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Guide: D2 Business Visa

🔥The guidelines are correct, but details regarding changes to SEF in AIMA will be provided later when more clarification becomes available.⏱Addresses within Portugal are also becoming outdated; we will update them accordingly

✍Apply: in the country where you hold citizenship or a residency permit
💼 Requirements: open a company or register as a self-employed in Portugal
💸 Recommended: a deposit of at least €9840+ for the first time

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About visa

D2 is a Portugal business visa. You can start a sole proprietorship (by registering "atividade") or a company in Portugal and apply for a Portugal visa as an entrepreneur or director of the company.

We recommend this option if you do not meet the criteria for a D7 visa (permanent income) or Digital Nomad (remote work income over 3040 euros per month). However, you will need to consider Portugal D2 visa requirements, such as to have a local Portuguese client/supplier and demonstrate your value to Portugal. Having local clients is necessary to show your connection to the country and justify your desire for a residency permit.

Check-list for D2 application in your country consulate or visa centre

Make an appointment
International passport
Start a company in Portugal or self-employment
Portuguese account statement
Rental contract
Police criminal record
Health insurance
Airplane ticket booking
Motivation letter
Get a visa at the consulate and come to Portugal, get a residence permit

What does a typical process looks like

Preparation of Documents:

Obtain business registration, invoices, and tax documents. Describe your source of income and show bank statements for at least 3 months

Visa application:

Submit your application to the consulate or VFS in your country and obtain your visa.

AIMA Application in Portugal:

Upon arrival in Portugal, apply at the AIMA. Simply arrive on the designated date and provide the necessary documents.

Wait for Residence Card:

On average, you can expect to wait 2-3 weeks for the arrival of your ID card. However, it may take up to 3 months in some cases.

Step-by-step guide

Tips for apply from your country 🌏

The main points‍

✅ As Brazil is a member of CPLP there are some specific features mentioned in CPLP MOBILITY AGREEMENT

‍CPLP citizens are exempted from presenting:
👉 travel insurance,
👉 means of subsistence,
👉 and return air ticket upon presentation of responsibility term in the following terms:
👉 a) Presentation of a term signed by the host entity for interns or workers, as well as by the organization responsible for student exchange or volunteer programs.
👉 b) Presentation of a term of responsibility, signed by a Portuguese citizen or a foreign citizen, with a residence permit in Portugal, which guarantees food and accommodation for the visa applicant, as well as the replacement of removal costs, in case of irregular stay.

✅ To assume this role of responsibility for the visa applicant, it will be necessary to prove financial means, also in the amount of three times the minimum wage (760€).
✅ The proof can be done through bank balances and income tax declaration of the previous year, preferably. Also the embassy may require proof of the guarantor’s accommodation - their lease contract or property certificate.
✅ The process is very simple. The citizen or resident must fill out a term of responsibility with his/her personal data and send it to the applicant so that he/she can include it in the documentation requesting the visa. Some consulates may require notarisation of the letter, so better prepare it beforehand.

‍Note: It is not recommended to try to replace D7/D2/DN income proof with a letter from the guarantor. The Embassy will likely consider it insufficient. For D7/D2/DN visas (and Job Seeker visa applicants without guarantors) it is necessary to show the required amount of money on a Portuguese bank account.

✅ Accommodation provided by guarantors is usually well accepted for all visa types, though it depends on individual circumstances.
✅ If you do not have a guarantor, prepare an official rental contract registered with Financas for 1 year, because Airbnb or Booking short-term rentals are no longer accepted.

How to apply for all types of visas

In India the application for the D7 visa is based on the jurisdiction.

👉 1. Apply for a visa on the VFS.Global platform.
👉 2. Proceed with the payment of the application fee - which can be via Pix, debit card or bank deposit
👉 3. Forward all the necessary documentation to the nearest consulate to your location by post

Three consulates are in the southeast, in the following locations: Nova Lima, MG; Rio de Janeiro, RJ; São Paulo, SP. There is also one in the northeast, in Salvador, BA, and one in the center-west, in Brasilia, DF. Unfortunately, there is currently no agency in the north or south with an active and operating visa application center.

After submitting the initial application, applicants may be contacted by VFS to provide additional documentation or to attend an appointment at their preferred consulate.

