PORTUGAL: Passport Stamping for Non-EU nationals

January 30, 2014


Non-EU nationals travelling to Portugal should ensure that their passports are stamped on arrival in the country in order to avoid fines ranging between 30 to 75 EUR. It”s not routine practice to stamp passports of non- EU nationals arriving from within the Schengen zone or by car, train or water transport. As such, it”s advisable for non-EU nationals to notify the Immigration Service desks at airports or other arrival ports in order to get their passport stamped.

In the event that a non-EU national is not able to get their passport stamped on arrival, they should seek to inform their local area Immigration Services within 3 days.

However, it”s worth noting that non-EU nationals staying at hotels in Portugal are not obliged to ensure their passports are stamped or inform the authorities.  This is due to Portuguese hotels” legal obligation to inform the Immigration Services of any non-EU nationals staying with them.

Furthermore, non-EU nationals who are in possession of a Portuguese visa or residence permit are also required to register passport renewals with the Immigration Services. Failure to do so has recently attracted a range of fines, as mentioned above.

Should you have any queries concerning Portuguese immigration, please feel free to contact us on 0207 0012121.