Embassy retains passport during D7 application?

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donn25 Serial expat

Member since 31 May 2022

donn25Serial expat07 August 2022 05:37:56

263

Looking at information the D7 visa process, I was struck by a couple of references that say the consulate may ask to keep your passport. Then I guess two or three months later, you can get it back, with the visa stamp.

That's nice if they'll mail it, since it spares me a second trip to rather distant consulate ... but for those months I'm stuck in the US? Is this optional?

Dany Baydoun Active member

Member since 13 June 2021

Dany BaydounActive member07 August 2022 11:37:24

They took mine for 15 days, they stamp the visa on the passport, they send you a link to pay the visa fees which in my case was 92Euro and then they send the passport back

donn25 Serial expat

Member since 31 May 2022

donn25Serial expat07 August 2022 13:56:04

263

@Dany Baydoun Thanks! which consulate was that, can I ask?

Dany Baydoun Active member

Member since 13 June 2021

Dany BaydounActive member07 August 2022 15:20:59

@donn25 consulate of portugal in lebanon

donn25 Serial expat

Member since 31 May 2022

donn25Serial expat14 August 2022 17:54:44

263

We'll go to the consulate in San Francisco, USA.

We were able to get information from a friend who did the same thing, at the height of the recent unpleasantness. It did take 3 months, due to reduced office hours or whatever. But they let him keep his passport, and he mailed it to them when they needed it.

I think for practical purposes I would be nuts to mail my passport to San Francisco from Portugal, while there on tourist visa - you kind of need to have that passport in your possession, and then if it were lost in the mail or something it would be an awful lot of trouble. But as long as they don't need to keep your passport during the process, the rest is details.

eadweard4 Member

Member since 21 August 2021

eadweard4Member22 August 2022 10:09:56

@donn25 I believe you cannot stay in Portugal on tourist visa and send your passport to the US.

1. You won’t have proof of your legal stay in the country for this time.

2. They should annule your tourist visa upon stamping in the national D7 (at least that’s what they did with my Schengen one).

donn25 Serial expat

Member since 31 May 2022

donn25Serial expat22 August 2022 16:10:09

263

Yes, thanks - it would be nuts, for those reasons and others. If I'm in Portugal when the D7 visa is ready, I'll just have to return to the US to apply it to my passport. But I'm increasingly confident that I can retain my passport during the D7 application process, which is the important part.

Andrew Rockwell Active member

Member since 18 June 2021

Andrew RockwellActive member07 September 2022 08:58:32

We sent our passports (in error) along with the documents to VFS Global Washington D.C.. VFS sent the passports back. Then, when we were informed by the Embassy in Washington D.C. that we were approved, I sent them back to the Embassy.

They returned them with the visa in about a week.

dbarnes816 New member

Member since 15 July 2022

dbarnes816New member07 September 2022 16:36:37

Are we able to send documents and passport by Federal Express?

Rami Tannous Member

Member since 14 September 2022

Rami TannousMember14 September 2022 10:18:33

#10

I'm also applying to Portugal from Lebanon, i have received the pre approval for my D7, and have been told that i should get my passport back within 15 days, it's been over a month and a half that I've been waiting . The problem being that I've been giving the pre approval before having given an appointment by the SEF, it seems like the system just skipped my name, and everyone who has submitted their passports after me are getting everything back within those 15 days. Did this happen with anyone here?

Andrew Rockwell Active member

Member since 18 June 2021

Andrew RockwellActive member20 September 2022 12:31:37

#11

@dbarnes816

PROCESS: May 4 - July 8, 2022

Yes, you can send everything by FedEx. We handled everything through FedEx and email with the Washington D.C. VFS Global and Portugal embassy. No interviews or speaking with anyone.

Do not send your passport with the application, or they'll just return them. We did that and they FedEx'd back our passports. Once approved, the embassy requested our passports.

The biggest problem I had was getting a tracking number, which turned out not very useful. I followed up with: schengen.wdc@vfsglobal.com. and got the tracking numbers. They were not useful. Once the online status indicated that the applications were sent to the embassy, it never changed.

I sent the following email on May 4 to start the process so we could receive the FedEx labels to send in our applications. Change ------- to your information.

To : PortugalPostalUSA@vfsglobal.com

Please send the online invoice so we can receive the labels to mail our VISA documents.

Applicant 1 name:

-------------------------

Applicant full address in the USA with Zip code and Phone number:

------------------------------

-----------------------------

phone: -------------------

VISA Category:

D7 residency VISA

Date of Birth:

month day year

Applicant 2 name:

--------------------------------------

Applicant full address in the USA with Zip code and Phone number:

------------------------------

-----------------------------

phone: -------------------

VISA Category:

D7 residency VISA

Date of Birth:

month day year

After this, you'll receive an email requesting payment for the FedEx labels. You pay it and they'll send you labels that you can print out and take to FedEx with your application. FedEx used their envelop. Even though there were two applications, we had to send them in separate FedEx envelops. Ultimately, everything came back in one FedEx envelope.

I hope this helps.

Adbk New member

Member since 28 December 2022

AdbkNew member28 December 2022 07:58:50

#12

@Rami Tannous hi Rami, can you please let me know how you applied from Lebanon? I'm Lebanese as well, living in Beirut, trying to figure out where and how to apply to the D7 visa.

SimCityAT Expert

Member since 08 April 2014

SimCityATExpert28 December 2022 09:00:39

#13

11524

@Rami Tannous hi Rami, can you please let me know how you applied from Lebanon? I'm Lebanese as well, living in Beirut, trying to figure out where and how to apply to the D7 visa.
-@Adbk

Nearest embassy

pilarcita1 Member

Member since 22 June 2023

pilarcita1Member22 June 2023 22:57:55

#14

@dbarnes816 yes, and If you wish the passport mailed back to you, include a prepaid return label.thanks

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