Portugal

Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country in Southern Europe located on the western part of the Iberian Peninsula. The capital is Lisbon. The form of government is a presidential republic. It is the westernmost country on the Iberian Peninsula and continental Europe. In total, it covers an area of 92,391 square kilometers. It borders Spain and the Atlantic Ocean to the north and east, and the south and west, respectively. The archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira are also part of Portugal.

Portugal is a founding member of NATO and the OECD, as well as a member of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, and the Schengen Agreement. It is also one of the founding states of the eurozone and is a member of the European Union.

It has a complex administrative division into 5 regions, 18 districts, 2 autonomous regions and 28 static sub-regions. The division continues with 308 districts and 4257 municipalities. A reform is currently underway to abolish districts and decentralize the powers of local authorities.

Visa to Portugal

Portugal is part of the European Union and a signatory of the Schengen Agreement. Therefore, to visit the country, you will need to obtain a Schengen visa. Portugal has become a popular relocation destination for Russians, as it continues to issue visas despite the difficult geopolitical situation.

For a short trip of up to 90 days, you can apply for a short-term tourist visa of type "C." If you plan to stay in the country for an extended period, you will need to apply for long-term visas of types "D" or "E."

A long-term visa of category “D” can be obtained on the following grounds:

• Family reunification – If your spouse, parent, or child has legal status in Portugal and resides there permanently, you can apply for family reunification and obtain a residence permit.
• Employment with a local employer – Issued to those who have already received a job offer from a company. However, the contract must be for a minimum of one year. One advantage is that in Portugal, work visas can be issued not only to highly qualified professionals (who receive the D3 visa) with higher education but also to other workers (who receive the D1 visa).
• Digital nomad status – A digital nomad visa in Portugal can be obtained by having a remote job in another country and earning at least €3,280 per month. Additionally, you need to provide proof of sufficient funds to sustain yourself in the country.
• Business registration – The country aims to attract founders of innovative startups that contribute to economic development. It is essential to prove the availability of capital for implementing the project.
• University studies – A visa is issued to students for four months with the possibility of extension.

The national visa category "E" can be obtained by applicants who:

• Plan to look for a job in Portugal (Job Seeker Visa) — the visa is issued for 4 months with the option to extend it for an additional 2 months.
• Plan to temporarily stay in the country for non-tourist reasons (Temporary Stay National Visa).

Learn more about Portuguese visas and document preparation for entry into the country. We have detailed the procedures in a separate article.

Residence Permit in Portugal

You can apply for a residence permit in the following cases:

• Purchasing real estate in Portugal –
  The main condition is buying property worth at least €280,000.
• Studying at a university – If accepted into a Portuguese university, you must obtain a one-year residence permit, renewable annually. Students in Portugal are allowed to work part-time.
• Securing a job with a long-term contract  – For employment contracts lasting more than four months, you can apply for a one-year residence permit based on your job. It can be renewed yearly. Continuous residency may later qualify you for permanent residency.
• Starting a business – A business visa allows you to relocate your entire family to Portugal. To qualify, you must register your company's headquarters in the country.
• Marrying a Portuguese citizen – A residence permit can be issued after three years of a formal relationship. Until then, you can stay in the country on a long-term visa.
• Family reunification – The process is similar to obtaining a visa for family members. Relatives of the resident may live with them in Portugal.

Important

Portugal does not approve work visas for candidates from some countries who have never been to the EU before. It is important that the person has traveled to Europe multiple times and has not violated migration laws.

To apply for a residence permit in Portugal, you will need to gather a set of documents, which are described in detail in the relevant article on our website.

Portugal Passport

Portugal ranks 5th in the passport strength index for 2024. This ranking evaluates the freedom of movement granted to passport holders from various countries. Portuguese citizens are among the most mobile in the world: they can travel visa-free to 175 countries globally and require a visa for only 23 destinations.

For instance, Portuguese citizens can enter all EU countries without any time restrictions and stay for up to 90 days visa-free in Australia (visa on arrival is required), Argentina, Brazil, Japan, Hong Kong, Montenegro, and many other countries. The UK allows visa-free stays of up to 180 days.

For travel to the United States, Portuguese citizens can stay for up to 90 days under the electronic visa (ESTA) system, which does not require a visit to the embassy for issuance.

You can enter the USA for 90 days with an electronic visa, which does not require a visit to the embassy.

Attention

You will need to apply for a visa at embassies or visa centers if you plan to travel with an Argentine passport to China or certain Eastern and Southern countries, such as Afghanistan, Niger, Syria, Turkmenistan, Algeria, and others.

Explore the other advantages and disadvantages of a Portuguese passport, as well as the ways to obtain it, in our article.

