Portugal news, in English, every morning. Free.

Subscribe

The Portugal Brief
Subscribe
Guides

Getting the D4 Student Visa for Portugal

Researched and written with AI tools from official sources. How we make our guides

The consular residence visa for study, the 920 euro means of subsistence floor, the legal basis, and the residence permit from AIMA.

The Portugal Brief 7 min read

Getting the D4 Student Visa for Portugal

Last verified: September 2026.

Who this is for

  • You are not an EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen and have a place on a course in Portugal.
  • Your course lasts more than a year, or you are not sure which visa you need.
  • You are already studying here on a student permit and want to know your rights.

Not for you if: you are an EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen. You need no visa; read Registering as an EU Citizen Resident in Portugal (CRUE) instead.

Updated September 2026. Since 11 September 2026, students can no longer get a study permit in Portugal after entering without a residence visa. Apply at the consulate before you travel.

The D4 is Portugal's residence visa for study. It is for non-EU students on a course of more than a year, such as a degree, a master's, or a PhD. You apply at the Portuguese consulate where you live, pay a €110 fee, and show you can support yourself: €920 a month in 2026, or €11,040 for a year. The consulate has 60 days to decide. The visa lets you enter Portugal and then get a residence permit from AIMA, the immigration agency.

Which visa you need

If your course lasts less than a year, such as one semester or an exchange, you need a temporary stay visa (visto de estada temporária). It is valid for your whole stay, allows multiple entries, and does not lead to a residence permit.

If your course lasts more than a year, you need the residence visa for study, commonly called the D4. It is valid for four months and two entries. Within those four months you must apply to AIMA for a residence permit.

The residence visa for study covers:

  • higher education students (degrees, master's, PhDs)
  • secondary school students on an exchange or recognised programme, aged 14 to 21
  • students on some vocational courses (national qualification levels 4 and 5)
  • unpaid interns and volunteers on recognised programmes

If you already hold a student permit in another EU country and come on an EU or multilateral mobility programme, you may not need a visa. You notify AIMA at least 30 days before you start and can stay up to 360 days.

The one rule that matters most

Get the visa before you fly. A law in force since 11 September 2026 removed the last in-country route for new students. Until then, a higher education student who entered Portugal legally without a residence visa could ask AIMA for a study permit. That option is gone.

If you arrive as a tourist, you will not be able to switch to a student permit in Portugal. You will have to go home and apply at the consulate. The guide to Arriving at a Portuguese Airport covers what border officers check.

Documents for the consulate

Apply at the Portuguese embassy or consulate responsible for the country where you live, or its visa centre. Every applicant needs:

  • the national visa application form, filled in and signed (by a parent or guardian for minors)
  • two identical, recent passport photos
  • a passport valid for at least three months after your planned stay, plus a copy of the photo page
  • proof of legal stay, if you apply in a country that is not your own
  • travel insurance covering medical care, urgent treatment, and repatriation
  • a criminal record certificate from your country of origin, or any country you have lived in for more than a year, apostilled or legalised (not needed under 16)
  • proof of means of subsistence (see below)

Higher education students also need:

  • proof that you have been accepted by, or meet the entry conditions of, a Portuguese higher education institution
  • proof that you can pay for the course

Secondary school students also need proof of admission and proof of a host family or suitable accommodation. Minors travelling without both parents need signed, legalised consent.

Documents not in Portuguese may need a certified translation. The guide to Getting a Certified Translation in Portugal explains the options.

How much money you need to show

The amount is tied to Portugal's minimum monthly wage, which is €920 in 2026.

  • Standard amount: €920 a month, for 12 months, or for the length of an exchange if shorter. That is €11,040 for a year.
  • If your accommodation is covered, for example a university residence, the amount can be halved.
  • If your food is covered as well, it can be reduced further, by up to 90%.

Money from grants, scholarships, or a job contract counts. So does a signed statement from a sponsor taking responsibility for your costs.

You do not need to show means if:

  • you have a study grant (tell the consulate)
  • you have a grant from Camões, the Portuguese cooperation and language institute
  • you are a national of a Portuguese-speaking country admitted to higher education
  • your institution is on the government's list of approved institutions, which also exempts you from proof of admission, travel insurance, and health insurance

Ask your institution whether it is approved before you gather documents.

What it costs and how long it takes

  • Visa fee: €110. Children up to 6, holders of Portuguese State study grants, and highly qualified researchers are exempt.
  • Decision time: up to 60 days for a residence visa, and 30 days for a temporary stay visa.
  • AIMA permit fee: AIMA charges for processing the permit and issuing the card. Its fee table changed on 1 March 2026. Check the current amount on AIMA's website before you budget.

Apply at least three months before your course starts. Consular appointment slots can take weeks.

From visa to residence permit

  1. Get accepted by a Portuguese institution. Most non-EU degree students apply through each university's special admissions process for international students.
  2. Apply for the visa at the consulate, with the documents above.
  3. Travel to Portugal while the visa is valid. It lasts four months.
  4. Get a NIF (tax number). You will need it for rent, a bank account, and AIMA. The guide to Getting a NIF (Tax Number) in Portugal explains how.
  5. Apply to AIMA for your residence permit before the visa expires. Book through AIMA's online services for residence visa holders.
  6. Bring proof of: - enrolment at your institution - tuition payment, where it applies - means of subsistence - health cover, either SNS registration or health insurance
  7. Collect your residence card.

Students at an approved institution do not need to show tuition payment or means at this stage.

How long the permit lasts

If you are a higher education student, the permit lasts three years and can be renewed for further three-year periods. If your course is shorter, it lasts for the length of the course.

If you are on an EU or multilateral mobility programme, or an agreement between institutions, it lasts two years, or the length of the programme if shorter.

Renew before your permit expires. The guide to Renewing Your Residence Permit with AIMA in Portugal sets out the process.

Working while you study

If you hold a student residence permit, you can work as an employee or as self-employed, alongside your studies. The law sets no weekly hour limit. The work must be secondary to your course, which remains the reason for your permit. If you work, you pay income tax and social security like anyone else.

You also have equal treatment with Portuguese workers on pay and conditions.

After you graduate

If you finish a higher education course or research, you can stay for up to one year to look for work or start a business that matches your qualifications. You apply to AIMA for a residence permit without needing a new visa.

If you finish a first degree or secondary school and find a job or start working for yourself, you can switch to a work residence permit without leaving Portugal.

Bringing your family

If you hold a student permit, you can apply to bring only your spouse and your children who are minors, or adults with an incapacity who depend on you. Other adult children and parents do not qualify.

Since October 2025, you normally need to have held your permit for two years before applying. There are exceptions:

  • minor children, or children with an incapacity who depend on you, can join you straight away
  • a spouse who is the other parent of those children can join straight away too
  • a spouse you lived with for at least 18 months before you moved can join after 15 months

The guide to Applying for Family Reunification in Portugal covers the process.

Tuition

Public universities can charge international students more than Portuguese and EU students. Each institution sets its own fee. Check the fee on your offer letter, and budget for it on top of the €920 a month.

If you are refused

The consulate must give you the reasons in writing. You can ask for the decision to be reviewed through the administrative appeal route set out on the visa portal. This review costs €75. You can also challenge the decision in court. Fix the problem the refusal identifies before you apply again.

Sources

This guide is written from official sources and, where relevant, organisations' own websites.

Last verified September 2026. Rules and fees change; check the official source before acting.

Read next