Tourist Visa in Portugal: When and How to Request an Extension of Your Stay

Anyone planning to visit Portugal purely for tourism should organize their trip within the 90-day per semester limit, strictly complying with the entry and stay rules applicable to their specific situation.

Those who already anticipate that they may need more time in Portugal—for example, for family or health reasons, or because they are preparing a transition to another type of visa—should seek specialized legal advice before the initial period expires. This allows for an assessment of whether it makes sense to request an extension of stay or, alternatively, to timely structure an application for a temporary stay or residence visa on another legal basis (work, study, family), when and if legally possible.

Tourist visa

A request to extend a tourist visa is, in practice, a request to extend the period of stay in Portugal for someone who entered with a short-stay visa (Schengen visa) or without a visa, for tourism or visiting purposes. The law allows such extensions only in specific situations and within very clear limits, and the procedure is currently handled through AIMA’s online forms.

What is a short-stay visa and what is the “normal” length of stay?

A short-stay visa (which includes the tourist visa) is intended to allow entry into Portugal for purposes that do not justify another type of visa, such as tourism, visits, short professional trips, or accompanying family members holding a temporary stay visa.
As a general rule, the stay may not exceed 90 days per semester within the Schengen Area, counted from the first entry, whether in a single continuous stay or in the sum of several successive entries.

Limits on extensions of stay (Article 72 of Law no. 23/2007)

When a person is already in Portugal and needs to remain beyond the initially authorized period, the extension of stay regime set out in Article 72 of Law no. 23/2007 applies.

This provision establishes that an extension of stay may be granted:

• Up to 5 days, if the applicant holds a transit visa.
  
• Up to 60 days, if the applicant holds a temporary stay visa for medical treatment, patient transfer, or related matters (paragraph b, in the applicable wording).
  
• Up to 90 days, if the applicant holds a residence visa.
  
• Up to 90 days, renewable for an equal period, if the applicant holds a short-stay (tourist/Schengen) visa or was admitted without a visa (as is the case for many visa-exempt nationalities).
  
• Up to one year, renewable for an equal period, if the applicant holds a temporary stay visa (except for certain cases of short-term study, where the limit is lower).
  

When an extension is granted to holders of a short-stay visa or to those who entered without a visa, and the stay exceeds 90 days per semester, the stay becomes limited to Portugal (it does not allow free movement throughout the entire Schengen Area during the extended period).

In addition, the law provides that, except in exceptional circumstances, applications submitted more than 30 days after the end of the authorized stay period are not approved, which reinforces the importance of acting before the passport/visa validity or entry stamp expires.

Situations in which a tourist visa extension is usually accepted

An extension of stay for tourism or visits is not automatic; it is always assessed on a case-by-case basis.

The official AIMA form (Form 3 – Extension of Stay/Validity and/or Duration of Schengen Visa) already indicates the typical grounds for such requests:

• Tourism or visit (the main purpose of the short-stay visa).
  
• Humanitarian reasons or force majeure (for example, sudden illness, flight cancellations due to serious reasons, natural disasters, war in the country of origin, etc.).
  
• Serious personal reasons (such as the need to accompany a family member in a serious health situation in Portugal; reasons related to studies, property acquisition, etc.).
  
• Short-term seasonal work, within the legal limits for this category.
  
• Other duly justified reasons, to be specified and supported with evidence.
  

In practice, the more the application is supported by documented reasons (medical reports, proof of cancelled flights, evidence of financial means, health insurance, etc.), the greater the likelihood of approval—especially when the intention is to significantly exceed the initially planned stay.

How to request an extension: procedures with AIMA

Currently, the procedure to request an extension of stay (extension of a tourist/Schengen visa) involves several steps: completing the relevant form, scheduling through the AIMA portal, submitting/formalizing the request by email, and sending documentation by registered mail.

1. Form and documentation

AIMA provides, on its “Forms and Templates” page, Form 3 – Extension of Stay/Validity and/or Duration of Schengen Visa, which is the basic form for this type of application.

In this form, the applicant indicates:

• Personal and travel details (name, passport number, issue and expiry dates, type and number of visa, entry dates).
  
• Reason for the extension (tourism/visit, humanitarian reasons, force majeure, serious personal reasons, seasonal work, others).
  
• Additional period requested (how many extra days they wish to stay).
  

The applicant must also attach the usual documents, such as:

• Copy of the passport (biographical page) and of the visa or entry stamp.
  
• Proof of means of subsistence for the additional period (bank statements, proof of family support, etc.).
  
• Proof of accommodation (hotel reservation, lease agreement, declaration of responsibility, etc.).
  
• Health insurance valid for the extended period (if applicable).
  
• Additional evidence related to the stated reason (medical certificates, documents proving force majeure, etc.).
  

2. Application and scheduling through the AIMA portal

In addition, AIMA has created a specific online channel for scheduling visa extensions, accessible through the contact form at contactenos.aima.gov.pt, selecting the subject “Visas”.

According to AIMA itself:

• The form allows users to request an appointment for visa extensions.
  
• It is mandatory to attach scanned copies of the passport and visa, and it is also possible to attach up to three additional documents depending on the type of visa and the reason for the request (for example, travel reservations, medical certificates, etc.).
  
• Scheduling is free of charge.
  

After submitting the form, AIMA communicates the date of the in-person appointment by email, at which time originals are checked, data and any additional documents are collected, and a decision is issued (either immediately or at a later date).

Practical warnings and common pitfalls

For those considering extending a tourist stay, there are several critical points to emphasize clearly:

• The request must be made before the authorized period expires; applications submitted very late (more than 30 days after the end of the authorized stay) tend to be refused, except in truly exceptional circumstances.
  
• Even when the law allows extensions of up to 90 additional days, this does not mean an “automatic right”: the authority always assesses the reason, means of subsistence, and the applicant’s compliance history with migration rules. However, while a decision is pending and the applicant can prove that the request has been submitted, they may remain in Portugal until the limit of the requested extension or until a refusal decision is issued, whichever occurs first.
  
• Extensions that result in a stay longer than 90 days within a 180-day period restrict freedom of movement within the Schengen Area, which may affect flights and travel via other European countries during the extended period.
  
• Remaining in Portugal beyond the authorized period with a refused extension may lead to fines, difficulties in future visa or residence applications, and negative records that affect future travel within the Schengen Area.

Closing note (for an immigration law firm website)

• Those planning purely tourism should organize their trip within the 90-day-per-semester limit.
  
• Those who already know they may need more time (for example, for family or health reasons, or to transition to another type of visa) should seek advice before the deadline expires, in order to assess whether it makes sense to request a visa extension or, alternatively, to prepare a transition to a residence application on another legal basis (work, study, family), when legally possible.
  

An experienced immigration lawyer can identify the most appropriate solution for each specific case and guide the applicant through the necessary steps, ensuring the highest possible level of legal certainty.