Check your Portugalvisa application status.

For Portugal, Bangladeshi students apply at the VFS Global centre in New Delhi, India, and the Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi decides ². VFS's work-visa (D1) checklist adds a condition for Bangladeshis: you must hold an Indian double-entry X visa from the High Commission of India in Dhaka, valid for at most three months, with a stay in India of no more than 15 days ². VFS only accepts Bangladeshi applications that come with that Indian visa ². The student (D4) checklist has no such paragraph, so ask VFS or the embassy whether it applies to you before you buy tickets ¹².

The D4 visa

The D4 is a residence visa for higher education studies, research, exchange, internships and volunteering of more than a year ¹. It gives two entries and is valid for 4 months (120 days). You then apply to the Portuguese authority AIMA for a residence permit ¹. The embassy may call you to an interview in New Delhi. Family members apply for the D8 visa together with you ¹.

What the checklist asks for

• A signed national visa form, which is free ¹.
• A passport issued in the last 10 years, valid at least 3 months after your return date, with two empty pages ¹.
• Two photos, 35 to 40 mm wide, white background ¹.
• A cover letter explaining why you are applying ¹.
• School and university certificates authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, then legalised by the Portuguese-recognised embassy or High Commission in New Delhi ¹.
• Proof of admission, and proof of money: six months of bank statements and three years of tax returns, or a scholarship, or a legalised statement of responsibility with sponsor papers ¹.
• Travel insurance with a QR code, at least EUR 30,000, covering the whole stay ¹.
• A police clearance certificate no older than three months, legalised by the Bangladesh ministry and then in New Delhi ¹.
• Proof of accommodation ¹.

Bangladeshi applicants who need their passport to travel back must also hand in a colour copy of the photo page ¹. The checklist does not state the visa fee ¹.

Timing and tracking

The standard decision period is 60 calendar days. It starts when the file reaches the Consular Section in New Delhi, up to two working days after you submit at VFS, and embassy holidays do not count ¹. The embassy sets appointment dates, not VFS and not the date you happen to be in New Delhi ². VFS asks applicants to follow their application through its tracking system ³.

Schengen numbers for New Delhi

These are short-stay Schengen (type C) visas at the New Delhi consulate, all purposes and all nationalities, so they are not a student-visa refusal rate. In 2024, 9,766 applications were made, 7,492 visas issued and 1,778 not issued ⁴. That is about 18 percent not issued (1,778 of 9,766) ⁴.

Keep your VFS reference number ready for the status check above.