Study in Portugal from Nepal and India

Portugal student visa at a glance

Visa fee

NPR 18,689

EUR 110

Source: vistos.mne.gov.pt (opens the official website in a new tab)

Money to show a year

No fixed amount

Source: vistos.mne.gov.pt (opens the official website in a new tab)

Work in term

See guide

Work during study

Source: aima.gov.pt (opens the official website in a new tab)

Stay after study

See guide

After a bachelor's

Source: aima.gov.pt (opens the official website in a new tab)

Short answer: To study in Portugal you apply for the Residency visa for study (higher education), followed by an AIMA residence permit for higher-education students (Art. 91, Law 23/2007). The main visa fee is EUR 110 (about NPR 18,689). You must also show EUR 920 per month: money that stays yours.

How much does it cost to study in Portugal?

Two different kinds of money: fees you pay (gone once paid) and funds you show as evidence (they stay in your account). Never add them together.

What do I need for the Portugal student visa?

Visa type

Residency visa for study (bachelor's, master's, PhD), applied for at the Portuguese consular post or its visa centre. Source: vistos.mne.gov.pt (opens the official website in a new tab)

Processing time

Consulates must decide on a residency visa within 60 days. Source: vistos.mne.gov.pt (opens the official website in a new tab)

Exemptions

Students admitted to an officially recognised higher-education institution under Article 91-B are exempt from showing health insurance, travel insurance and means of subsistence; scholarship holders are exempt from proof of admission and means. Source: vistos.mne.gov.pt (opens the official website in a new tab)

Residence permit in Portugal

Book an appointment at an AIMA store with your visa, proof of enrolment and tuition payment, health insurance (or NHS coverage), means of subsistence and a criminal record certificate. Source: aima.gov.pt (opens the official website in a new tab)

Permit validity

3 years, renewable for equal periods; shorter if the study programme is shorter. Source: aima.gov.pt (opens the official website in a new tab)

Where to apply (India)India

Only through VFS. The Embassy in New Delhi covers all of India except Goa, Maharashtra, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli, which go to the Consulate General in Goa (VFS Mumbai, Pune, Goa). Source: novadeli.embaixadaportugal.mne.gov.pt (opens the official website in a new tab)

Can I work while studying in Portugal?

Work during study

Holders of a study residence permit may work, as employees or self-employed, alongside their studies; AIMA states no weekly hour limit. Source: aima.gov.pt (opens the official website in a new tab)

Card replacement on starting work

AIMA's fee table lists €123.50 to replace the residence card when notifying professional activity under Article 97(2). Source: aima.gov.pt (opens the official website in a new tab)

Can I stay and work after graduating?

After a bachelor's

Graduates of a first-cycle degree can get a residence permit to work (employed or self-employed) without a visa, with a job contract/promise or start-of-activity declaration. Source: aima.gov.pt (opens the official website in a new tab)

After a master's or PhD

The same route exists for second- and third-cycle graduates who want to work in Portugal. Source: aima.gov.pt (opens the official website in a new tab)

Skilled job-seeker visa

Not yet available at Portuguese consulates — it awaits regulation of Article 57-A of the Foreigners' Law. Source: vistos.mne.gov.pt (opens the official website in a new tab)

What is different for Nepali and Indian students?

What are the top universities in Portugal?

Compare universities across countries

What has changed recently?

1. 1 Jan 2026

   Means-of-subsistence reference rose to the 2026 minimum wage of €920 a month (AIMA's own page still shows the 2025 figure of €870). Source: vistos.mne.gov.pt (opens the official website in a new tab)

Check these yourself

We could not confirm these on an official page when we last checked, so we do not state them as facts.

• Whether a post-study job-search permit exists and how long it lasts — check with AIMA.
• Visa fee: €110 (MNE portal) vs €90 (Embassy in New Delhi page).
• Where Nepali residents must lodge a study visa (no Nepal visa centre listed).
• How many months of means students must show.
• Any weekly work-hour limit and the exact work-notification procedure.
• Tuition and an official living-cost figure; rules for family members.

Official sources for Portugal

Government and official pages we use for this guide, checked 22 Oct 2026.

1. 1AIMA – Estudar (study permits)immigration_authority · Permit types for students
2. 2AIMA – Residence permit for higher-education students (Art. 91)student_visa · Documents, 3-year validity, work Art. 97
3. 3AIMA – Fee table (Portaria 307/2023)fees · €133 + €114.30 (−25% digital)
4. 4MNE Vistos – National visa feesfees · €110 national visa
5. 5MNE Vistos – Means of subsistencefunds · €920/month 2026 reference
6. 6AIMA – Meios de subsistênciafunds · Proof formats (shows 2025 €870)
7. 7MNE Vistos – Residency documentationstudent_visa · Higher-education student requirements/exemptions
8. 8MNE Vistos – Type of visastudent_visa · Residency visa for study
9. 9MNE Vistos – Deadlinesprocessing · 60 days residency visa
10. 10MNE Vistos – External service providersvac · VFS India cities; none in Nepal
11. 11AIMA – Art. 122(1)(o) after 1st-cycle studiespost_study · Work permit after bachelor's
12. 12AIMA – Art. 122(1)(p) after 2nd/3rd-cycle studiespost_study · Work permit after master's/PhD
13. 13MNE Vistos – Skilled job seeker visapost_study · Not yet available (Art. 57-A)
14. 14AIMA – Reconhecimento de documentoslegalisation · Apostille vs consular legalisation
15. 15Embassy of Portugal New Delhi – Visasembassy_india · VFS only, jurisdiction, fees (€90 study), PCC
16. 16Embassy of Portugal New Delhi – Home (jurisdiction)embassy_nepal · Covers Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Sri Lanka