Airport Transit visa (A): American citizen → Portugal
No transit visa — you're visa-exempt anyway
United States passport holders don't need any visa for the Schengen area, so airport transit is automatically fine.
The bottom line
- You can also leave the airport and enter the area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
- Once ETIAS launches (expected Q4 2026 — not yet required), visa-exempt travellers will need a pre-travel authorisation — airside-only transit is expected to remain exempt.
When to start
Start 2–14 days before your travel date.
Valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned departure from the area, issued within the last 10 years, with 2 blank pages. Renew first if you're close to either limit — airlines enforce both at check-in.
The 90-day allowance covers ALL Schengen countries combined in any rolling 180-day window. If you've been in the area recently, verify your remaining days with the EU short-stay calculator before booking.
At your first entry the Entry/Exit System records your fingerprints and photo instead of stamping your passport — allow a few extra minutes. Later crossings are faster. Once ETIAS launches (expected Q4 2026), apply online before boarding.
What you'll need
- Passport — Valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned departure from the area, issued within the last 10 years, with 2 blank pages.
- Evidence for the border — Return/onward ticket, accommodation details and means of subsistence can be requested at entry. · At the border officer's discretion
Good to know
- If you leave the international transit zone (e.g. to collect baggage or change airports), you need a full C visa instead.
- Holders of valid visas/residence permits for the EU single market, Canada, Japan or the USA are exempt.
Continue on the official site →