Portugal
Portugal
Schengen
Europe
The official name of Portugal is Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa). Portugal with its total area of 92,212 km2 is located in the Southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The country consists of an area located on the Iberian Peninsula and two archipelagos of Azores and Madeira, both autonomous region in the Atlantic Ocean. Main river, Tagus, flows from Spain and divides Portugal Mainland into two parts. Country is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and Spain. The highest peak is ancient volcano named Mount Pico (2,351 m) and is located on the island of Pico in the Azores. Serra da Estrela (1,991 m) on the mainland is an attraction for ski and winter sports lovers. With its 1,727,408 km2 of exclusive economic zone (sea zone with special rights over the use and exploration of marine resources) Portugal has the thirdlargest exclusive economic zone in the European Union. Portugal is one of the oldest nation states in Europe and the oldest on the Iberian Peninsula. Its population is 10.6 million. The capital city is Lisbon and has 2,818,000 inhabitants. Other large and well-known cities are Porto, Coimbra, Braga, Funchal, Guimarães, Aveiro, Ponta Delgada and Faro. Native Portuguese are an Iberian ethnic group and they form 95% of the whole population. The official language is Portuguese. It is a Romance language. 81.0% of the Portuguese population are Roman Catholic Christian. Portugal has developed a very specific culture. This culture was influenced by various civilizations that have crossed the European continent. Portugal hosts 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, ranking it the 9th in Europe. Portuguese architecture, style, art, cuisine and nature are the reason for millions of tourists visiting this beautiful country every year.
About Portugal
PORTUGUESE CUISINE
Portuguese have a culture of good food and their cuisine is full a various dish and very diverse. Different regions have their own traditional recipes.
Caldeirada, grilled sardines, Bacalhau Very popular fish recipe is Caldeirada. It is a fish tomato-based stew consisting of a wide variety of fish with a mix of parsley, coriander, onion, garlic, peppers and potatoes. Caldeirada is very similar to other types of fish stew (such an Italian Cacciucco or French Bouillabaisse). Simply „a fisherman´s stew that depends on what the fishermen have managed to catch and that varies from village to village “. Another popular recipe are grilled sardines. One of the most well-known and favourite food is dry cod (Bacalhau), for which hundreds of recipes exist and you can simply choose more than one for each day of the year.
Meat, sandwiches, pastry, wine Fantastic Portuguese foods made out of chicken, lamb, pork, beef, goat are Cozido à portuguesa, Feijoada, Frango de churrasco, Leitão (roast suckli
ng pig), Chanfana and Carne de porco à alentejana. A very popular northern dish is Dobrada, a tripe with white beans and carrots stew, often served with steamed white rice. Peri-peri chicken is a spicy chicken dish. It is served with rice and vegetables, most common in the Algarve region but favourite throughout the whole Portugal. Well known around the country are Bifanas (grilled pork) or Prego (grilled beef) sandwiches. The Portuguese tasty pastries like Ovos moles from Aveiro and Pastéis de Belém originally from Lisbon have their origins in many medieval Catholic monasteries. Main ingredients are almonds, vanilla, cinnamon, flour, eggs and some liquor. Portuguese wines have enjoyed worldwide recognition since the times of the Romans. Port and Madeira are appreciated in wide range of places around the world. Portuguese wines are known by wine lovers in the whole world. Some of the best Portuguese wines are Vinho Verde, Vinho Alvarinho, Vinho do Douro, Vinho do Alentejo, Vinho do Dão, Vinho da Bairrada and the sweet Port Wine, Madeira Wine, and the Moscatel from Setúbal and Favaios.
Travel Documents and Entry Requirements for non-EU Nationals
All EEA citizens and Swiss citizens can travel to Portugal under the visa-free regime. Third-country nationals are required to apply for a visa to travel or live in Portugal. The visa depends on nationality and purpose.
The documents you need to present to the Portuguese border officer are as follows:
Passport validity
You must have at least 6 months left on an adult or child passport to travel to most countries in Europe. The document has to be issued within the previous 10 years and valid for at least 3 months after the date you intend to leave the EU. Beware that EU members such as Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland and Romania are not part of the Schengen Area.
Schengen Visa
If you do not know if you need a visa to enter Schengen, click here. Download the Schengen Visa Application Form or visit the Portuguese Ministry of European and International Affairs to check the current status regarding the visa and the conditions for issuing it here.
Schengen Insurance
Confirmation that you have travel and health insurance for Portugal and the whole territory of Schengen, which meets Visa Code (Regulation EC No. 810/2009) conditions for a Schengen visa. Travel health insurance policies for foreigners travelling to Portugal that fulfil Portuguese Visa requirements can be purchased online from schengen.insure and it‘s accepted by Portuguese Embassies and Consulates worldwide.
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There are different types of visas for Portugal depending on reason for visiting and on your nationality.
• Schengen Visa – is required citizens of third countries included on the list of countries whose nationals must be in possession of a visa when crossing the external borders, unless in possession of a valid residence permit or a valid long-term visa issued by another Member State. Visa form here.
