The main problems:
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✅ 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
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✅ 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.
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✅ 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.
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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.
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Family
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✅ 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.
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✅ Two VFS appointments are required to be booked [same day, consecutive time slots] for submission considering there are two individuals.
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✅ Write personal statement/motivation letter in a way you are complimenting each other and express the interest in moving there as a couple.
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Submit a copy of your marriage certificate, joint bank account statements.
Rent agreement/lease [Portugal] should be in joint names.
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✅ 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.

Note:
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✅ 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. 
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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
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✅ 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 problems:
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✅ 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.
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✅ The requirements vary from consulate to consulate: they may request additional documents at their discretion. 
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✅ 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. 
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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) 
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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: https://chicago.mfa.lt/cikaga/en/traveland-residence/coming-to-lithuania/visas/schengen-visas 

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"
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Family
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✅ 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.

The main problems:
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✅VFS website may not have up-to-date information on required documents; contact support for clarification and keep written answers

✅ Passport must be valid for at least 2 years and 3 months; request Teudat Maavar if your Darkon is about to expire (takes 1 month to process)
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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. 
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Main Features:

✅ No need for a Portuguese bank account. An account in Turkey or another EU country that meets the savings requirements for the specific visa is enough.

✅ Short-term housing reservations (2-4 months) are accepted. There are many approved D7 and DN cases with reservations on Airbnb, Booking, and Flatio.

✅ To confirm your income, you need bank statements from any bank (including RU) with regular account receipts for 3-4 months.

✅ Tax information is not necessary.

✅ You can apply for a visa immediately after obtaining a residence permit. There's no minimum residency requirement in Turkey.

The Main Problems:
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✅ Email registration is the only option. The website registration doesn't work, so you should send an email to sconsular.ankara@mne.pt.Since August 2022, registration for DN, D7 visas is actually stopped - the consulate does not send the letters and does not provide slots to submit documents. It is not quite clear how long this state of affairs will last. It might help to request a slot for filing documents through a licensed attorney. In some cases the consulate did respond to attorney's letters.

Things to Keep in Mind:
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✅ To increase your chances of approval, the recommended savings amount is 12-15k euros per person. If you have income in Russia, it's better to show larger amounts in your account.

✅ Consular fees must be paid in cash (in liras) and are equivalent to ~90 Euros per person. The nearest bank from the embassy is far away, so it's better to bring banknotes.

Residency permits in turkey for all

Name and Surname

Nationality

Where do theylive in Turkey or KKTC

What do you do in Turkey or KKTC

Do they have a valid Turkish or KKTC residence permit ?

If yes, what is the exact validity date of the residency? (You need to write the exact date.)

What is the purpose of the visit to Portugal?

For how long are they intended to stay in Portugal?

What are the traveling dates to Portugal?

Will they go to another Schengen countries other than Portugal? If yes, please write to each country´s name and how many days they will stay in?

The relationship between the people ; father, mother ,…

The main problems:
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✅ The consulate can become overloaded and may temporarily stop accepting applications. Currently, they are not accepting DN, D7, and Schengen visas until April 1st.
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