Portugal study visa: requirements and fee
The Portugal study visa is a national visa. For courses of less than a year at a certified institution or exchanges, it is a temporary stay visa; the visa website asks for the institution’s document, proof of enrollment and housing (source).
What goes into the application
Means of subsistence can be shown with grants or scholarships (source); the baseline is the minimum wage, €920 in 2026 (source).
| Temporary stay | |
|---|---|
| Length | Up to a year, multiple entries |
| Decision time | 30 days |
| Fee | €110 (waived with a Portuguese scholarship) |
Length: source; processing time: source; fee and waivers: source.
Where to apply
| Office | Visas |
|---|---|
| Washington, New York, San Francisco | VFS Global (source, source, source) |
| Boston, Newark | Booked with the consulate (source, source) |
| New Bedford | Appointment by email (source) |
| Providence | Does not process visas (source) |
San Francisco advises applying for national visas three months ahead because of demand (source).
- The institution’s document and proof of enrollment
- A host family letter or proof of housing
- Proof of means of subsistence (scholarship, if any)
- A €110 fee, unless you hold a Portuguese scholarship
- The visa form, filled out and signed
- Two recent passport-type photos
- A passport valid three months beyond the planned return, and a copy
- Travel insurance covering medical costs and repatriation
- A criminal record certificate from your country of nationality or of residence for over a year, apostilled
- Proof of means of subsistence
The general list comes from the foreign ministry’s visa website (source); applicants who are not nationals of the country where they apply also prove their legal residence.
Timing and warnings from the U.S. offices
New York gives a minimum processing time of 4 to 8 weeks for national visas (source). San Francisco advises applying three months ahead and warns that VFS appointments are only booked on VFS’s official website, because of fraud (source).
New Bedford takes visa applications from residents of its five Massachusetts counties and of Rhode Island, and the first step is an email asking for an appointment (source).
Means of subsistence, in numbers
| Household | Monthly minimum (2026) |
|---|---|
| One adult | €920 |
| Two adults | €1,380 |
| Two adults and one child | €1,656 |
The percentages are those of the means-of-subsistence page: 100% of the minimum wage for the first adult, 50% for each additional adult and 30% per minor (source).
Every office, one by one
| Office | How visas are filed |
|---|---|
| Washington (and Palm Coast) | VFS Global: Chicago, Houston, Miami or Washington DC (source) |
| New York | VFS Global, 128 East 32nd Street, New York (source) |
| San Francisco | VFS Global, booked on the VFS website (source) |
| Boston | Online booking with the consulate itself (source) |
| Newark | By prior appointment only (source) |
| New Bedford | Appointment requested by email, also for Rhode Island (source) |
| Providence | Does not process visas (source) |
Questions people ask
The real questions people search about this procedure, with the short answer:
Do I need a visa to study in Portugal?
Americans need no visa for short stays; to study for more than 90 days, they get a national study visa before the trip (source).
How much is the study visa?
€110, except for holders of a scholarship granted by Portugal (source).