Citizenship of Portugal

Citizenship can be obtained very quickly — in just 5 years. This is one of the shortest timeframes compared to other European countries. An additional advantage is that you won’t need to renounce your original citizenship, as this is not required by law.

Useful to know

Children born in Portugal automatically become citizens of the country if, since 2020, at least one parent has lived in the country for a minimum of one year. Subsequently, foreign parents can also obtain citizenship based on family reunification.

The main ways to obtain Portuguese citizenship:

• Through a relationship — You need to be in a relationship with a Portuguese citizen, and marriage is not necessarily required. You must prove that you have been living together for at least three years.
• Through naturalization — You can legally reside in the country on a study, work, or other visa for 5 years, spending at least 183 days in Portugal each year, and then apply for citizenship.
• Through investments — Investments only allow you to obtain a five-year residence permit, but after 5 years, you can apply for citizenship.

If you are planning to obtain Portuguese citizenship, make sure to read our article, where all the methods of legalization in the country are explained in detail.

Climate Conditions

The climate of Portugal is Mediterranean, characterized by hot, dry summers and mild winters. The coldest months in winter are January and February, but the temperature rarely drops below zero.

On average, along the Portuguese Atlantic coast, the temperature ranges from 18°C to 27°C in the summer and from 5°C to 16°C in the winter, which is a direct result of the influence of the Atlantic Ocean. In the mountainous regions of the country, snow often falls, and the temperature shows the greatest fluctuations: from 16°C to 33°C in summer and from 0°C to 12°C in winter. Drought is most pronounced in the interior regions of the country.

The hottest and driest months in summer are July and August, with an average temperature above 20°C and peak values exceeding 45°C in some areas of the country. The highest recorded temperature in the country is 47.4°C.

Demographics

According to independent estimates, by the end of 2023, Portugal's population was 10,029,198 people. Over the past year, the natural decrease amounted to 45,234 people, which represents -0.45% in percentage terms. For every 1,000 residents, there were 10.45 births and 10.62 deaths. Thus, the population of the country is not increasing naturally, with a fertility rate of only 1.49 children per woman.

The population of Portugal is made up of 16.3% of citizens aged 0 to 14 years, 66.1% aged 15 to 64 years, and 17.6% aged 65 and older. The average life expectancy is 78.21 years: 81.69 years for women and 74.95 years for men.

From an anthropological perspective, the Portuguese are a mixed people, consisting of descendants of the Iberians, the indigenous population of the Peninsula, as well as descendants of Roman, Gothic, Suebi, and Moorish invaders.

There are around 550,000 immigrants in Portugal, making up about 5% of the population, the majority of whom are from Brazil (approximately 66,700 people), followed by Ukraine (65,800), and Cape Verde (64,300 people). Among other immigrants, citizens of Moldova, Romania, Guinea-Bissau, Angola, East Timor, Mozambique, and São Tomé and Príncipe are common.

Portugal is a homogenous country from linguistic, ethnic, and religious perspectives. Portuguese is spoken throughout the country. The vast majority of Portuguese people adhere to the Catholic faith.

Economy

Since Portugal's accession to the European Community in 1986, its economy has diversified and focused on the service sector. Services account for around two-thirds of the country's GDP.

In 1998, Portugal gained the right to join the Economic and Monetary Union, and on January 1, 2002, it adopted the euro as its currency, along with 11 other countries.

The main export items of Portugal are textiles, automobiles, industrial machinery and equipment, computer and electronic components, chemicals, and construction materials. These make up 70% of the total volume of the country's exports.

Portugal's foreign trade is mainly concentrated within the European Union. 80% of Portugal's exports are destined for EU countries, and 5% for North America.

In 2023, Portugal's Gross Domestic Product was 252 billion US dollars. The GDP per capita in the same year was approximately 22,113 US dollars. The annual inflation rate was 3.6%.

Unemployment is low, standing at around 6%, which is the average for the EU. However, it should be noted that the Portuguese economy has a significant informal sector, where a portion of the population considered officially unemployed is actually employed.

In the Global Competitiveness Index, which measures a country's competitiveness, Portugal ranked 39th out of 137 countries in 2023. In the Economic Freedom Index, the country ranked 64th out of 180 countries.

Freedom of Travel (Visa-Free Countries)

Portugal ranks 5th in the passport power index. Citizens of the country have the right to visa-free travel to 175 countries worldwide (with a stay permit ranging from 30 to 180 days), including the Schengen Area (with no time limit on stay). In 44 countries, a visa on arrival is required (with free stay from 30 to 90 days), and in 7 countries, it is sufficient to obtain an electronic entry permit for a period of 30 to 90 days.