Portugal business visa
Whether your Portugal trip is a round of supplier meetings in Lisbon, a contract signing in Porto, or a few days at a trade fair, an Indian passport holder makes it on one document: the short-stay Schengen visa (Type C, the uniform Schengen visa), lodged under the business/conference purpose. It covers meetings, negotiations, contract signing, trade fairs, and conferences, seminars, workshops or training, for any stay under 90 days. Once issued, it opens the entire Schengen area to you - all 29 countries - for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. What it will not do is let you take up employment in Portugal.
You apply through Portugal's own mission when Portugal is where the trip really sits - the country where you spend the most days, or where your main business purpose lies - or, if no single country dominates, through your first point of Schengen entry. In India, every Portuguese application goes through VFS Global, the sole authorised service provider, where your biometrics (fingerprints and a photo) are captured. The Consular Section of the Embassy of Portugal quotes around 15 calendar days from the day your file reaches it, stretchable to a maximum of 45 for interviews or extra checks. The decision is the consulate's alone.
Who this visa is for
- ✓Indian passport holder travelling to Portugal for a genuine business purpose - meetings, negotiations, contract signing, a trade fair, or a conference, seminar, workshop or training - for less than 90 days.
- ✓Portugal must be the main destination of the trip (most days or your main business purpose), or your first Schengen point of entry if there is no single main destination.
- ✓Legally resident in India for at least six months before applying (non-Indian nationals must show a valid Indian residence permit, or apply from their country of residence).
- ✓Passport issued within the last 10 years, valid for at least 3 months beyond the intended return, with at least two blank pages.
- ✓Hosted by a company or organisation in Portugal (invitation letter), and, if employed, backed by an Indian employer's introduction letter.
- ✓Sufficient funds for the trip and clear ties to India (employment, business, family) showing intent to return.
Visa options for Portugal
Short-Stay Schengen Visa (Type C) - Business
The standard uniform Schengen visa lodged for business dealings - meetings, negotiations, contract signing or a trade fair. Single or multiple entry, allowing up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area.
Short-Stay Schengen Visa (Type C) - Conference/Seminar
The same Type C category applied for attending a conference, seminar, workshop or training in Portugal on an invitation/acceptance letter from the host university, research body or organising committee, plus proof of any event-fee payment.
Multiple-Entry Schengen Visa
Issued at the consulate's discretion to bona fide, frequent business travellers with a sound visa history, valid for repeated trips within its validity while still limited to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Limited Territorial Validity (LTV) Visa
Valid only for Portugal (or specified Schengen states), issued exceptionally when the full uniform-visa conditions are not met.
Documents typically required
- ✓Schengen visa application form, completed and signed, all pages (free of charge).
- ✓Passport issued within the last 10 years, valid at least 3 months beyond return, with two blank pages; plus any previous passports.
- ✓Two recent passport photos - white background, ICAO specification (35-40 mm), not older than 6 months.
- ✓Personal covering letter explaining the business or conference purpose of the trip.
- ✓Introduction letter from your Indian employer (original, on letterhead), signed and stamped, stating your position, length of service, trip dates and purpose, and who bears the costs; company owners/self-employed submit business registration / GST / partnership deed instead.
- ✓Invitation letter from the business partner or host company in Portugal (original), with the inviter's full details, your details, trip dates, purpose and a day-to-day schedule of meetings or training; for conferences, an invitation/acceptance letter from the host institution plus proof of any fee paid.
- ✓Flight tickets, and for multi-country trips proof of the intra-Schengen itinerary (flights, train or car rental).
- ✓Confirmed accommodation in Portugal/Schengen for the entire stay.
- ✓Travel medical insurance (original) with minimum EUR 30,000 cover for the whole Schengen stay, including emergency treatment and repatriation, submitted with the Travel Health Declaration.
- ✓Proof of funds: last 3 months' personal (and business) bank statements with bank stamp, last 3 months' salary slips, and ITR (ITR-V) for the last 2 assessment years, plus the employer's leave approval.
- ✓Copies of any previous Schengen, UK, US or Canada visas.
Your exact checklist depends on your profile — we confirm it during your case analysis. Every visa decision rests with the embassy or consulate.
Applications for Portugal are lodged only through VFS Global, its sole authorised service provider in India, with centres in cities including New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Ahmedabad. The Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi covers most of India; applicants resident in Goa, Maharashtra and the Union Territories of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli apply through the Mumbai, Pune or Goa centres, which are assessed by the Consulate General of Portugal in Goa. You must have legally resided in India for at least six months, and may apply up to six months before travel but no later than 15 calendar days before departure. The Schengen visa fee is EUR 90 for adults and EUR 45 for children aged 6-12 (paid in INR). Documents not in Portuguese or English must carry a certified translation.
Frequently asked questions
Do you guarantee the visa?
No - and any consultant who tells you otherwise isn't being straight with you. The decision rests solely with the Consular Section of the Embassy or Consulate of Portugal. What we do is assess your profile honestly, tell you where it stands, and build the strongest, most complete application possible. Over the last 2-3 years, our applications have seen a 97% success rate.
Do I apply to Portugal or to another Schengen country?
Portugal, when it is the centre of gravity of your business trip - where you spend the most days or hold your primary business purpose. If the trip is split across several Schengen countries with no single main destination, apply through the country you enter first. And if most of your meetings sit elsewhere, that country's mission is the one to handle it.
How long can I stay, and where can I travel on it?
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period - and not only in Portugal. The visa opens the whole Schengen area, all 29 countries. It is a short-stay visa for business visits, so it does not let you take up employment in Portugal.
Is travel medical insurance mandatory?
Yes, without exception. The policy must cover your entire Schengen stay for a minimum of EUR 30,000, including emergency treatment and repatriation. Submit the original alongside the Travel Health Declaration; the mission accepts policies from its approved insurer list.