# Portugueses embassy Abu Dhabi is not responding my emails



## asmay (Nov 27, 2016)

I have got admission in International doctoral program at University of Minho. I am Pakistani national living and working in Kuwait, I need to apply long stay student Portuguese visa from Kuwait. There is no Portuguese embassy in Kuwait. 

I need to file visa at Portuguese embassy Abu Dhabi, but embassy is neither replying my emails nor attending calls. I do not know what documents do i need to file the visa and how long would it exactly take if i visit Abu Dhabi to file visa? What should i do?

Any information or help regarding the issue will be highly appreciated.


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## Naaling (Apr 9, 2015)

I had a similar experience with the Portuguese embassy in Bangkok. 
You are probably sending emails to someone who is only authorised to deal with Schengen tourist visas and will ignore requests for information on any other topic. 
You will need to make an appointment for a standard tourist visa. Then, when you are there, present your real situation. Be prepared to pay for the tourist visa. I had to, but they refunded the money when they realised my wife was eligible for a free visa.
Hope this helps.


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## asmay (Nov 27, 2016)

Nailing thank you for your reply. But I am in kuwait while embassy is in Abu Dhabi UAE. I can't travel until I get exact information about required documents and processing time. I don't need tourist visa but long stay study visa.


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## smudges (May 2, 2013)

Could the University help? Presumably they have a number of overseas students and will have a bit of experience with this sort of red tape...after all, they want your money and they won't get it if you can't attend your course!


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## asmay (Nov 27, 2016)

Smudges university sent an email to embassy round one and half months ago but they also did not get any response from embassy.


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## Naaling (Apr 9, 2015)

Your posts are reminding me of our fustrating experience in Bankok. 
From what you have said,it looks like the only way you are going to get anywhere is to go to the embassy. To do that you will need to pretend you want a tourist visa. You may even have to pay for a visa to get them to look seriously at your case. 
However, my experience was that once I paid, our application was dealt with on its merits and in accordance with the law. 
If you have all of the required documents to back up your appplication then in the end you should have no problems.


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## smudges (May 2, 2013)

asmay said:


> Smudges university sent an email to embassy round one and half months ago but they also did not get any response from embassy.


If it was me, I'd get them to follow up. Strenuously. One email in 6 weeks and then giving up is not good enough. Good luck!!


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## smudges (May 2, 2013)

Or ask the University to get in touch with the equivalent of the Home Office in (presumably) Lisbon and find out what to do, who to get in touch with and where (with full contact details) and, preferably, them making the initial contact with said person.
But, methinks, it is a longshot that that will happen!


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## asmay (Nov 27, 2016)

Going embassy means to get UAE visa first then spend a lot of money on ticket and hotel in Abu Dhabi. ..and later if they ask for any such document which I need from Kuwait or pakistan, then what would be the options with me? Secondly if they take month or two to issue the visa even more how it could be possible for me to stay that long in hotels? These are the factors I am not travelling to Abu Dhabi instead want to know documents required to file study visa plus processing time before travelling to Abu Dhabi.


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## asmay (Nov 27, 2016)

Smudge I will talk to university again about what to do and whom to talk about when embassy is not replying at all, but I am not sure whether they would be able to help further. So I am trying to solve the issue with self help.


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## smudges (May 2, 2013)

You could consider a different university in a country with more helpful consulates/embassies. Tell the university that. It might help.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Just a thought....... What language are you emailing them in?

If not in Portuguese, it might be worth trying that perhaps?


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## asmay (Nov 27, 2016)

I has been sending emails in English. Today I also thought that it may b language issue, so I Google translated the email and sent them in morning. No reply yet, they may or may not reply later.


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## SpiggyTopes (Feb 1, 2015)

Try making an appointment on line and submitting an on line visit visa application.


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## asmay (Nov 27, 2016)

Spiggy thank you for your suggestion, but I need long stay study visa not short stay or tourist visa. Requirements are different for shot stay and long stay visa.


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## Naaling (Apr 9, 2015)

asmay said:


> Spiggy thank you for your suggestion, but I need long stay study visa not short stay or tourist visa. Requirements are different for shot stay and long stay visa.


Can you get a tourist visa to come to Portugal, and then sort the situation out when you get here?

I believe their thinking (right or wrong) is that if you are not prepared to pay for a tourist visa then you aren't genuine. They won't even look at your application until you've done that. 
In our situation, we couldn't get anywhere until we paid, then it took no more than 15 minutes for them to realise my wife was eligible for the visa she wanted. They gave it to her and refunded the money. If we had refused to pay then we would still be in Bangkok!
If you don't to play their game then you will not get anywhere.


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## asmay (Nov 27, 2016)

Nailing there is nothing wrong in paying even long stay visa fee is more than that of tourist visa. But the requirements for both the categories are different. Secondly tourist visa can be filed in Kuwait at spanish embassy while for long stay study visa I must go to Abu Dhabi, Spanish embassy said we do not handle long stay study visas of portugal. Is it possible to go portugal on tourist visa and then change it into long stay study visa? For other Schenjen countries it's not possible.


