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    Student visa guide

    Portugal student visa 2026: cost, requirements and how to apply

    The Residence Visa for Study (Article 62) costs $415 in fees nobody can skip, up to $505 if every situational extra applies.

    By Global Admissions Editorial · Checked against 4 official sources

    How much does a Portugal student visa cost in 2026?

    Applying for a student visa in Portugal on the Residence Visa for Study (Article 62) costs $415 in fees you cannot skip: Residence visa application at the consulate ($128), AIMA reception and analysis of the residence permit application ($154) and AIMA grant of the temporary residence permit ($133). Situational extras (collecting the residence permit card in person and urgent issue of the residence permit) add up to $90 more. Tuition, living costs and proof-of-funds sit outside this total. All amounts are US dollars, last checked August 2026.

    Residence Visa for Study (Article 62) cost breakdown

    Every line the Portugal application puts on your card, in US dollars, as of August 2026.

    Residence visa application at the consulate$128
    EUR 110 for processing a national visa application Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Visa portal: National visa fees
    AIMA reception and analysis of the residence permit application$154
    EUR 133.00 in person, or EUR 99.80 through the digital channel AIMA: Table of fees and other charges for administrative procedures
    AIMA grant of the temporary residence permit$133
    EUR 114.30 in person, or EUR 85.80 through the digital channel AIMA: Table of fees and other charges for administrative procedures
    Mandatory total$415
    What the Residence Visa for Study (Article 62) costs before any optional service.
    Situational extras, only if they apply to you
    Collecting the residence permit card in person$35
    EUR 29.90 per in-person delivery of a residence title AIMA: Table of fees and other charges for administrative procedures
    Urgent issue of the residence permit$55
    EUR 47.80 on top, for issue by the second working day after approval AIMA: Table of fees and other charges for administrative procedures
    If every extra applied$505
    Worst case. Most applicants pay none or one of these.

    Amounts are US dollars. Portugal bills in its own currency, so the exact charge moves with the exchange rate. The native figures are in the notes column where the fee schedule publishes them.

    Things to watch

    • USD figures use EUR 1 = USD 1.16 (August 2026); Portugal bills in euro and external service providers add their own service charge on top of the consular fee.
    • The $344 floor assumes both AIMA fees at the 25% digital-channel rate; paying the full in-person rate takes the mandatory total to about $415. Assisted in-person filing carries a smaller 10% reduction.
    • AIMA's fee table in force is the one that took effect on 1 March 2026.
    • Tuition is paid to the institution, not with the visa, and AIMA asks for the receipt unless your institution is approved under Article 91(5).
    • You must also evidence means of subsistence at EUR 920 a month; that money is proved, not spent on fees.
    • Renewing the permit is charged as a renewal of a temporary residence permit, at the same EUR 114.30 in-person rate.

    How much bank balance do you need for a Portugal student visa?

    For the Residence Visa for Study (Article 62), Portugal asks you to show EUR 920 (about $1,067). The accepted form is Proof of means of subsistence measured against the national minimum monthly salary, and it covers Each month of your stay, at the 2026 minimum monthly salary net of social security. This is money you show, not money you pay, so it never appears in the fee table above. The figure comes from Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Visa portal: Means of subsistence, checked August 2026.

    Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Visa portal: Means of subsistence · checked August 2026

    Portugal student visa requirements and documents checklist

    9 documents every applicant provides.

