Brazilians Voice Frustration Over Ongoing Portugal Visa Delays

Passport holders of Brazil are continuing to face long-term visa processing delays, with a large number of them voicing frustration about the situation.

In order to be able to enter and stay in the territory of Portugal for study, work, or other purposes exceeding more than 90 days within any 180-day period, Brazilians need to obtain a long-term visa. 

However, despite a number of them having submitted applications months before, they are being dragged beyond the deadline and left in limbo, Schengen.News reports. 

The Portuguese government said previously that these delays are mainly due to the limited personnel at the Portuguese consulates and promised to hire an additional 50 workers to help with processing the documentation of visa applicants. 

Despite the government making such a statement, this additional manpower is not expected to start work before 2025. This means that the backlog of applications is not possible to be resolved this year and that applicants will continue to face delays until measures are taken. 

Brazilian Applicant Complains of Waiting for a Response Since August 
Fed up with the system and the delays, a Brazilian visa applicant, Júlia Schilling Panizzutti, who resigned from her job in Brazil to go and work in Portugal, said that she had applied for a visa on August 7, 2024, O Globo explains. 

Expressing her frustration, the applicant said that the official website states that the processing of the applications takes around 60 days, but she has been waiting for a response for four months now.

Julia further explained that she had applied for a temporary visa to look for a job in Portugal and that she had contacted the outsourcing company several times. 

Nonetheless, despite reaching out to them multiple times, she said that she kept on receiving the same answer – that her application was being processed and that there was no deadline until it should be completed. 

Brazilian PhD Student Also Criticises Long Processing Time 
Brazilians wanting to reach Portugal for study purposes have also complained about visa delays. According to O Globo, Ive Muzitano, who has been awarded a PhD scholarship from the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, has also been waiting for a long period to receive a response. 

Ive said that the application has been under processing for more than 40 days, and she was supposed to receive a response within 30 days. 

These delays have caused significant financial losses for both and many others who have booked flights and have secured accommodation in Portugal.

Source: https://schengen.news/brazilians-voice-frustration-over-ongoing-portugal-visa-delays/