Portugal Eases Visa Rules for Portuguese-Speaking Countries Amid Shortage of Workers
In a meeting held on Thursday, September 1, Portugal’s Council of Ministers decided to amend the law that defines the procedures and conditions of entry, stay, departure, and removal of foreigners from the national territory of Portugal for the citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries of Angola, Brazil, East Timor, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, and São Tomé and Príncipe, AtoZSerwisPlus.pt reports.
“The amendments approved today promote mobility and freedom of movement within the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP), allowing the implementation of the Agreement on Mobility between the CPLP Member States,” the government announced in a press release regarding the decision.
It further explains that through the facilitated measures, nationals of CPLP countries will be granted preliminary visa applications and the same will be exempted from the obligation to show up for an interview at the Portuguese embassy in their country of residence.
In addition, they will also be exempt from the obligation to present the following documents while applying for a visa:
- Valid travel insurance, covering expenses necessary for medical reasons, including urgent medical assistance and eventual repatriation
- Proof of sufficient means of subsistence
- Copy of the return transport ticket, except when a residence visa is requested
According to the government, the changes intend to contribute to tackling the labour shortage in the country in order to revitalise the economy by promoting regular, safe, and orderly channels of migration.
“It (the decree) is absolutely fundamental in the organisation of regular and orderly flows of immigration…it allows us to respond to the urgent needs of human resources and helps to revitalise our economy,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ana Catarina Mendes told reporters upon the meeting of the Council of Ministers.
She also said that starting from now, visas to enter Portugal for citizens of any CPLP member state should be immediately granted by the consular services unless there is an expulsion order or a ban from entering the Schengen Area.
At the beginning of August, AtoZSerwisPlus.pt reported that Portugal had modified its foreigners’ law to facilitate immigration into the country. The modified law has established a new 120-day temporary visa, which can be extended for 60 more days for foreigners seeking work in Portugal.
Data by Eurostat show that in July, Portugal had an unemployment rate of 5.9 per cent, near a record low, while its only land neighbour country, Spain, has an employment rate as high as 12.6 per cent, which also makes it the EU country with the highest unemployment rate. The Czech Republic and Poland have the lowest unemployment rates in the EU, at only 2.3 per cent and 2.6 per cent, respectively.