    DocumentWho needs itWhat it involves
    Admission to a Portuguese higher education institutioneveryoneYou must either meet the admission criteria or have been accepted onto a study program, and hold enough money to attend it. Students admitted to an institution approved under Article 91 of the Foreigners Act are excused from proving means of subsistence and from proving admission conditions. source
    Proof of means of subsistence at the minimum monthly salaryeveryoneThe 2026 reference is EUR 920 a month, net of social security deductions, set by Regulatory Decree 139/2025 of 29 December. Grants, scholarships, an employment contract or a promise of one all count as qualifying means. source
    A criminal record certificate, apostilled or legalizedeveryoneIt must come from the country of your nationality, or from a country where you lived for over a year, and carry the Hague Apostille where that applies or otherwise be legalized. Applicants under sixteen are exempt. source
    Valid travel insurance covering medical care and repatriationeveryoneThe policy has to cover necessary medical expenses including urgent assistance and possible repatriation. The requirement can be waived where a bilateral medical agreement covers you, as it does for Brazil under PB4 and the United Kingdom under S1. source
    A passport valid three months past your planned returneveryoneSubmit the passport plus a photocopy of the biographical data page. If you are applying outside your own country of nationality you also need proof of regular status there, valid beyond the expiry of the visa you are asking for. source
    The signed national visa form and two passport photographseveryoneMinors and incapacitated applicants have the form signed by their legal guardian, and a minor traveling without both parents needs a travel authorization or a court order plus a copy of the parent's identity card. source
    A sworn declaration of your address in PortugaleveryoneAt the AIMA stage you declare where you live and on what basis. Tenants add a declaration from the landlord or housing provider setting out the legal basis for using the property; owners produce a land registry certificate or its access code. source
    Proof of enrollment and of tuition paideveryoneAIMA asks for evidence of enrollment at the higher education institution and proof that the fees it charges have been paid, attested by the institution where necessary. Students admitted to an institution approved under Article 91(5) do not have to produce the tuition receipt. source
    Health insurance or proof of cover by the national health serviceeveryoneEither a private health insurance policy or a document showing you are covered by the Serviço Nacional de Saúde. This sits alongside the travel insurance the consulate asks for at the visa stage. source

    How to apply for a Portugal student visa

    1. Secure admission and assemble the document pack

      Get your acceptance from the Portuguese institution, then collect the criminal record certificate with its apostille, the travel insurance and the subsistence evidence. Documents not in Portuguese generally need certified translation.

      source
    2. Lodge the residence visa application and pay EUR 110

      Applications go to the Portuguese consular post covering where you live, or to its contracted external service provider. The fee for processing a national visa application is EUR 110.

      source
    3. Wait up to 60 days for the decision

      The legal deadline for deciding a residence visa application is 60 days, except in circumstances the law provides for. The residence visa itself allows two entries and is valid for four months, which is the window in which you must reach Portugal.

      source
    4. Travel to Portugal and attend your AIMA appointment

      The visa sticker normally carries a link with the AIMA appointment at which you convert the visa into a residence permit. If no appointment was available when the visa was printed, contact AIMA through its online contact form and select the Residence Permit subject type for consular visa holders.

      source
    5. Pay AIMA's two fees and collect the residence permit

      AIMA charges EUR 133.00 to receive and analyze the application and EUR 114.30 to grant the temporary residence permit, both reduced by 25% when the request is filed through the digital channel and by 10% for assisted in-person filing.

      source
    6. Renew the permit as your course continues

      A residence permit issued to a higher education student under Article 91 runs for three years and is renewable for equal periods, or for the length of the program where that is shorter. Students on EU or multilateral mobility programs get two years, or one where the entry conditions were not all met at the time of the grant.

      source

    Portugal student visa processing time

    The deadline for deciding a residence visa application is 60 days, and 30 days for a temporary stay visa. Those are legal deadlines for the consular decision, not for the AIMA appointment that follows once you are in Portugal.

    Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Visa portal: Deadlines · checked August 2026

    Portugal student visa work rights, dependants and what comes after

    Work rights

    Holders of a residence permit for study may work in Portugal, either employed or self-employed, alongside the activity that led to the visa. AIMA states the rule under Article 97 of the Foreigners Act without setting a weekly hour limit, describing the work only as complementary to your studies.

    sourcecompare all countries

    Dependants

    A family member who wants to travel with you applies for their own residence visa, proving the family tie and showing stable regular means covering both of you for the period of stay or for 12 months, whichever is shorter. The per-person calculation adds 50% of the minimum monthly salary for a second adult and 30% for each child under 18 or dependent adult child. Family already settled in Portugal use the separate family reunification route, which starts with an AIMA authorization before any visa is applied for.

    source

    After graduation

    Graduates of a second or third cycle degree, meaning a master's or a doctorate, can convert to a residence permit giving up to one year to look for work or start a company matching their qualifications, under Article 122(1)(p) of the Foreigners Act. You apply with your passport, a sworn declaration of address, an apostilled criminal record certificate, and either a declaration from the institution that you completed the program or your own declaration that you intend to use the one-year window. First-cycle bachelor's graduates are not named in this provision.

    sourcecompare all countries

    Portugal student visa requirements for Indian students

    The full Portugal visa guide for Indian students, with the fee in your currency.