• Temporary stay visas allow entry and stay in Portugal for less than a year. Temporary stay visas are valid during the entire stay and allow multiple entries.
• Residency visas allow two entries and are valid for a period of 4 months. During that time, the holder of a residency visa is required to request a residency permit with the Immigration and Border Services (SEF).
• Portuguese visas are typically processed by the Portuguese embassy in your country of residence, while the Portuguese Immigration Office (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras, SEF) is responsible for issuing Portuguese resident permits (Autorização de Residência).
• Time – a Portugal Visa (Schengen Visa) takes usually from 10 to 15 days. This period may be extended up to 30 days or 60 days. Do not forget to check the actual conditions for visiting Portugal on official pages of Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
About Portugal
PORTUGUESE CUISINE
Portuguese have a culture of good food and their cuisine is full a various dish and very diverse. Different regions have their own traditional recipes.
Caldeirada, grilled sardines, Bacalhau Very popular fish recipe is Caldeirada. It is a fish tomato-based stew consisting of a wide variety of fish with a mix of parsley, coriander, onion, garlic, peppers and potatoes. Caldeirada is very similar to other types of fish stew (such an Italian Cacciucco or French Bouillabaisse). Simply „a fisherman´s stew that depends on what the fishermen have managed to catch and that varies from village to village “. Another popular recipe are grilled sardines. One of the most well-known and favourite food is dry cod (Bacalhau), for which hundreds of recipes exist and you can simply choose more than one for each day of the year.
Meat, sandwiches, pastry, wine Fantastic Portuguese foods made out of chicken, lamb, pork, beef, goat are Cozido à portuguesa, Feijoada, Frango de churrasco, Leitão (roast suckli
ng pig), Chanfana and Carne de porco à alentejana. A very popular northern dish is Dobrada, a tripe with white beans and carrots stew, often served with steamed white rice. Peri-peri chicken is a spicy chicken dish. It is served with rice and vegetables, most common in the Algarve region but favourite throughout the whole Portugal. Well known around the country are Bifanas (grilled pork) or Prego (grilled beef) sandwiches. The Portuguese tasty pastries like Ovos moles from Aveiro and Pastéis de Belém originally from Lisbon have their origins in many medieval Catholic monasteries. Main ingredients are almonds, vanilla, cinnamon, flour, eggs and some liquor. Portuguese wines have enjoyed worldwide recognition since the times of the Romans. Port and Madeira are appreciated in wide range of places around the world. Portuguese wines are known by wine lovers in the whole world. Some of the best Portuguese wines are Vinho Verde, Vinho Alvarinho, Vinho do Douro, Vinho do Alentejo, Vinho do Dão, Vinho da Bairrada and the sweet Port Wine, Madeira Wine, and the Moscatel from Setúbal and Favaios. Travel Documents and Entry Requirements for non-EU Nationals
All EEA citizens and Swiss citizens can travel to Portugal under the visa-free regime. Third-country nationals are required to apply for a visa to travel or live in Portugal. The visa depends on nationality and purpose.
The documents you need to present to the Portuguese border officer are as follows:
Passport validity
You must have at least 6 months left on an adult or child passport to travel to most countries in Europe. The document has to be issued within the previous 10 years and valid for at least 3 months after the date you intend to leave the EU. Beware that EU members such as Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland and Romania are not part of the Schengen Area.
Schengen Visa
If you do not know if you need a visa to enter Schengen, click here. Download the Schengen Visa Application Form or visit the Portuguese Ministry of European and International Affairs to check the current status regarding the visa and the conditions for issuing it here.
Schengen Insurance
Confirmation that you have travel and health insurance for Portugal and the whole territory of Schengen, which meets Visa Code (Regulation EC No. 810/2009) conditions for a Schengen visa. Travel health insurance policies for foreigners travelling to Portugal that fulfil Portuguese Visa requirements can be purchased online from schengen.insure and it‘s accepted by Portuguese Embassies and Consulates worldwide.
There are different types of visas for Portugal depending on reason for visiting and on your nationality.
• Schengen Visa – is required citizens of third countries included on the list of countries whose nationals must be in possession of a visa when crossing the external borders, unless in possession of a valid residence permit or a valid long-term visa issued by another Member State. Visa form here.
• Temporary stay visas allow entry and stay in Portugal for less than a year. Temporary stay visas are valid during the entire stay and allow multiple entries.
• Residency visas allow two entries and are valid for a period of 4 months. During that time, the holder of a residency visa is required to request a residency permit with the Immigration and Border Services (SEF).
• Portuguese visas are typically processed by the Portuguese embassy in your country of residence, while the Portuguese Immigration Office (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras, SEF) is responsible for issuing Portuguese resident permits (Autorização de Residência).
• Time – a Portugal Visa (Schengen Visa) takes usually from 10 to 15 days. This period may be extended up to 30 days or 60 days. Do not forget to check the actual conditions for visiting Portugal on official pages of Ministry for Foreign Affairs.