Portugal visa guideThe Portugal family and friends visit visa is a Schengen short-stay visa (type C) for staying with relatives or friends in Portugal for less than 90 days in any 180-day period. From Punjab you apply in person at VFS Global in Chandigarh, Jalandhar or New Delhi, and the Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi decides, normally within 15 calendar days.
The host's papers carry this file: an invitation naming every invitee, the stay, the purpose and the relationship, with the host's ID or passport and residence permit. If the host is paying, a Statement of Responsibility certified by a Portuguese notary or lawyer goes in with the host's tax and bank papers.
Do Indians need a visa to visit family in Portugal, and which one?
Yes. Parents visiting a daughter in Lisbon, or a cousin going to a family wedding in the Algarve, need a Schengen short-stay visa, type C, in VFS's "Visiting Family And Friends" category. VFS describes it as the visa for visiting a family member or friend, for a travel period of less than 90 days; the 90 days count across the whole Schengen area within any 180 days. Applications from Punjab are decided by the Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi.
Portugal family visit visa at a glance
- CategoryLess than 90 days in any 180-day period
- Visiting Family And Friends, Schengen type C
- Host's letterWith the host's ID, or passport and residence permit
- Invitation naming every invitee, the stay, the purpose and the relationship
- If the host paysOriginal, certified by a Portuguese notary or lawyer
- Statement of Responsibility (Termo de Responsabilidade)
- Relationship proof
- Apostilled marriage or birth certificate
- FeeFree for an EU national's family visit
- €90 adult, €45 age 6 to 12
- Decided byFiled at VFS Chandigarh, Jalandhar or New Delhi
- Embassy of Portugal, New Delhi
Embassy of Portugal New Delhi, Portugal's visa portal and VFS Global Portugal India, checked 14 Oct 2026
Two other routes sit close to this one. Family members of a Portuguese citizen who want to live with them need a temporary stay visa rather than a Schengen visa. Relatives of someone living in Portugal on a residence permit who want to join them for good need family reunification. Both are covered at the end of this page.
Where do applicants from Punjab apply?
At VFS Global in Chandigarh or Jalandhar, or in New Delhi. The Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi covers every state except Goa, Maharashtra, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, whose residents apply in Mumbai, Pune or Goa for the Consulate General in Goa. To apply in New Delhi's jurisdiction you must have lived there legally for at least 6 months.
When you book, VFS takes its service charge online, and the slot is confirmed only after payment. The visa fee is paid at the centre, in cash or by card.
Points that matter for older parents:
- Each parent attends. The Embassy says an application cannot be submitted by a third person; a son or daughter in India can come along but cannot lodge it for them.
- Fingerprints. VFS scans all 10 fingers. If that is physically impossible, the applicant brings a medical certificate.
- Medical no-shows. VFS charges are refunded only when an applicant could not come for medical reasons and shows valid proof.
- Grandchildren. Children under 12 give a facial scan but no fingerprints, and anyone under 18 must come with an adult.
Our Portugal appointment availability page shows how dates are opening.
Which documents depend on your situation?
On this route, the host in Portugal supplies the papers that make or break the file.
The invitation letter, from the relative or friend in Portugal, must name all invitees and state the duration of the stay, its purpose and the relationship. It goes with a copy of the host's Portuguese ID or passport if the host is Portuguese, or, for an Indian or other foreign host, their passport and Portuguese residence permit, which the checklist marks as mandatory.
The Statement of Responsibility (Termo de Responsabilidade) comes in when the host sponsors you. The New Delhi family checklist calls it very important and wants it original, certified by a Portuguese public notary or lawyer, with:
- the host's Portuguese income tax declarations (Declaração de IRS) for the previous two years;
- salary slips for the previous three months;
- Portuguese bank statements for the previous 6 months;
- the title of the property or the rental contract, with rent receipts for the last three months, if the host is housing you;
- a copy of the host's Portuguese ID, passport or residence permit.
Proof of the relationship must carry the Hague apostille for Indian nationals: the marriage certificate if the host is your spouse, the birth certificate if the host is your parent. When parents visit a son or daughter, the host's apostilled birth certificate naming the parents is the natural proof.
Your own side follows the common Portuguese checklist, with every financial document an original on A4 with the bank's stamp and signature:
Retired parent
- What the checklist asks for
- Pension bank statement for the last 3 months, and proof of regular income from property or a business
Employed
- What the checklist asks for
- 3 months of salary slips and salary account statements, 3 months of personal statements, ITR-V for 2 years, and the employer's leave approval
Self-employed
- What the checklist asks for
- Business registration or GST certificate, 3 months of personal and business statements, company and personal ITR-V for 2 years
Student or not working
- What the checklist asks for
- A parent's or guardian's statements and ITR-V with a letter of financial support, plus enrolment proof and a no objection certificate
Minor
- What the checklist asks for
- Apostilled birth certificate; notarised consent of any parent not travelling, or a court order for sole custody
How much is the Portugal family visit visa fee?