    You lodge through VFS Global in ten Indian cities

    Portugal has contracted VFS Global to take national visa applications in New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Chennai, Goa, Jalandhar, Mumbai and Pune. That is the widest coverage on Portugal's list outside China and Russia, so you rarely need to travel far to submit.

    source

    Portugal student visa requirements for Pakistani students

    The full Portugal visa guide for Pakistani students, with the fee in your currency.

    VFS Global handles submissions in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi

    Portugal's list of external service providers for national visas names VFS centers in all three cities. Applications go to the center rather than directly to the consular post.

    source

    Portugal student visa requirements for Nigerian students

    The full Portugal visa guide for Nigerian students, with the fee in your currency.

    Only Abuja and Lagos take Portuguese national visa applications

    Portugal's contracted provider in Nigeria is VFS Global, operating in Abuja and Lagos only. Applicants elsewhere in the country have to travel to one of those two centers.

    source

    Portugal student visa requirements for Chinese students

    The full Portugal visa guide for Chinese students, with the fee in your currency.

    Fifteen Chinese cities have a Portuguese visa center

    VFS Global takes Portuguese national visa applications in Beijing, Guangzhou, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Jinan, Kunming, Nanjing, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Xi'an and Wuhan. Portugal's center network in China is the largest it operates anywhere in Asia.

    source
    United States
    From $535 all-in
    United Kingdom
    From $1,760 all-in
    Canada
    From $175 all-in
    Australia
    From $2,250 all-in
    Germany
    From $190 all-in
    France
    From $183 all-in

    FAQ

    Frequently asked questions

    How much is the Portugal student visa fee?
    The Residence Visa for Study (Article 62) application charge is $128 (Residence visa application at the consulate). Add the other mandatory items (AIMA reception and analysis of the residence permit application $154 and AIMA grant of the temporary residence permit $133) and the all-in mandatory total is $415. Optional extras add up to $90 on top.
    How much bank balance is required for a Portugal student visa?
    EUR 920 (about $1,067), held as Proof of means of subsistence measured against the national minimum monthly salary, covering Each month of your stay, at the 2026 minimum monthly salary net of social security. It is money you show rather than money you pay, so it is separate from the visa fees. The figure is per person and per month: 100% for the first adult, 50% for a second adult and 30% for each child under 18 or non-minor dependent child. Describing the same Ordinance 1563/2007 for accompanying relatives, the visa portal puts the reference period at the length of the stay or 12 months, whichever is shorter, so a full academic year points to roughly EUR 11,040. Scholarships, grants and employment contracts count towards the total. USD figure at EUR 1 = USD 1.16, August 2026. Source: Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Visa portal: Means of subsistence (August 2026).
    Can you work on a Portugal student visa?
    Holders of a residence permit for study may work in Portugal, either employed or self-employed, alongside the activity that led to the visa. AIMA states the rule under Article 97 of the Foreigners Act without setting a weekly hour limit, describing the work only as complementary to your studies. Source: AIMA: Residence permit for higher education students, Article 91 (August 2026).
    How long does a Portugal student visa take?
    The deadline for deciding a residence visa application is 60 days, and 30 days for a temporary stay visa. Those are legal deadlines for the consular decision, not for the AIMA appointment that follows once you are in Portugal. Source: Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Visa portal: Deadlines (August 2026).
    Can you bring your family on a Portugal student visa?
    A family member who wants to travel with you applies for their own residence visa, proving the family tie and showing stable regular means covering both of you for the period of stay or for 12 months, whichever is shorter. The per-person calculation adds 50% of the minimum monthly salary for a second adult and 30% for each child under 18 or dependent adult child. Family already settled in Portugal use the separate family reunification route, which starts with an AIMA authorization before any visa is applied for. Source: Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Visa portal: National visas: residency documentation (August 2026).
    What's not included in the Residence Visa for Study (Article 62) fee?
    Tuition, living costs and the money you have to show in your account are separate from the fees on this page. Use our cost-of-study calculator at /tools/cost-calculator for a complete budget.
    When are these fees due?
    Application and biometric fees are paid before submission. Health surcharges (UK IHS, Australian OSHC) are paid as part of the visa application. Some fees (Anmeldung in Germany, OFII in France) are paid after arrival.

    Official sources

    Last verified August 2026.