What it costs
Portugal's UK visa applications go through VFS Global, and its £32.85 service fee is one of the higher charges on the UK's Schengen circuit, verified directly from the official VFS Portugal page on 24 June 2026. That single line is what pushes Portugal's total above most of its neighbours.
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Consulate fee (adult) | €90 (about £81) |
| VFS Global service fee | £32.85 (verified) |
| Travel insurance (minimum €30,000 cover) | from about £12 |
| DIY total per adult | about £126 |
The consulate fee needs no second-guessing: €90 for every adult, everywhere in the Schengen zone, set by EU rules. Children aged 6 to 11 pay €45 and children under 6 pay nothing, which softens the family maths considerably. No agency can shave anything off the €90, and it is not returned if the application is refused. The insurance line is a legal minimum rather than an option: at least €30,000 of medical cover for the full trip, with compliant policies starting from about £12 for a short break.
What can add to the cost
VFS layers a set of optional extras over the mandatory fees: courier delivery of your passport so you skip the return trip to the centre, prime time appointments outside standard hours, and photos taken on site if yours fall short of the biometric rules. Decline them all and the price above is the price you pay. The cheapest visit to a visa centre is a prepared one: compliant photos in hand, documents printed and in order. Our free checklist generator gets you to that state before you book.
Worth weighing alongside the extras is the cost of a refusal. If the consulate says no, the €90 fee and the £32.85 VFS charge, about £114 combined, are not returned, and any non-refundable bookings go the same way. Seen through that lens, the most valuable thing you can spend on a Portugal application is the time it takes to evidence it properly.
Cheaper and pricier alternatives
Portugal sits close to the top of the mainstream price table, so most alternatives are cheaper. The Netherlands, handled by the same operator, comes to about £111 per adult because VFS charges £18 there rather than £32.85, and Spain does better still at about £108 via BLS International's £14.85 fee. Only Germany, at around £128, clearly outprices Portugal among the big destinations. As always, the choice is constrained: Schengen rules route your application to your main destination, the country with the most nights on your itinerary.
Where to go from here
The step-by-step process is covered in our Portugal visa from the UK guide. To see how £126 compares across the whole map, the full 28-country ranking lives in the UK Schengen cost index, and the cost calculator totals your specific party in seconds. Rather not manage the VFS process yourself? Our done-for-you service handles the lot, official fees included, for an all-in £176.
Sources
Common questions
- 01
How much does a Portugal Schengen visa cost from the UK?
About £126 per adult doing it yourself: the fixed €90 consulate fee (about £81), VFS Global's £32.85 service fee, and travel insurance from about £12. Children aged 6 to 11 pay a €45 consulate fee, and children under 6 pay no consulate fee at all.
- 02
Why is Portugal's visa centre fee higher than other VFS countries?
Each country negotiates its own contract with its operator, so VFS Global's fee varies by destination. Portugal's £32.85, verified against the official VFS Portugal UK page on 24 June 2026, sits at the higher end; the Netherlands, also run by VFS, charges just £18.
- 03
Can the €90 Portugal visa fee be reduced or refunded?
No on both counts. The €90 consulate fee is fixed EU-wide, identical for every Schengen country, and cannot be discounted by any service. If the application is refused, neither the consulate fee nor the centre fee comes back, so application quality is what protects your money.
- 04
Is there a cheaper Schengen visa than Portugal from the UK?
Yes, if another country is legitimately your main destination. Spain totals about £108 per adult and the Netherlands about £111, both well under Portugal's £126, because their centre fees are far lower. You must apply to the country where you will spend the most nights.
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