Visa-Free Travel with Portuguese Passport
Visa-Free Travel with the Portugal Golden Visa Residence Permit
Upon completion of the investment process and submission of the Portugal Golden Visa application, all applicants, including their dependent family members, are required to attend a biometric appointment in Portugal. During this appointment, biometric data and fingerprints are collected as part of the residency application process. Following the successful submission of biometric data, the processing period for the issuance of the Portugal Golden Visa residence card commences.
Once the residence permit is granted, Golden Visa holders may reside in Portugal without any restrictions or travel freely within the European Union for a total of six months per year without the need for additional visas.
As Portugal is a Schengen Area member state, holders of the Portugal Golden Visa automatically acquire visa-free access to the Schengen Zone, enabling them to travel throughout Schengen countries without requiring a visa.
After securing the Portugal Golden Visa, neither the Schengen Visa nor a Portuguese visa is required for intra-European travel. Golden Visa holders and their family members are entitled to visa-free entry to the following Schengen countries:
Visa-Free Schengen Countries with a Portugal Golden Visa
- Austria
- Croatia
- Estonia
- Germany
- Iceland
- Lithuania
- Netherlands
- Portugal
- Slovenia
- Switzerland
- Belgium
- Czech Republic
- Finland
- Greece
- Italy
- Luxembourg
- Norway
- Romania
- Spain
- Bulgaria
- Denmark
- France
- Hungary
- Latvia
- Malta
- Poland
- Slovakia
- Sweden
After five years of maintaining residency, Portugal Golden Visa holders become eligible for Portuguese citizenship, allowing them to obtain a Portugal passport, which is ranked as the 4th strongest passport globally as of September 2024.
Visa-Free Travel with a Portuguese Passport
Once Portuguese citizenship is granted, individuals gain full EU citizenship and the ability to travel visa-free to 191 countries, including the Schengen Area and many key international destinations.
Visa-Free Destinations with a Portuguese Passport
Europe
- Andorra
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Cyprus
- Estonia
- Germany
- Iceland
- Latvia
- Luxembourg
- Montenegro
- Poland
- Serbia
- Spain
- United Kingdom
- Austria
- Bulgaria
- Czech Republic
- Finland
- Greece
- Ireland
- Liechtenstein
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Sweden
- Vatican City
- Belgium
- Croatia
- Denmark
- France
- Hungary
- Italy
- Lithuania
- Monaco
- Norway
- San Marino
- Slovenia
- Switzerland
North & South America
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Guyana
- Nicaragua
- Peru
- Venezuela
- Belize
- Canada (eVisa required)
- Costa Rica
- El Salvador
- Honduras
- Panama
- United States (ESTA required for visa-free entry)
- Bolivia
- Chile
- Dominican Republic
- Guatemala
- Mexico
- Paraguay
- Uruguay
Asia & Middle East
- Bahrain
- Cambodia
- India (eVisa required)
- Israel
- Kazakhstan
- Lebanon (Visa on arrival)
- Mongolia
- Philippines
- Singapore
- Taiwan
- United Arab Emirates (UAE)
- Bangladesh
- China (eVisa required)
- Indonesia
- Japan
- Kuwait
- Malaysia
- Nepal (Visa on arrival)
- Qatar
- South Korea
- Thailand
- Uzbekistan
- Brunei
- Hong Kong
- Iran (Visa on arrival)
- Jordan (Visa on arrival)
- Laos (Visa on arrival)
- Maldives (Visa on arrival)
- Oman
- Saudi Arabia
- Sri Lanka (eVisa required)
- Turkey
- Vietnam (Visa on arrival)
Africa
- Botswana
- Madagascar (Visa on arrival)
- Namibia
- Tunisia
- Egypt (Visa on arrival)
- Mauritius
- Seychelles (Visa on arrival)
- Zambia (Visa on arrival)
- Kenya (eVisa required)
- Morocco
- South Africa
- Zimbabwe (Visa on arrival)
Oceania & Caribbean
- Australia (eVisa required)
- Marshall Islands
- Palau (Visa on arrival)
- Solomon Islands
- Vanuatu
- Fiji
- Micronesia
- Papua New Guinea (Visa on arrival)
- Tonga (Visa on arrival)
- Kiribati
- New Zealand
- Samoa (Visa on arrival)
- Tuvalu (Visa on arrival)
Territories & Special Administrative Regions
- Anguilla
- Falkland Islands
- Greenland
- New Caledonia
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Bermuda
- French Guiana
- Guam
- Puerto Rico
- US Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- French Polynesia
- Macau
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Conclusion
The Portugal Golden Visa Program provides investors and their families with visa-free access to the Schengen Area during their residency period. Upon acquiring Portuguese citizenship, passport holders gain unparalleled global mobility, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 191 countries, making it one of the most powerful passports worldwide.
For investors seeking a secure, long-term European residency and an eventual pathway to EU citizenship, the Portugal Golden Visa remains one of the most attractive options available.