The Portuguese authorities have revealed that the country’s police are taking measures against all foreigners who break the visitor visa rules.
As the Public Security Police revealed, it is fining foreigners staying in the territory of Portugal with an expired visa up to €250.
Moreover, the authority is also fining tourists who are staying in Portugal beyond the permitted limit for short stays, which is a maximum of 90 days within any 180-day period, Schengen. News reports.
It was previously said by several media outlets that Portugal’s Public Security Police is imposing a fine of up to €700 on visitors who do not follow the visa rules. However, despite such a fine amount being permitted by the current law, the authority denied such claims, emphasising that fines are applied between €40 and €250, Publico explains.
Even though no foreign visitor has been fined with the maximum permitted amount, the Public Security Police did not rule out the possibility of imposing such a fine, especially in “severe” cases when the rules are broken internationally and with other ulterior motives.
Over 1,220 Foreigners Were Fined in 2023
Data from the Portuguese Agency for Integration show that in 2023, a total of 1,226 foreigners were fined for not meeting the visa stay rules. Of the total number, 651 of them were fined for irregularly staying in the country.
The other remaining fines were imposed on those who did not declare their entry into the country and those who failed to renew their residence permits, among others.
Portugal continues to remain a popular destination for tourists from all over the world, with the country registering a high number of visa applications every year.
Data from the Schengen Visa Statistics Portal show that in 2023 alone, Portugal received a total of 207,654 Schengen visa applications from numerous third countries.
During the same year, Portugal issued 173,927 Schengen visas, 92,414 of which were multiple-entry visas. On the other hand, the country refused 33,220 visa applications, with the rejection rate for 2023 standing at 16.0 per cent.
Source: https://schengen.news/portugal-fining-foreigners-with-expired-schengen-visas-overstayers-up-to-e250/
