BLS

Published 3 November 2026, 09:35

BLS International (visa centre)

A contractor through which Portuguese consulates accept visa applications in a number of countries. The visa centre books appointments, takes your documents and biometrics and returns your passport, but the decision on the visa is made by the consulate, not the centre.

Where you come across it. Applying for a D visa or a Schengen visa from a country where the consulate works through a visa centre.

A verbal answer from the centre over the phone is neither a refusal nor an approval: a refusal only ever comes in writing, from the consulate, and it can be appealed.

Guides

How to apply for a Portuguese visa through the consulate or a visa centre What to do if your Portuguese visa is refused How to get a D2 visa for business and freelancing in Portugal How to get a Portuguese D7 visa on passive income How to gather certificates, apostilles and translations for a Portuguese visa How to get a D8 visa to work remotely from Portugal Working in Portugal from abroad: where to find an employer and which visa to get Russian international passport at the consulate in Lisbon: queue, documents, timescales and fees How to choose a visa for moving to Portugal How to get into university in Portugal How to move from Russia to Portugal: step by step, from ‘I’ve decided’ to ‘I live here’