{"id":6,"date":"2026-10-31T13:52:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-31T13:52:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/visaontrip.com\/blog\/visa-rules-for-trc-holders-in-portugal-10-popular-countries-compared\/"},"modified":"2026-10-31T13:52:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T13:52:12","slug":"visa-rules-for-trc-holders-in-portugal-10-popular-countries-compared","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/visaontrip.com\/blog\/visa-rules-for-trc-holders-in-portugal-10-popular-countries-compared\/","title":{"rendered":"Visa rules for TRC holders in Portugal: 10 popular countries compared"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Short answer:<\/strong> a Portuguese residence card (TRC, <em>t\u00edtulo de resid\u00eancia<\/em>) lets you live in Portugal and travel inside the Schengen area. It does <strong>not<\/strong> change the visa rules of the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or Asian countries. For those, the <strong>passport you hold<\/strong> decides. The table below shows the usual situation for the passports we see most in Lisbon, as of October 2026.<\/p>\n<h2>Why your residence card does not decide<\/h2>\n<p>Every country on this list sets its rules by nationality. A Brazilian, an Indian and a Nepali who live in the same building in Lisbon, with the same TRC, can face three different answers for the same trip. Your residence in Portugal still matters in a second way: it is often the reason you can <strong>apply from Portugal<\/strong> instead of flying home, and it is strong proof of your ties when an officer asks whether you will come back.<\/p>\n<h2>The 10 destinations at a glance<\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Destination<\/th>\n<th>What most EU passports need<\/th>\n<th>What many non-EU passports need (e.g. India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan)<\/th>\n<th>Brazilian passport<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>United Kingdom<\/td>\n<td>ETA (online, \u00a320)<\/td>\n<td>Standard Visitor visa (\u00a3135)<\/td>\n<td>ETA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>USA<\/td>\n<td>ESTA<\/td>\n<td>B1\/B2 visa with interview<\/td>\n<td>B1\/B2 visa<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Canada<\/td>\n<td>eTA<\/td>\n<td>Visitor visa (TRV) with biometrics<\/td>\n<td>eTA if you hold a US visa or had a Canadian visa in the last 10 years, otherwise TRV<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Australia<\/td>\n<td>eVisitor or ETA<\/td>\n<td>Visitor visa (subclass 600)<\/td>\n<td>Visitor visa (subclass 600)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>New Zealand<\/td>\n<td>NZeTA + visitor levy<\/td>\n<td>Visitor visa<\/td>\n<td>NZeTA + visitor levy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Ireland<\/td>\n<td>Nothing (EU free movement)<\/td>\n<td>Short stay &quot;C&quot; visa<\/td>\n<td>No visa for short visits<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>China<\/td>\n<td>Visa-free for many EU passports (check the list)<\/td>\n<td>Tourist (L) visa, or 240-hour transit if eligible<\/td>\n<td>Check the current list<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Malaysia<\/td>\n<td>No visa + MDAC arrival card<\/td>\n<td>Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan: eVISA. India: visa-free until 31 Dec 2026<\/td>\n<td>No visa + MDAC<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Thailand<\/td>\n<td>Visa exemption + TDAC arrival card<\/td>\n<td>Usually e-Visa + TDAC<\/td>\n<td>Visa exemption + TDAC<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Singapore<\/td>\n<td>No visa + SG Arrival Card<\/td>\n<td>India, Bangladesh, Pakistan: visa<\/td>\n<td>No visa + SG Arrival Card<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>This table is a starting point, not a decision. Lists change, and some rules depend on details such as a previous refusal, a US visa in your passport or the purpose of the trip.<\/p>\n<h2>The three questions to ask before any trip<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Which passport will I travel on?<\/strong> If you hold two nationalities, the better passport may remove the visa completely.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Is there an online authorisation instead of a visa?<\/strong> The UK (ETA), the USA (ESTA), Canada (eTA), New Zealand (NZeTA) and Australia (ETA) all have one for eligible passports. They are cheaper and faster than a visa, but you must still apply before you fly.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Can I apply from Portugal?<\/strong> For a visa, usually yes if you live here legally. Since September 2025 the USA requires interviews in your country of <strong>nationality or residence<\/strong>, so a Portuguese TRC holder interviews in Lisbon.