👉 If VFS requests additional documents you may be able to send them via email to VFS and pay their printing fee
👉 VFS often request additional documentation, even if they have already received it in the past. However, it is more efficient to simply resubmit the documents rather than to try to explain any potential mistakes
👉 Keep a fresh criminal record as they may request it again. It should be issued during the last 30 days
👉 The processing time for a response, either approval or denial, currently takes 2-4 months.

VFS will keep the applicant updated through email or SMS on the status of their application. The status will change to "processed by consulate" once VFS has received, checked and sent the applicant's documents to the embassy. The applicant will receive a notification when their passport is ready for collection, but the final result will only be known when they open the package from the embassy to check their passport. ‍

Family

‍It is possible to apply for family reunion in Portugal, after the legal entry as a tourist, accompanying the holder of the main visa. Pay attention to the deadline for contacting the SEF: there are only 3 working days after arriving in the country. There is no problem if the service is scheduled for a later date, but initial contact with the SEF must be made within that period.

Alternatively, the request may be sent to the Portuguese Consulate, at the same time that the visa request is made for the main holder. On the VFS website, family companion visas are available in two modalities, depending on the type of digital nomad visa requested: Residence visa for accompanying family members for period over 12 months and Temporary stay visa for accompanying family members for period less than 12 months.

The main points

‍✅ to apply for a D7 visa in India, you will need a Portuguese bank account and a minimum one-year lease registered with Finanças (tax office in Portugal).
✅ It is recommended to show sufficient funds for 2 years instead of 1.
‍

The main problems

‍‍Long waiting times. It can be difficult to secure an appointment for visa application and you may need to wait for 3-6 months after you catch a slot
After application, processing times can also vary greatly, with some applicants waiting 4-6 months or even longer. And you will leave your passport at the Embassy on the day of application.
Embassy in New Deli does not reply to emails or phone calls and does not allow visitors without appointments. Consulate in Goa might be slightly more responsive.

Where to apply

‍In India the application for the D7 visa is based on the jurisdiction.

If your state of residence (state you have been legally residing in the past 6 months) is Maharashtra, Goa, or the UTs of Daman & Diu or Dadra & Nagar Haveli - apply at the Consulate General of Portugal in Goa.
if you belong to Maharashtra, you can also apply with VFS Global in Mumbai and Pune. However, your application will be processed by the consulate in Goa.
If you are from the rest of the states and UTs in the country, you must apply at the Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi through VFS Global visa application centres.
VFS Global visa centres are available in 9 big cities in India (New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Jalandhar).
Appointments can be booked online or through call centres. It can be difficult to secure an appointment, so it is recommended to check availability multiple times per day and check different centers across the country. Currently, people are booking slots in 3-6 months ahead.
If you apply in Goa, visit the online visa application portal, choose the consular post as the ‘consulate general of Portugal in Goa’, and fill in the rest of the visa online application form with all the relevant details. Choose your required consulate appointment time and date on the same application form.
You can check the Portugal Visa status online by visiting the online portal of the Portuguese embassy and logging in using the username and password provided during application.

Family

‍‍✅ As of now, spouses need to apply separately. The application form is per individual; it doesn't have space/fields to mention spouse details hence it is to be filled individually.
✅ Two VFS appointments are required to be booked [same day, consecutive time slots] for submission considering there are two individuals.
✅ Write personal statement/motivation letter in a way you are complimenting each other and express the interest in moving there as a couple.
✅ Submit a copy of your marriage certificate, joint bank account statements.
✅ Rent agreement/lease [Portugal] should be in joint names.
✅ If one spouse is financially dependent on another, the dependent should submit financial portfolio statements of the spouse along with their application, and it is also worth mentioning it in their personal statement or motivation letter.

Tips

✅ Long waiting times mean that your insurance may expire. Most companies in India offer maximum 6 month long insurances, so opt for the longest available period.
✅ You may need your passport in the waiting period, and it is possible to request it back from the embassy. It is a slow process, and you won’t be able to get it for immediate emergency travel - requests are processed approx. 30 days. Be careful: it’s unclear how regaining your passport back from the embassy for travel may affect the visa application process.

