{"id":10,"date":"2026-10-31T13:55:48","date_gmt":"2026-10-31T13:55:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/visaontrip.com\/blog\/us-b1b2-tourist-visa-from-portugal-interview-fees-and-documents-in-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-10-31T13:55:48","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T13:55:48","slug":"us-b1b2-tourist-visa-from-portugal-interview-fees-and-documents-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/visaontrip.com\/blog\/us-b1b2-tourist-visa-from-portugal-interview-fees-and-documents-in-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"US B1\/B2 tourist visa from Portugal: interview, fees and documents in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Short answer:<\/strong> most non-EU nationals living in Portugal (for example Brazilian, Indian, Bangladeshi, Nepali and Pakistani citizens) need a <strong>B1\/B2 visa<\/strong> to visit the USA. You fill in the <strong>DS-160<\/strong> online, pay the <strong>$185<\/strong> application fee and attend an <strong>interview at the US Embassy in Lisbon<\/strong>. Since September 2025 interviews must take place in your country of <strong>nationality or residence<\/strong>, so your Portuguese TRC is what allows you to apply in Lisbon. A new <strong>$250 visa integrity fee<\/strong> created by a 2025 US law also applies to issued visas; check the embassy page for how it is being collected.<\/p>\n<p><em>Information as of October 2026.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>B1\/B2 or ESTA?<\/h2>\n<p>The ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) is only for citizens of participating countries, such as Portugal and most EU states. Your residence in Portugal does not make you eligible. If your passport is not on the list, you need a B1\/B2 visa.<\/p>\n<h2>Step by step<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Complete the DS-160<\/strong> on the State Department&#8217;s consular website. Answer every question honestly, including previous refusals and travel history. Upload a recent photo that meets US rules.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pay the application fee ($185)<\/strong> through the appointment system for Portugal.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Book your interview<\/strong> at the US Embassy in Lisbon. Wait times vary; book early.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Attend the interview<\/strong> with your passport, DS-160 confirmation, appointment letter and supporting documents.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Collect your passport<\/strong> with the visa if approved.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>The interview rule since September 2025<\/h2>\n<p>The State Department now asks non-immigrant visa applicants to apply in their country of nationality or residence. If you apply elsewhere, you may be refused and the fee is not refunded. For a TRC holder in Portugal, this means:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>apply in <strong>Lisbon<\/strong>, using your Portuguese address<\/li>\n<li>bring your <strong>valid TRC<\/strong> to prove legal residence<\/li>\n<li>interview waivers (&quot;dropbox&quot;) are now much more limited, so expect an interview<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Documents to bring<\/h2>\n<p>The officer may not ask for papers, but have them ready:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>passport, with old passports if they show US or other visas<\/li>\n<li><strong>Portuguese TRC<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>employment letter<\/strong> with salary and approved leave, plus recent payslips<\/li>\n<li><strong>bank statements<\/strong> for the last three to six months<\/li>\n<li>self-employed: activity registration, invoices and IRS returns<\/li>\n<li>a simple <strong>trip plan<\/strong>: dates, places, where you will stay<\/li>\n<li>ties to Portugal: rental contract, family, studies<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How officers decide<\/h2>\n<p>US law presumes every visitor intends to immigrate until they show otherwise (section 214(b)). Your job in the interview is to show, in clear short answers, that you have a real life in Portugal and a short, affordable trip. Be ready to explain your work, your income, who you will visit and when you will return.<\/p>\n<h2>Costs at a glance<\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Item<\/th>\n<th>Amount<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Application (MRV) fee<\/td>\n<td>$185<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Visa integrity fee (on issuance)<\/td>\n<td>$250, check current collection rules<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Reciprocity fee<\/td>\n<td>Depends on nationality<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>Can a Brazilian living in Portugal use ESTA?<\/h3>\n<p>No. ESTA depends on nationality. Brazilian citizens need a B1\/B2 visa, which they can apply for in Lisbon if they live in Portugal.<\/p>\n<h3>Can I do my US visa interview in Spain or France?<\/h3>\n<p>Since September 2025, only if you are a national or legal resident of that country. Otherwise apply in Lisbon.<\/p>\n<h3>How long is a B1\/B2 visa valid?<\/h3>\n<p>Validity depends on your nationality and the officer&#8217;s decision. It can range from a few months to ten years, but each stay is decided at the border.<\/p>\n<h3>What happens if I am refused under 214(b)?<\/h3>\n<p>You can reapply when your situation is stronger. There is no waiting period, but a new application with the same facts usually gets the same answer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How non-EU residents of Portugal apply for a US visitor visa: the DS-160, the $185 fee, the new $250 visa integrity fee, the Lisbon interview rule and the documents to bring.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"vot_how_we_help":"<p>Our Lisbon team helps residents of Portugal with <strong>US B1\/B2 visa applications<\/strong>: completing the DS-160 carefully, preparing and checking your documents, and getting ready for the interview. We also arrange <a href=\"\/itinerary\">flight reservations and hotel bookings for visa applications<\/a> and book your flights once you have the visa. Try the free <a href=\"\/visa-eligibility\">visa eligibility checker<\/a>. We cannot guarantee approval; the consular officer decides at the interview.<\/p>\n","vot_sources":"U.S. Department of State: Visitor visa | https:\/\/travel.state.gov\/content\/travel\/en\/us-visas\/tourism-visit\/visitor.html\nU.S. Embassy & Consulate in Portugal: Visas | https:\/\/pt.usembassy.gov\/visas\/\nFaegre Drinker: New home-country-only visa interview rule (September 2025) | https:\/\/www.faegredrinker.com\/en\/insights\/publications\/2025\/9\/new-home-country-only-visa-interview-rule-and-termination-of-the-interview-waiver\nBoston University ISSO: Visa Integrity Fee | https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/isso\/2026\/05\/19\/visa-integrity-fee\/","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[20,21,11,12,19],"class_list":["post-10","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-visa-guides","tag-b1-b2-visa","tag-lisbon","tag-residence-permit","tag-tourist-visa","tag-us-visa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/visaontrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/visaontrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/visaontrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visaontrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visaontrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/visaontrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visaontrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/visaontrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visaontrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visaontrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}