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Residence Visa: Valid Period?

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dancebert
  11/2/2017 05:51 EST

Every visa I've been given by an embassy or consulate had either Valid From and Valid To dates. That's the visa's Valid Period. You can't use it before or after.

The visas also had 'Days', the number of days allowed in country. All my entry stamps say 'admitted until' a date that is the number of the Days value past the date of entry.

The Portuguese visa site, http://www.secomunidades.pt/vistos/index.php?lang=en , states "A residence visa is usually valid for 2 entries and 4 months" and "Allows the stay for a 4 month period in order to lodge residence." Ok, Days = 4 months. What is the valid period?

I found an image of a Portuguese Schengen visa. It has an Issue date, a From date 3 weeks after the issue date, an Until date 45 days after the From date, and Days = 30. That means you can enter any time during those 45 days, then leave no more than 30 days later.

Anybody have a Residence Visa handy and can report if it has the same 3 types of dates and a Days value? How many days after date of issue does the valid period begin? How many days long is the valid period? Or just post the dates and I'll do the arithmetic.

dancebert
  11/2/2017 05:58 EST

Oops.

"had either Valid From and Valid To dates"
should be:
"had Valid From and Valid To dates"

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thesolarpower
  11/2/2017 10:56 EST

I got a student visa in 2011. Actually there's no mention that the visa is for students anywhere in my visa stamp. There's a Remarks field that says "Residencia - ART. 63 LEI23/07". So, I think everyone gets the same "residence visa" no matter if you're a student or a pensioner.

Back to your question. The visa was valid from 20-8-2011 to 17-12-11 and the Days field says 120. It had two "number of entries".

What are you trying to understand?

thesolarpower
  11/2/2017 10:56 EST

I got a student visa in 2011. Actually there's no mention that the visa is for students anywhere in my visa stamp. There's a Remarks field that says "Residencia - ART. 63 LEI23/07". So, I think everyone gets the same "residence visa" no matter if you're a student or a pensioner.

Back to your question. The visa was valid from 20-8-2011 to 17-12-11 and the Days field says 120. It had two "number of entries".

What are you trying to understand?

dancebert
  11/2/2017 12:26 EST

>What are you trying to understand?

How much time I'll have between receiving the visa and the end of its valid period. Don't want to begin getting rid of stuff that I won't bring with me to Portugal until I have the visa.

NearlyThere
  11/15/2017 16:03 EST

Hi @dancebert. When completing your visa app you were asked the date you intend to enter Portugal. In my experience, the visa start date is the date you noted your intention to enter and is good for 120 days. Hope this helps.

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craigandmicki
  11/15/2017 16:10 EST

I didn't see DANCEBERT'S original question but did see a response that was incorrect...if you are asking "when does my Visa start its 120 validity" or what is the start date of your Visa, the answer is: your Visa is valid from the date it is entered into your passport.

dancebert
  11/16/2017 01:58 EST

In my OP I wrote "I found an image of a Portuguese Schengen visa. It has an Issue date, a From date 3 weeks after the issue date, ..." Couldn't find an image of a residence visa. This morning I realized I should have searched for Residencia Vistos. D'oh! Found several which confirmed what craigandmiki wrote. Thanks.

Now to put what craigandmiki said into the terms I used in the OP. The date the visa was put into your passport (the Issue Date) is both the beginning of a 120 day period during which it may be used to enter Portugal (the Valid Period), and the beginning of the 120 days (Days) allowed to stay in Portugal. For example, with an Issue Date of 1 Jan 2018 you can enter any time between then and 30 April 2018. But no matter when you enter during that period, your visa expires 30 April 2018.

craigandmicki
  11/16/2017 04:32 EST

OK, DANCEBERT....but! Yes, there is a but! As you stated, correctly, "The date the visa was put into your passport (the Issue Date) is both the beginning of a 120 day period during which it may be used to enter Portugal (the Valid Period), and the beginning of the 120 days (Days) allowed to stay in Portugal. For example, with an Issue Date of 1 Jan 2018 you can enter any time between then and 30 April 2018. But no matter when you enter during that period, your visa expires 30 April 2018." However, the SEF appointment is likely to be dated well beyond that expiration date, due to current volumes and work slow-downs. The email confirmation letter of the SEF appointment becomes proof of an extension to your Visa, now expiring on the date of that SEF appointment. If you fail to keep the appointment or if you do not have all required documentation at that appointment and are not approved for the Residence Permit, you have overstayed your Visa and have 10 days to exit the country. Whew. So many little details, aren't there?

dancebert
  2/19/2019 01:42 EST

Finally have my Residence Visa, so I can answer the question I posted 15 months ago. The answer, like so much else in the visa process, probably depends on the individual embassy or consulate.

@NearlyThere said "...In my experience, the visa start date is the date you noted your intention to enter and is good for 120 days."
On my visa, the date of intention is labeled 'FROM'

@craigandmicki said "...if you are asking "when does my Visa start its 120 validity" or what is the start date of your Visa, the answer is: your Visa is valid from the date it is entered into your passport."
On my visa, the it was entered into the passport is labeled 'ON'

NearlyThere's statement matches my visa. Perhaps craigandmicki's statement matches visas from San Fran and other consulates.

Photo of my visa. https://www.dropbox.com/s/npiu7cj4af7lenp/s95-20190218-01424-gEdit-1200.jpg?dl=0

The ON date is 13 Feb. That's the date the embassy called saying I'd received a visa.
The FROM date is 1 March, the date which I requested, and matched the dates on submitted documents for both the Lisboa arrival date for my reserved airline flight, and the start date of my travel insurance.
DURATION OF STAY is 120 days.
Add 120 to the ON date (13 Feb), and you get 28 June, which is the UNTIL date on my visa.

Lucaluca
  2/19/2019 21:44 EST

Hi. How long did it take to get and what embassy. Thanks

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dancebert
  2/20/2019 02:05 EST

>Hi. How long did it take to get

The embassy called 2 days after I requested an appointment to submit the visa request. They asked me what day next week would be best for me to come. Five weeks and 6 days after that meeting they called to say I'd received the visa.

>and what embassy.

See the visa photo link in my last post.

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