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## SpiggyTopes (Feb 1, 2015)

If you come to stay here in Portugal for longer than three months, you enter on a normal visit visa of 3 months duration, then immediately go to SEF to apply for the long stay one.


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## asmay (Nov 27, 2016)

Spiggy are you in portugal? Are you sure that I need to get tourist visa and it can be converted to study visa later.


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## Naaling (Apr 9, 2015)

asmay said:


> Nailing there is nothing wrong in paying even long stay visa fee is more than that of tourist visa. But the requirements for both the categories are different. Secondly tourist visa can be filed in Kuwait at spanish embassy while for long stay study visa I must go to Abu Dhabi, Spanish embassy said we do not handle long stay study visas of portugal. Is it possible to go portugal on tourist visa and then change it into long stay study visa? For other Schenjen countries it's not possible.


I know how frustrating this is, I've beem through it too. However, in our case we only had a 250km bus trip to Bangkok to deal with!
From what you have said, and given my experiences in BKK, I don"t think that you will get anywhere until you actually go to the Embassy in Abu Dhabi. Are you prepared to do that?
If you are then I would suggest that you email them and enquire about a tourist visa.(forget about the Spanish embassy in Kuwait - they won't know where you are applying from). 
If they reply by sending an application form, an information form and an appointment time, then the situation is the same as we experienced in BKK. You will need to attend the interview present your case, and do whatever they say. If your documents are in order then you will probably leave with the visa you want.
However, if they don't reply then I'm sorry, I have no idea what you can do, apart from coming to Portugal on a tourist visa and trying to sort the situation out here.


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## SpiggyTopes (Feb 1, 2015)

You make the appointment on line and, I think, complete the visa application on line.

When we moved to Portugal I was surprised that a special long stay visa was not needed, as it would have been for France and the UK.

We were told to enter on a visit visa then go to SEF ...


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## asmay (Nov 27, 2016)

Naaling said:


> I know how frustrating this is, I've beem through it too. However, in our case we only had a 250km bus trip to Bangkok to deal with!
> From what you have said, and given my experiences in BKK, I don"t think that you will get anywhere until you actually go to the Embassy in Abu Dhabi. Are you prepared to do that?
> If you are then I would suggest that you email them and enquire about a tourist visa.(forget about the Spanish embassy in Kuwait - they won't know where you are applying from).
> If they reply by sending an application form, an information form and an appointment time, then the situation is the same as we experienced in BKK. You will need to attend the interview present your case, and do whatever they say. If your documents are in order then you will probably leave with the visa you want.
> However, if they don't reply then I'm sorry, I have no idea what you can do, apart from coming to Portugal on a tourist visa and trying to sort the situation out here.


Nailing I have a plan to travel to Abu Dhabi but Portuguese Abu Dhabi embassy is not replying me at all, In last 3 months no single email from their side, i don't have any information form or appointment.


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## SpiggyTopes (Feb 1, 2015)

You make the appointment ON LINE.


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## asmay (Nov 27, 2016)

SpiggyTopes said:


> You make the appointment on line and, I think, complete the visa application on line.
> 
> When we moved to Portugal I was surprised that a special long stay visa was not needed, as it would have been for France and the UK.
> 
> We were told to enter on a visit visa then go to SEF ...


Wao that's good but can you please tell me when did you travel to Portugal? Did you go for study or....? and did your family accompany you?


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## MrBife (Jul 26, 2009)

Use a visa agent or 'consular services' company - they have contacts everywhere and solve this kind of issue as a part of their job. You pay a fee but they have all the hassle - well worth it at least in my view.


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## Naaling (Apr 9, 2015)

asmay said:


> Nailing I have a plan to travel to Abu Dhabi but Portuguese Abu Dhabi embassy is not replying me at all, In last 3 months no single email from their side, i don't have any information form or appointment.


Have you asked about a tourist visa? That's the only type of request the Bangkok embassy would respond to.

The important thing is to get an appointment. How you get it doesn't matter. You should also check the online situation as Spiggy Topes suggests. That option wasn't available in BKK.


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## asmay (Nov 27, 2016)

Nailing can you kindly tell how long portuguese embassy Bangkok took to issue visa to your wife??


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## Naaling (Apr 9, 2015)

asmay said:


> Nailing can you kindly tell how long portuguese embassy Bangkok took to issue visa to your wife??


It took 2 weeks.


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## asmay (Nov 27, 2016)

Naaling can you kindly tell what category (for what purpose) did your wife apply? Did she get residence visa?


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## Naaling (Apr 9, 2015)

asmay said:


> Naaling can you kindly tell what category (for what purpose) did your wife apply? Did she get residence visa?


It was a free schengen visa issued to the spouse of an EU citizen, who is exercising his/her right of freedom of movement within the EU.


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