In short: To study in Portugal as an international student you apply for: Residence visa for study (D4) and residence permit for higher education students. The visa application and the supporting documents can be filled in and sent online through the e-VISA platform, after which the file is lodged at the consulate or its visa centre. The legal deadline to decide a residence visa (the usual visa for degree study) is 60 days; a temporary stay visa is 30 days. Every line on this page was read on an official page, which is linked beside it; the facts were last checked on 14 October 2026.
| Visa or permit | Residence visa for study (D4) and residence permit for higher education students |
|---|---|
| Application fee | Not stated on the official pages we read |
| Money to show | EUR 870 per month (2025 figure) (aima.gov.pt) |
| Processing time | The legal deadline to decide a residence visa (the usual visa for degree study) is 60 days; a temporary stay visa is 30 days. (vistos.mne.gov.pt) |
| Where you apply | The visa application and the supporting documents can be filled in and sent online through the e-VISA platform, after which the file is lodged at the consulate or its visa centre. (portaldiplomatico.mne.gov.pt) |
| Last checked |
Authority: Ministry of Foreign Affairs consular posts; AIMA (residence permit). Official portal: AIMA Portugal.
For a residence visa for higher education the EU Immigration Portal page for Portugal asks for these. The page still names the SEF as the authority for the residence permit after arrival; since October 2023 that is AIMA.
Source: home-affairs.ec.europa.eu · checked on
For the AIMA residence permit, proof of tuition payment if charged; exempt for students of approved institutions.
Source: aima.gov.pt · checked on
Means are benchmarked to the monthly minimum wage (100% for the first adult); AIMA page still shows the 2025 figure of 870 EUR.
Source: aima.gov.pt · checked on
The visa application and the supporting documents can be filled in and sent online through the e-VISA platform, after which the file is lodged at the consulate or its visa centre.
e-VISA platform of the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Portal dos Vistos): pedidodevistos.mne.gov.pt · form: National visa application form (Pedido de visto de longa duração)
Source: portaldiplomatico.mne.gov.pt · checked on
Applicants get a personal access code on the e-VISA platform to follow the application online through its stages up to visa issued.
Official tracking page: pedidodevistos.mne.gov.pt
Source: portaldiplomatico.mne.gov.pt · checked on
The legal deadline to decide a residence visa (the usual visa for degree study) is 60 days; a temporary stay visa is 30 days.
Source: vistos.mne.gov.pt · checked on
If the visa is refused you are notified and can complain to the consulate within 15 days, or appeal later. The official page does not say how the passport is returned.
Source: vistos.mne.gov.pt · checked on
The consulate may ask for more documents at its discretion, and the applicant must hand them in to continue the case.
Source: vistos.mne.gov.pt · checked on
Holders of a study residence permit may do employed or self-employed work alongside studies (Art. 97).
Source: aima.gov.pt · checked on
Apply to AIMA for the residence permit by appointment; permits for higher education students are valid three years, renewable.
Source: aima.gov.pt · checked on
We did not find these on the official pages we read for Portugal: the application fee, the processing time, health insurance, a language requirement, fingerprints and photo, a police certificate, a medical examination. That means "not stated on the pages we read", not "not required": ask the authority above, or check the official portal, before you apply.
The official pages say more for applicants in: Pakistan.
Which office handles applications from some other countries, as the official pages state:
ForiForeign prepares your student visa application with you and guides you through each step: the documents, the forms and the order to do them in. You file the application yourself with the authority named above, and that authority decides. ForiForeign is not a visa office or an agent of Portugal, and no one can promise a visa. Rules, fees and dates change: confirm each one on the official page linked beside it before you pay or travel.
The same facts for software and AI assistants: /facts/visa/pt.json.
ForiForeign.com · admin@foriforeign.com · WhatsApp +92 310 5048760 · Information drawn from official sources shown on each rule; not legal advice.
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