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>What every applicant should prepare<\/h2>\n<p>Whatever the country, embassies look at the same things:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>a passport valid for the whole trip (many countries want six months beyond it)<\/li>\n<li>your <strong>valid TRC<\/strong>, or proof of a pending renewal<\/li>\n<li>proof of income: payslips, an employment letter or business documents<\/li>\n<li>bank statements for the last three to six months<\/li>\n<li>a clear plan: dates, accommodation and a return or onward flight<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Keep the TRC valid. An expired card with a renewal receipt works inside Portugal, but embassies and airlines abroad may not accept it.<\/p>\n<h2>What this means for you<\/h2>\n<p>Start with your passport, not your address. Check the official page for your destination (linked in the sources below), and leave time: visas for the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and Ireland can take several weeks, and US interview dates can be months away.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>Can I travel to the UK with my Portuguese residence card?<\/h3>\n<p>Not by itself. The UK is outside Schengen. EU and many other passports need an ETA. Visa nationals such as Indian, Bangladeshi, Nepali and Pakistani citizens need a Standard Visitor visa, even if they live in Portugal.<\/p>\n<h3>Does a Schengen residence permit let me visit Ireland?<\/h3>\n<p>No. Ireland is not in Schengen and runs its own visa system. Check your passport on the Irish Immigration Service website.<\/p>\n<h3>Can I apply for a US visa in Lisbon if I am not Portuguese?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, if you live in Portugal legally. Since September 2025, US visa interviews must be in your country of nationality or residence.<\/p>\n<h3>Is an ETA or eTA the same as a visa?<\/h3>\n<p>No. It is a cheaper online permission for passports that do not need a visa. You still need one before boarding.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Living in Portugal with a residence card? Here is which of the 10 most searched destinations need a visa, an online authorisation or nothing at all, and why your passport decides.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"vot_how_we_help":"<p>Not sure which column of the table is yours? Our free <a href=\"\/visa-eligibility\">visa eligibility checker<\/a> asks a few questions about your passport, residence and trip. If you need a visa, our Lisbon team helps with <strong>tourist visa applications from Portugal<\/strong>: choosing the right visa, preparing and checking your documents and submitting the application. We also book flights and provide <a href=\"\/itinerary\">flight reservations and hotel bookings for visa applications<\/a>. We cannot promise approval; the decision always belongs to the embassy.<\/p>\n","vot_sources":"GOV.UK: Check if you need a UK visa | https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/check-uk-visa\nU.S. Department of State: Visitor visa | https:\/\/travel.state.gov\/content\/travel\/en\/us-visas\/tourism-visit\/visitor.html\nGovernment of Canada: Visit Canada | https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/immigration-refugees-citizenship\/services\/visit-canada.html\nAustralian Department of Home Affairs: Visitor visa (subclass 600) | https:\/\/immi.homeaffairs.gov.au\/visas\/getting-a-visa\/visa-listing\/visitor-600\nImmigration New Zealand | https:\/\/www.immigration.govt.nz\/\nIrish Immigration Service: Coming to visit Ireland | https:\/\/www.irishimmigration.ie\/coming-to-visit-ireland\/\nShanghai Municipal Government: 240-hour visa-free transit policy | https:\/\/english.shanghai.gov.cn\/en-Individuals-ImmigrationandVisas-Visa-freepolicies\/20260709\/d70a1231ba4641ff9a024e53751ad480.html\nImmigration Department of Malaysia: eVISA | https:\/\/malaysiavisa.imi.gov.my\/\nThailand e-Visa official website | https:\/\/www.thaievisa.go.th\/\nImmigration & Checkpoints Authority of Singapore | https:\/\/www.ica.gov.sg\/","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[13,11,12,10,14],"class_list":["post-6","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-visa-guides","tag-portugal","tag-residence-permit","tag-tourist-visa","tag-trc","tag-visa-requirements"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/visaontrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6","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=6"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/visaontrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visaontrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/visaontrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visaontrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visaontrip.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}