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Arriving in Portugal
Re: Arriving in Portugal
Latest UK Gov......
Passport stamping
Since late January 2022, new e-gates are in operation at Lisbon, Faro, Porto and Funchal (Madeira) airports for use by British passport holders and passport holders of some other non-EU countries, instead of going to a manned booth. These e-gates are usually separate to the e-gates for EU/EEA/Swiss citizens. If e-gates are open when you arrive or depart, check the signage to confirm you are eligible to use them and that you are in the correct queue. When using an e-gate, a virtual “stamp” is logged on the computer system. A border officer may additionally put a physical stamp into your passport after you have passed through the e-gate; this is for airport operational reasons.
If you do not use an e-gate and instead are directed to a manned booth, check that your passport is stamped by the border officer when you enter or exit the Schengen area as a visitor.
Border guards use physical passport stamps and e-gate records to check you’re complying with the 90-day visa-free limit for short stays in the Schengen area. If relevant entry or exit stamps are not in your passport or visible to a border officer on the computer system, a border officer will presume that you have overstayed your visa-free limit. You can show evidence of when and where you entered or exited the Schengen area, and ask the border officer to add this date and location in your passport. Examples of acceptable evidence include boarding passes and tickets.
If you are resident in Portugal, read our Living in Portugal guide for passport stamping information.
If you were living in Portugal before 1 January 2021
When you travel, carry your residence card or frontier worker permit issued under the Withdrawal Agreement, in addition to your valid passport.
You must proactively show your residence document, or other evidence of residence status, if you are asked to show your passport at border control. If you were living in Portugal before 1 January 2021 but have not yet applied for a residence card, carry evidence that you are resident in Portugal. This could include a tenancy agreement or a utility bill in your name, dating from 2020.
If you cannot prove that you are resident in Portugal, you may be asked additional questions at the border to enter the EU. Your passport may be stamped on entry and exit. This will not affect your rights in the country or countries where you live or work. If your passport is stamped, the stamp is considered null and void when you can show evidence of lawful residence.
If you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement, you can enter and exit Portugal with a valid passport. You do not need any additional validity on the passport beyond the dates on which you are travelling.
Passport stamping
Since late January 2022, new e-gates are in operation at Lisbon, Faro, Porto and Funchal (Madeira) airports for use by British passport holders and passport holders of some other non-EU countries, instead of going to a manned booth. These e-gates are usually separate to the e-gates for EU/EEA/Swiss citizens. If e-gates are open when you arrive or depart, check the signage to confirm you are eligible to use them and that you are in the correct queue. When using an e-gate, a virtual “stamp” is logged on the computer system. A border officer may additionally put a physical stamp into your passport after you have passed through the e-gate; this is for airport operational reasons.
If you do not use an e-gate and instead are directed to a manned booth, check that your passport is stamped by the border officer when you enter or exit the Schengen area as a visitor.
Border guards use physical passport stamps and e-gate records to check you’re complying with the 90-day visa-free limit for short stays in the Schengen area. If relevant entry or exit stamps are not in your passport or visible to a border officer on the computer system, a border officer will presume that you have overstayed your visa-free limit. You can show evidence of when and where you entered or exited the Schengen area, and ask the border officer to add this date and location in your passport. Examples of acceptable evidence include boarding passes and tickets.
If you are resident in Portugal, read our Living in Portugal guide for passport stamping information.
If you were living in Portugal before 1 January 2021
When you travel, carry your residence card or frontier worker permit issued under the Withdrawal Agreement, in addition to your valid passport.
You must proactively show your residence document, or other evidence of residence status, if you are asked to show your passport at border control. If you were living in Portugal before 1 January 2021 but have not yet applied for a residence card, carry evidence that you are resident in Portugal. This could include a tenancy agreement or a utility bill in your name, dating from 2020.
If you cannot prove that you are resident in Portugal, you may be asked additional questions at the border to enter the EU. Your passport may be stamped on entry and exit. This will not affect your rights in the country or countries where you live or work. If your passport is stamped, the stamp is considered null and void when you can show evidence of lawful residence.
If you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement, you can enter and exit Portugal with a valid passport. You do not need any additional validity on the passport beyond the dates on which you are travelling.
Re: Arriving in Portugal
That's helpful Widge...I only saw 1 set of egates at arrivals though, and they were all out of action, only manned booths. I'll hang onto my boarding pass just in case!