Intermediaries Charging Cabo Verdeans up to €180 to Schedule Portugal Schengen Visa Appointments

Such a thing has raised concerns, pushing the Portuguese authorities to call on Cabo Verdeans to make the application themselves through the company that is specifically contracted for this purpose – VFS Global, AtoZSerwisPlus.pt reports.

According to Contacto, it has been found that several intermediary companies are charging different amounts to make a Portugal Schengen visa appointment for nationals of Cabo Verde, with the price ranging from €9 to €181, depending on the services.

The appointment for a Portugal visa can be made through the VFS Global website free of charge, and then the applicants are required to pay for the fee when they attend the interview.

However, even though this service is free of charge, it has been disclosed that an intermediary company charges over €45 just to make the appointment, and then if the applicants want additional help with organising the documents, the price rises to €119.

Additionally, it has been noted that there are also cases when agencies handle the entire process. In such cases, the applicants are required to pay around €458, which is an extremely high amount compared to what applicants are required to pay when applying themselves.

Taking into account such practices, the Secretary of State for the Portuguese Communities, Paulo Cafôfo, said that his country is concerned about this situation and, at the same time, reminded everyone that such actions are considered illegal.

This is not the first time that the Portuguese authorities made such a call. Earlier in March of this year, the Portuguese Ambassador to Cabo Verde, Paulo Lourenço, advised all citizens of the country against applying for a Schengen visa through intermediaries.

Lourenço clarified that the scheduling is free and, at the same time, noted that the application process is easy and does not need any involvement or intermediation.

“The scheduling processes are done from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, and in relation to that, the only thing we would like to tell people is that this scheduling is free,” Lourenço stated.

Currently, all nationals of Cabo Verde are required to obtain a Portugal visa in order to be permitted entry to the country.

Cabo Verdeans who plan to enter Portugal for tourism purposes need to apply for a Portugal Tourist Visa. When applying for this type of visa, all applicants are required to submit the completed Portugal visa application form, their valid passport, two photos, a flight itinerary, proof of having booked a place to stay, and proof of financial means.

Moreover, applicants must also submit proof of civil status, a cover letter, and proof of having purchased travel health insurance for Portugal.