The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has updated its travel advice for Britons heading to Portugal, with changes to entry requirements for longer stays. The update, issued on 20 March and still current as of 25 March, clarifies rules for those staying beyond 90 days in a 180-day period.
According to the FCDO, visitors who need to extend their visa-free stay for exceptional reasons, such as a medical emergency, must apply to AIMA using their contact form, which is only accessible within Portugal. Those with a residence permit or long-stay visa are exempt from the 90-day limit.
British passport holders can travel to Portugal without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period for tourism, visiting friends or family, business meetings, cultural or sports events, or short-term studies. This rule also applies to the entire Schengen area, which includes 29 European countries.
The FCDO warned that overstaying the 90-day limit could result in a ban from entering Schengen countries for up to three years. From 10 April 2026, the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES) will require travellers to register biometric details at the border.
Passport requirements remain strict: passports must be valid for at least three months after the intended departure date from the Schengen area, and must have been issued within the last ten years. Britons are advised to renew passports well in advance, as processing can take three weeks or longer during peak season.