Not clear if rental contracts with Flatio or cheaper contracts of accommodation services typical for student housing and hotels are eligible. Remember that you’ll need to pay rent while staying in India - sometimes up to a year of rent for a house you can’t use

The main points

To apply for a Portuguese visa, your Serbian/Montenegrin residence permit must be valid for at least 6 months after your expected departure date. I.e. you must submit documents to the consulate eight months before the end of the residence permit.
You can apply for the visa as soon as you receive your local residence permit.You don't need a Portuguese bank account for DN or D7 visas. Accounts from other countries, including Russia, are accepted.
Make sure to show account statements for the past 3 months to prove the money is legitimately yours.
✅ For DN and D7 visas, you need to show reservations for 12 months. Flatio contracts should be notarized or have a digital signature. (You can use DocuSign service for this). You only need to include the primary applicant on the lease.
✅ For DN it is enough to show 3 months of income, but the consulate may ask for a six-month statement in the course of consideration.
Sole proprietors should attach evidence of payment into the account along with the invoices, even if they have already provided a general bank statement.Employees should ensure their contract allows for remote work, otherwise the application might be declined.
✅ For D7 visas, it's recommended to show at least 6 months of income.
For individual entrepreneurs, a certificate of no tax debt is required. You don't need to aposthile it.
You need to show health inshurance for at lest 6 month

The main problems

🖐 The🖐 consulate can become overloaded and may temporarily stop accepting applications. We recommend to closely monitor their website and write a request as soon as they open submissions, even if your residence permit is not ready yet

How to apply in Serbia? Consulate may stop accepting submissions from time to time in order to deal with received documents.

Tips

✍ To sign up for submission via email, send scans of all documents with proper translations and apostilles to visas.belgrado@mne.pt. It takes about 10 days to check them, and if everything is in order, a personal visit will be scheduled within about a week. The list of required documents on the website includes a request to the SEF, but the form there is not up to date. There is no point in filling it out because they will give you another one on the spot.

🌏 Although the website does not mention a letter of motivation, they will ask for it when you apply.
🤑 The fee for a resident visa is 110 euros, payable in cash in dinars.
✅ Bring copies of all original documents to the consulate.
👉All translations must be in English or Portuguese and completed by a court interpreter in Serbia.

⌛ Timeframe: approval for a visa can take up to 2 months.

Main features

✅ The documents for visa application in UAE are submitted through VFS global.
✅ You do not need an account in Portugal for DN visa. An account in the UAE is enough, where you have to show the receipts as per the requirements of the particular visa.
You can apply for DN visa 3 months after opening an account in the UAE.
✅ However, for D7 visa, certified account details in Portugal are required.
✅ The VFS website does not have any specific housing requirements for DN visas, but during consultations, they recommend providing at least a short-term rental for 30 days. It is desirable to make a reservation for 4 months, which is the entire period of validity of DN visas.
✅ Bookings on websites such as Booking and Flatio are suitable.
✅ D7 visa requires a long-term lease and a certified contract.
✅ There is no minimum residency requirement before applying for a visa through VFS.
✅ Resident ID must be valid for at least 7 months from the filing date. In addition, if you are submitting your application with your family, all family members must have a Resident ID as well.
✅ A Dubai tax residency document is required, or a letter from VFS counselors stating that it is not required.
✅ A detailed motivation letter is needed with your documents and VFS explanations, for example, showing that VFS asked for a 30-day reservation or stated that it is not required for employees of Dubai companies to prove tax residency.
✅ You need to prepare a certificate of no criminal record from the UAE and have it certified by MOFA, even if you have lived there for less than a year. The details for the certification can be found at https://www.mofaic.gov.ae/en/Services/attestation)

Main problems

‍‍It can be very difficult to catch the slot for visa application. You often have to check the VFS website every day for months before you can get an appointment. Unfortunately, Portugal buys only a few slots to apply for all types of visas in the UAE. The choice of dates is extremely limited, and it's good if there is any availability in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Unlike in Moscow, you cannot sign up to apply six months in advance.
At the time of application, they often ask for additional documents that are not listed on the VFS website. Therefore, it is recommended to send all questions about your case to VFS via email and keep and print their answers to attach them to your cover letter/motivation letter to convince the manager to accept your application. If you realize that the manager is not quite right, be persistent!
Filing as a family requires booking multiple slots at once, which is often not feasible. If that fails, try requesting a letter from VFS stating that you can apply together for D visas and escorting visas at the same time. However, it's not a guarantee that the consulate will agree to let you in, but it's worth a try.

