS India describes the INR 3384 service fee as pre-paid online when booking and non-refundable. It is also not refunded if the visa is refused. Reschedule rather than book a second slot if your dates change. #### Can someone else submit my Portugal visa application at VFS? No. Portugal does not accept applications by post or through a third person; every applicant lodges the application in person at a VFS Global centre with biometrics. You must also give your own phone number when booking. #### Do Indians need an airport transit visa for a layover in Lisbon? No. India is not on the common Schengen airport-transit list or on Portugal's national additions, which name Guinea, Senegal and Uzbekistan. You still need a Schengen visa if you leave the airport. #### How many Portugal Schengen applications from India are refused? European Commission statistics record a 20.3% refusal rate for short-stay Schengen applications lodged at Portuguese consulates in India in 2025 (3,138 visas not issued; 15,422 applications lodged). In 2024 the rate was 16.2%. These figures describe past applications, not your individual chances. ## Steps 1. **Confirm your jurisdiction** — Check whether your state falls under the Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi or the Consulate General in Goa (Goa, Maharashtra, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu), and that you have lived there for at least 6 months. 2. **Fill and print the form** — Complete the Schengen application form from the MNE visa portal, print it back-to-back and sign every page. 3. **Book the VFS slot** — Choose a VFS centre in your jurisdiction on the VFS website and enter your own mobile number. 4. **Pre-pay the service fee** — Pay the INR 3384 VFS service fee online by Visa or MasterCard card while booking; it is non-refundable. 5. **Attend with your documents** — Bring the checklist documents on A4, unstapled and in order, pay the visa fee (INR 9736 / EUR 90 for adults) and give biometrics. 6. **Track the application** — Track the file on the VFS website and be ready for a possible interview call from the Embassy or Consulate. ## FAQ ### Is the Portugal VFS service fee refunded if I miss or cancel the appointment? VFS India describes the INR 3384 service fee as pre-paid online when booking and non-refundable. It is also not refunded if the visa is refused. Reschedule rather than book a second slot if your dates change. ### Can someone else submit my Portugal visa application at VFS? No. Portugal does not accept applications by post or through a third person; every applicant lodges the application in person at a VFS Global centre with biometrics. You must also give your own phone number when booking. ### Do Indians need an airport transit visa for a layover in Lisbon? No. India is not on the common Schengen airport-transit list or on Portugal's national additions, which name Guinea, Senegal and Uzbekistan. You still need a Schengen visa if you leave the airport. ### How many Portugal Schengen applications from India are refused? European Commission statistics record a 20.3% refusal rate for short-stay Schengen applications lodged at Portuguese consulates in India in 2025 (3,138 visas not issued; 15,422 applications lodged). In 2024 the rate was 16.2%. These figures describe past applications, not your individual chances. ## Sources 1. [VFS Global – Apply for Visa to Portugal in India](https://www.vfsglobal.com/one-pager/portugal/india/english/index.html) — VFS Global 2. [Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi – Consular section general information](https://novadeli.embaixadaportugal.mne.pt/en/consular-section/general-information) — Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi 3. [Consulate General of Portugal in Goa – Jurisdiction](https://goa.consuladoportugal.mne.gov.pt/pt/o-consulado/jurisdicao) — Consulate General of Portugal in Goa 4. [Embassy of Portugal New Delhi - D1 checklist (via VFS)](https://www.vfsglobal.com/one-pager/portugal/india/english/pdf/checklist-for-d1-new.pdf) — Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi