Residency Visa for Secondary Education
🇵🇹 Portugal visas · Study
What it is
Residency visa to attend secondary education or a high-school student exchange programme in Portugal. Residency visa: allows two entries and is valid for 4 months. During that time the holder must apply for a residence permit with AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo).
Key facts
- Category
- Study
- Duration
- Visa valid 4 months / two entries; then a residence permit from AIMA.
- Processing time
- Up to 9 weeks
- Maximum validity
- 1 year
- Extendable
- Yes
- Path to permanent residence
- Indirect route
- Dependants
- Conditional
- Age
- 14 to 21
- How to apply
- Mixed
- Health insurance
- Required
Standard figures for this route. Some applicants pay a reduced fee or none at all, so confirm your own case on the official page.
Fees
- Application fee (national visa fee (Order 229/2021))
- EUR 110
- Application fee (exempt from any visa fee)
- EUR 0
- Application fee (exempt: study scholarship granted by Portugal)
- EUR 0
Key requirements
- National visa application form, signed
- Two recent passport photos
- Passport valid for 3 months beyond the intended return
- Criminal record certificate (applicants 16+), apostilled or legalised
- Proof of means of subsistence
- Valid travel insurance
- Enrolment in a Portuguese secondary education institution or exchange programme
- Parental authorisation where the applicant is a minor
Working on this visa
Permit holders under the study subsection (incl. Art 92 secondary students) may work, employed or self-employed, complementary to the activity that originated the visa (Lei Art 97(1)); no hour cap stated in the law.
Bringing family
Reunification for study-permit holders limited to spouse and minor/adopted children (Art 99(3)); sponsor needs permit held >=2 yrs (Art 98(1)). Exchange pupils are hosted by a family or approved accommodation (Art 62(6)(c)).
After this visa
Secondary graduates may switch, without a new visa, to a residence permit for employed or self-employed work after concluding studies (Art 122(1)(o)); a direct work switch, not the Art 122(1)(p) 1-year job-search period (Art 91/91-B only).
Money you must show
€920/mo scale; exchange org may sign responsibility term
Facts checked against the official source. Last updated 27 July 2026.