To keep in mind

All documents from UAE banks must be wet-stamped. It's recommended to order a certificate of account in advance to ensure that you have the necessary documentation.
All telephone numbers and addresses must be given in the UAE, not in the country of citizenship.
Flatio contracts, work contracts should be certified with live signatures, e.g. via DocuSign to ensure that they are accepted.
It's important to check if the manager forgot to attach your housing reservation - since it is not on the VFS list, this is sometimes overlooked.
They do not take your passport when you apply, they will invite you to paste your visa after it has been approved.

⏳ Timeframe: It is better to set the date of entry at least 2 months from the date of filing to allow for processing time

The main points

✅ In the U.S., the method of application varies depending on where you live. Some consulates accept documents directly, and some accept them through VFS visa centers. You can apply only at the consulate to whose area of jurisdiction your permanent residence belongs.
✅ The way to apply also differs. Usually you need to make an online appointment at the consulate or visa center and then submit the documents in person. However, Boston, for example, requires you to send all electronic versions of your documents first for initial verification and to get an appointment to file in person. Check with your consulate for procedures.
✅ Rental or property purchase agreements must be submitted in Portuguese, as translation is not legally binding according to the law.
✅ It is necessary to show all funds in a bank account in Portugal.

For DN visa you need to show income for the last 3 months and work contracts. For D7 visa you should prove a stable passive income - for example, provide pension certificates or payments from Social Security. For D2/4/6 visas, you need to show the employment contracts, bank statements for the last 6 months and an Income Tax Return (ITR) certificate. It is recommended that you show funds for 2 years of residency, instead of 1 (i.e., the entire term of the residence permit).

For the FBI criminal record certificate, you will need to ask the police for fingerprints. You can request the certificate online or through authorized agencies. Time: 3 to 5 working days, price from $18 to $50. You will need to have the certificate apostilled by the U.S. Department of State's Office of Authentication or - order a copy by email and a hard copy by mail. If you DO NOT open an envelope with the FBI report mailed to you, you will not need the certification (apostille) from the U.S. Department of State, except for the New York office. U.S. citizens applying from outside the United States will need the certificate apostilled.

Proof of residency for at least 12 months is required (except for some applications with a 6-month lease through Washington, D.C.). This can be a rental agreement, property purchase agreement, proof of residency on Airbnb or similar sites, staying with friends or relatives. If spouses are applying, it is advisable to have them both listed on the contract. If the contract of sale is in process, you will need a Contrato de Promessa de Compra e Venda (CPCV). If the accommodation is provided by the landlord free of charge, a Termo de responsabilidade certificate is drawn up, and the host's signature on the form must be notarized in Portugal. This is not the best option, you have to prove your relationship with the landlord and it reduces the chances of success

The main problems

‍✅ Processing times vary greatly from consulate to consulate. For example, in New York you can get your visa approved in 4 weeks, but in San Francisco the wait is up to 5 months.
✅ The requirements vary from consulate to consulate: they may request additional documents at their discretion.
✅ Once your visa is approved, you will receive an email telling you to send your passport to the consulate to have your visa affixed, along with a pre-paid and signed envelope to send it back. It is very important to check your spam folder and if there is a delay, check with the consulate (perhaps through a lawyer) to see if there is an error in the address. There are cases where people were not able to get their visas for over a year because of a simple error in their email addresses - the consulate itself will not try to contact you and clarify the data if there is no letter from you. ‍

Where to apply

‍In USA the application for the Portugese visas is based on the jurisdiction.

✅Boston
AREAS OF JURISDICTION: States of: Maine, Massachusetts (except the area covered by New Bedford), New Hampshire and Vermont
• Use https://www.vistos.mne.pt/pt/ for applications and information. All documents should be uploaded on the site for pre-check, afterwards you will be assigned an appointment
• Consulate often requests copies of all documents
• Requires proof of travel arrangements to Portugal (entering Portugal as your first Schengen Area country)

✅New Bedford
AREAS OF JURISDICTION: Counties of: Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Nantucket and Plymouth; Cities of: Acushnet, Dartmouth, New Bedford and Fall River Use https://www.vistos.mne.pt/pt/ for applications and information.

