Regular entry requirements
Visas before 01 January 2021
If you hold a British Citizen passport, you don’t need a visa to enter Portugal.
Visas from 1 January 2021
The rules for British citizens travelling in Europe will change from 1 January 2021:
• You will be able to travel to Portugal for a holiday without a visa. Follow the link below for more information about visiting countries in the Schengen Area from 01 January 2021
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/portugal/entry-requirements
Citizens who live the Schengen area are free to travel to Portugal.
Non British citizens should check with the Portuguese Embassy in their country to find out what type of visa, if any, they will need.
The European Commission has not yet set out how the limit of 90 days in any 180-day period for visa-free travel will be implemented for those who are already travelling in the EU or Schengen Area on 31 December 2020.
If you are travelling to Portugal before 31 December 2020 and will stay until 1 January 2021 or later, you should check with the Portuguese Embassy for information on how the 90-day visa-free limit will apply to you. This also applies if your stay includes travel to other Schengen area countries.
At border control for Portugal, you may need to:
• show a return or onward ticket
• show you have enough money for your stay
• use separate lanes from EU, EEA and Swiss citizens when queueing
Your passport may be stamped on entry and exit.
Passport validity
The rules on travel will stay the same until 31 December 2020.
Your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay; you do not need any additional period of validity on your passport beyond this.
Passport validity from 1 January 2021
From 1 January 2021, you must have at least 6 months left on an adult or child passport to travel to most countries in Europe (not including Ireland).
If you renewed your current passport before the previous one expired, extra months may have been added to its expiry date. Any extra months on your passport over 10 years may not count towards the 6 months needed.
Check your passport is valid for travel before you book your trip. You will need to renew your passport before travelling if you do not have enough time left on your passport.
Travelling with children
Portuguese Border Control (SEF) advise that a child under the age of 18 who is travelling to Portugal alone or without a parent or legal guardian should either:
• be met at the airport or point of entry by their parent or guardian, or
• carry a letter of authorisation to travel from their parent or guardian. The letter should name the adult in Portugal who will be responsible for them during their stay. There is no legal requirement for the letter to be notarised. However, the onus is on the parent or legal guardian to provide reasonable evidence, including contact details, to confirm that adequate care arrangements are in place.
Resident minors leaving Portugal
A child under the age of 18 who is resident in Portugal must carry a notarised letter of authority from their parent or guardian if they’re travelling out of the country alone or without a parent or legal guardian. The letter of authority can be issued by:
1. one of the child’s parents (if the parents are married)
2. the parent the child lives with (if the parents are separated or divorced)
3. one of the adoptive parents (if the child is adopted) or
4. the child’s legal guardian
Further information in English, together with a standard form of words (in Portuguese), are available on the Portuguese immigration service website
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