€90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6 to 12, shown by VFS as ₹9,889 and ₹5,031 on 14 October 2026; children under 6 pay nothing. The Embassy lists the visa for an EU national's family visit as free. Every application also carries VFS's service charge of ₹3,437, GST included, and no fee comes back if the visa is refused. Our filing fee is shown at the top of this page.
How long does it take, and when should you apply?
The decision should come within 15 calendar days of the application being considered admissible, and can be extended to a maximum of 45 calendar days. The Embassy's checklist adds that the clock starts only once the file reaches its Consular Section, which takes up to two working days from VFS, and that Embassy holidays do not count.
Build in time for the host. A notary-certified Statement of Responsibility, two years of IRS declarations and six months of Portuguese bank statements all take time to gather and courier to India.
- Earliest: VFS's short-term visa page says applications are only accepted within 3 months of the arrival date. Other official pages mention six months; follow the stricter 3 months.
- Latest: 15 working days before travel, not counting VFS handling time, though the Embassy strongly advises at least one month.
Why do Portugal family visit visas get refused for Indian applicants?
Portugal uses the EU's standard refusal form. On family files, the cause is usually on the host's side or in the relationship papers.
A Statement of Responsibility that is not certified
An unsigned or uncertified Termo de Responsabilidade, or one sent without the host's IRS declarations, payslips and six months of Portuguese statements, leaves the sponsorship unproved. It must be original and certified by a Portuguese notary or lawyer.
The host's status is not shown
For a host who is not Portuguese, the passport and Portuguese residence permit copies are mandatory. Without them the officer cannot see that the host lives in Portugal lawfully.
Relationship papers without the apostille
Marriage and birth certificates issued in India need the Hague apostille for this checklist. A plain photocopy, or names spelt differently across documents, leaves the relationship in doubt.
No visible means for the stay
Portugal's yardstick is €75 for each entry plus €40 for each day, unless a host's statement of responsibility covers you. Parents whose own statements are thin and whose host sends no certified statement fail on both counts.
A visit that looks like a move
Long stays requested by parents with no return ties, or a spouse who plans to stay on, read as relocation. Living in Portugal needs a temporary stay visa or family reunification, not a Schengen visit.
After a refusal you can complain to the deciding officer within 15 days, or appeal or go to court within three months; each appeal procedure costs €75. Each reason on the form is explained on our Schengen refusal reasons page.
Tips for a stronger file
- One set of dates. The host's invitation, the Statement of Responsibility, the flight reservation and the insurance should all show the same stay.
- A covering letter from the parents. Who invited them, how they are related, where they will stay, who pays, and when they fly home.
- Insurance. An original policy from an approved Indian insurer with a QR code, at least €30,000 for the whole stay, and the Travel Health Declaration. Cover cannot be cut because of the traveller's age, which matters for older parents.
- Translations. Portuguese documents are fine; anything else must be in English or translated, or it counts as missing.
- Copies. Give a copy of every original; the Embassy keeps originals that come without one.
- Past refusals. Any refusal by an embassy in the last 2 years needs the refusal notice or a written explanation.
Visit visa, temporary stay or family reunification: which fits?
It depends on who the family member in Portugal is, and how long you plan to stay.
- Visiting for less than 90 days: this Schengen family visit visa. For relatives of an EU national, the Embassy lists the family visit visa as free.
- Living with a Portuguese citizen: Portugal's visa portal says the spouse, registered partner, children under 21 or dependent, and dependent parents of a Portuguese citizen who intend to reside with them need a temporary stay visa for family members of Portuguese citizens, not a Schengen visa. They are exempt from visa fees and apply at the consular post where they live.
- Joining a resident who is not Portuguese: the person in Portugal first requests family reunification at AIMA, the Agency for Integration, Migrations and Asylum. Only after a favourable decision can the family apply for the residence visa.
If the plan is to stay, a visit visa is the wrong tool and puts every later application at risk. For an overview of Portugal, start at the Portugal country page, or see the Portugal tourist visa guide for trips without a host.
Official sources
- Visas, Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi
- Family Members of Portuguese/EU/EEA/Swiss and UK citizens, Portugal visa portal
- Family reunification, Portugal visa portal (national visas)
- Means of subsistence, Portugal visa portal (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
- Appeal Mechanisms, Portugal visa portal (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
- VFS Global Portugal India: visa types, fees and processing time
- VFS Global Portugal India: what happens at the centre