✅New York (Uses VFS Global’s services)
AREAS OF JURISDICTION: States of: Connecticut, Michigan and New York; Territories of American Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Bermuda and Puerto Rico
• You should schedule an appointment and fill in the application form on VFS Global website.
• You should sign a form permitting Portuguese Criminal Records Check
• Consulate may request marriage and birth certificates even for solo applicants
• Correct Consular fee must be paid via Money Order/Banker/Postal/Cashier check payable to "VFS Services USA Inc.”

✅ Newark
AREAS OF JURISDICTION: States of: Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania
• Use https://www.vistos.mne.pt/pt/ for applications and information.
• Schedule an appointment on https://newark.consuladoportugal.mne.gov.pt/en/consularmatters/appointments

✅ Providence
AREAS OF JURISDICTION: State of: Rhode Island
• Consulate often requests copies of all documents

✅San Francisco (Uses VFS Global’s services)
AREAS OF JURISDICTION: States of: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming
• Requires printing out and bringing your visa application form and appointment verification
• Requires that applicants arrive no earlier than 15 minutes prior to the appointment
• Visa application form brought to the in-person interview must have your signature notarized unless you sign it in front of the agent
• Consulate often asks for a “reference” in Portugal
• Requests you complete a Release of Liability for Passport Mailing that they provide at the appointment. It specifies where you want your passport and visa sent, unless you wish to pick it up or aren’t leaving your passport
• Requesting and sometimes requiring that you leave your passport with them until it is stamped. This request isn’t legal.
• The full application package cannot exceed 50 pages
• Often pressures couples to have one person apply, the other follow Family Reunification in Portugal, to reduce their workload. Family reunification is a slightly more complicated process due to expiration of the FBI report and reprinting financial statements.
• Correct Consular fee must be paid via Money Order/Banker/Postal/Cashier check. Applications submitted to the VFS Center in San Francisco need this check payable to "Consulate General of Portugal” or “Embassy of Portugal”.

✅ Washington D.C. (Uses VFS Global’s services)
If you are a resident of the State of Illinois and need a Schengen Visa to Portugal, you can apply with the Consulate-General of Lithuania in Chicago

AREAS OF JURISDICTION: States of: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, District of Columbia.
• You should schedule an appointment and fill in the application form on VFS Global website.
• Correct Consular fee must be paid via Money Order/Banker/Cashier check. For applications submitted to the VFS Center in Washington DC, the Money order/Banker or Cashier check must be payable to “Embassy of Portugal"

Family

‍Each family member must fill out a separate visa application form. Some consulates advise parents of children under the age of 5 not to obtain accompanying visas but to use family reunification option within Portugal.

Tips

✅ Documents can be submitted in English, Portuguese or French.
✅ A motivation letter is required: However, do not include too much detail; it is detrimental to the consideration. The letter should mention your education, profession, reasons for choosing Portugal (family, friends, business, real estate), income, bank accounts and place of residence. You can include contacts for a landlord or your lawyer in Portugal.
✅ Prepare color notarized copies of your passport if you do not want to leave the original document at the consulate until the visa is pasted. Your passport must be maximum 10 years old and have at least 2 blank pages.
✅ If you are submitting a stamped, return address envelope (SASE) to the U.S. Department of State to return an apostilled FBI report, DO NOT use FedEx, as the Department of State does not work with this carrier and your document will be delayed.
✅ At times consulates require marriage and birth certificates even if the applicant is filing alone and is not requesting family visas.
✅ Consulates in San Francisco and Washington, D.C. sometimes ask for a recommendation from Portugal. The “reference” can be your attorney, landlord, Dean of Admissions, friend, real estate agent, family member, etc., who is a European Union citizen or permanent legal resident in Portugal. Along with the rest of your documents, submit a note with their name, address, phone number, nationality, and enclose a copy of their national ID card or residency card.

⏳ Timeframe waiting time for visa approval can take up to 5 months

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Guide: D2 Business Visa

About visa

Check-list for D2 application in your country consulate or visa centre

What does a typical process looks like

Step-by-step guide

Tips for apply from your country 🌏

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