Just like it happens everywhere when you need to move, settling in Portugal may sometimes seem like a process in which there are more questions than answers.

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This section is made for you to try to understand the migration process an international student needs to follow in the country.

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The following material is translated from AIMA’s website, as currently there is not a translation into other languages.

 

The request for conceding a residence permit to higher education students is made by scheduling (or via an electronic platform- in implementation phase for holders of a residence visa) and it is submitted in person with the official form signed by the petitioner or its legal representative.

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It may be presented in any AIMA store, which may send it, after processing and deciding, to the services of the petitioner’s residence area. It must be accompanied by:

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General Necessary Documents:

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• Two identical, passport-style photographs, in colour and with a plain background, recent and suitable for identification (if the appointment takes place at AIMA offices in Odivelas or Aveiro):
  Passport or other valid travel document;

 

• Valid residence visa, issued under the terms of Article 62º of the REPSAE, except in applications for residence authorization without a visa (under the provisions of paragraph 4 of Article 91º of the REPSAE);

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• Declaration, under oath, of the residential address, stating the legal basis on which the applicant resides in the indicated dwelling (e.g., owner, tenant, subtenant, usufructuary, borrower, among others) (forms and drafts); and

  • In cases where the applicant resides in the property as owner or usufructuary, a property registry certificate or the provision of the respective access code must be presented to prove the right of ownership or usufruct, or

  • In cases where the applicant resides in the property as a tenant or lessee, among others, a declaration from the landlord or hosting entity, specifying the legal basis for the right to use the property.  ​

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• Proof of means of subsistence, as provided in Ordinance No. 1563/2007, of 11/12 (how to provide evidence);

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• Criminal record from the applicant's country of nationality or the criminal record of the country where the applicant resided for more than one year before residing in Portugal (how to authenticate documents).

 

Specific documents:

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• Proof of legal entry into national territory, in cases of paragraph 4 of Article 91º of Law 23/2007 – REPSAE (visa exemption).

• Proof of enrolment in a higher education institution.

• Proof of payment of tuition fees required by the higher education institution, if applicable, which can be certified by a declaration from the educational institution.

• Health insurance or proof that the applicant is covered by the National Health Service.

 

Notes:

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• For a higher education student admitted to an approved higher education institution under the terms of paragraph 5 of Article 91º of REPSAE, the presentation of proof of financial means and tuition payment is waived.

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• For a higher education student who is a recipient of a scholarship awarded by the Instituto Camões – Institute for Cooperation and Language, I.P., the presentation of proof of enrolment, tuition payment, health insurance, and proof of financial means is waived (paragraph 2 of Article 57º of Regulatory Decree no. 84/2007 of 5/11, as currently amended).

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• The granting of a residence permit requires:

The absence of any fact that, if known by the competent authorities, would prevent the issuance of the visa; no conviction for a crime punishable in Portugal by a custodial sentence of more than one year; The applicant is not under a period of entry and stay prohibition in national territory following a removal measure; No record in the Schengen Information System; No record in the SII UCFE Information System for the purposes of refusal of entry, stay, or return, pursuant to Articles 33º and 33º-A.

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• The residence permit granted under Article 91º to higher education students is valid for three years, renewable for equal periods, and in cases where the study program is shorter than three years, it is issued for the duration of the program (paragraph 2 of Article 91º REPSAE).

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• The residence permit granted to higher education students participating in EU or multilateral programs that include mobility measures, or under an agreement between two or more higher education institutions, is valid for two years or for the duration of the study program if shorter, and may be issued for one year if the conditions of paragraph 4 of Article 62º are not met at the time of issuance (paragraph 3 of Article 9.º REPSAE).

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• Holders of a residence permit for study may engage in professional activity, either as an employee or self-employed, in addition to the activity that justified the visa (Article 97º REPSAE).

 

It transposes into national law Directive (EU) 2016/801 of the European Parliament and of the Council, of 11 May 2016, on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of research, studies, training, voluntary service, student exchange programs, educational projects, and au pair placement.

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In Portugal, you are very likely to need a bank account with a local bank.

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ISEG has an agreement with Caixa Geral de Depósitos for you to get your bank account without having to pay any annual fees. In order to take advantage of this, you need to go to the bank office in Santos, where they will help you out.

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Prior to this, you need to request a Taxpayer Identification Number (Número de Identificação Fiscal (NIF).

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