# Relocation question basic (south coast)



## MikeItMo (Mar 3, 2018)

I am looking to relocate to the Iberian Peninsula south coast (Spain is throwing up more obstacles than I'd expected). 
A significant factor to settling are the residency requirements for someone of working age: for instance, to satisfy this in Spain, it is necessary either to pay a monthly private medical insurance premium if working autonomously (in region of €250 upwards), or have an employer who covers this cost. 
If one neither works nor has a retirement pension one must prove sufficient capital to support oneself. As my work would initially likely be autonomous (teaching English locally, or by Skype), prohibitive costs of living disincline me to make the move in this way.
Could someone advise on the costs and other difficulties of setting up autonomously in Portugal, or even living off capital, even if short-term? Do similar residency criteria to Spain exist in Portugal?
Thank you in advance
Mike


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Mike

You profile says originally from the UK & if you have a UK or other EU member state passport then you (currently) have the RIGHT to enter, remain & work. It is not a privilege that you have to apply for. 

As this is the Portugal forum this is how it works for Portugal: 

As you have a passport from an EU member state, you have the right to enter & reside. 

Once here, you need to go to a Fiscal Office (usually in the Camara/Town Hall) and get a Fiscal number/document & to do that you need to provide your passport, some kind of ID to show your address & a few Euros........ this should take about 20 minutes. 

After you've been here 3 months & before 4 months, (it can be before 3 months if you wish) you go to your local Camara & register your residency status with them. This document is called a Residencia & is valid for 5 years. You need to provide your passport, Fiscal Document (AKA NIF) address in Portugal & a few Euros.

Then you go to your local Junta/Council & get your Attestado and for that you need passport, NIF & Residencia. 

NOTE: 
Some Camaras require the applicant to get their Attestado before they’ll issue the Residencia but the Attestado attests that you are a resident & if you’re not yet resident how can it attest to that? However the easy answer to that is just to go with the flow & give them what they want. - If the person issuing the Attestado refuses to issue it before you have the Residencia just have one call the other & sort it out amongst themselves. 

As Portuguese NHS entitlement is now SOLELY based on residency, you're then entitled to register with a Doctor & get the same care as any Portuguese person. 

Now the variables........ Portugal sometimes suffers from variable bureaucracy where individual civil servants misinterpret the rules. 

A couple of examples are some Doctor's surgeries ask you to provide a social security number before you can register but this is no longer required.......... but if you're going to work, you need one anyway so easier to go with the flow & just get one from the SS office. 

If your not going to work then just tell the person at the Doctor's office to call the SS office & let them sort it out between them. 

Some Camaras (notably Penela) try to ask EU passport holders (sic) to provide proof of income or financial security but this should only apply to non EU passports & they have no right to ask for that

Right to reside EU PPT holders & partners

Portal SEF 

UK entitlement to PT NHS with/without SS number 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-portugal 


How to register on the PT NHS in Portuguese & English

https://www.ers.pt/pages/438?news_id=1203 

If you need to complain about not getting registered on the PT NHS system: https://www.ers.pt/pages/356


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## MikeItMo (Mar 3, 2018)

travelling-man said:


> Mike
> 
> You profile says originally from the UK & if you have a UK or other EU member state passport then you (currently) have the RIGHT to enter, remain & work. It is not a privilege that you have to apply for.
> 
> ...


Thanks for this comprehensive reply. Very useful.

Yes, I was aware of freedom to reside with EU with my British passport; I naively presumed holding such would entitle easy residence in Spain without the above mentioned obstacles. It's good to hear Portugal is different. Indeed, in Spain residency is not obtainable without first proving medical cover, either through employer contract etc or with an independent plan. I'll look into the links. Cheers.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

I know next to nothing about Spain but would suspect the things you mention apply to holders of non EU (sic) passports only................. but I could easily be wrong on that.


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## Strontium (Sep 16, 2015)

Hi,

As he says Portugal revels in delightful variable bureaucracy but what you can do, particularly with an EU passport is spend 3 months here before having to make a decision to move (or not) experience this for your self as well as making contacts and collecting information on where and how to live. Also get things like fiscal number, bank account, cheapo sim, Many things here are not internet based so, for instance, searching for rental accommodation in a specific town or area it benefits going in person to agents offices and talking to them, looking in local publications, cards in shop windows etc, person to person contact here is still how a lot of things are done.


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## MikeItMo (Mar 3, 2018)

travelling-man said:


> I know next to nothing about Spain but would suspect the things you mention apply to holders of non EU (sic) passports only................. but I could easily be wrong on that.


Yes, it's not only EU state passport holders, unfortunately. It is probably a bit easier in respect of no visas etc required but it's not as (financially) simple as some other countries seems to be.


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## MikeItMo (Mar 3, 2018)

Strontium said:


> Hi,
> 
> As he says Portugal revels in delightful variable bureaucracy but what you can do, particularly with an EU passport is* spend 3 months here before having to make a decision to move (or not) * experience this for your self as well as making contacts and collecting information on where and how to live. Also get things like fiscal number, bank account, cheapo sim, Many things here are not internet based so, for instance, searching for rental accommodation in a specific town or area it benefits going in person to agents offices and talking to them, looking in local publications, cards in shop windows etc, person to person contact here is still how a lot of things are done.


Yes, another good idea of course before taking a plunge. 
Italy's upped its game in recent years re internet services and so on but I imagine there are countries not up to the level I'm currently used to.
Cheers


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## ukReturner (Mar 23, 2017)

> Then you go to your local Junta/Council & get your Attestado and for that you need passport, NIF & Residencia.


Could you please explain what an Attestado is, and what it is used for?


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

ukReturner said:


> Could you please explain what an Attestado is, and what it is used for?


An Attestado is the document that you obtain from your local Junta/Council (as opposed to Camara/Town Hall) that attests to you being a resident in Portugal & IMO it's just a piece of bureaucratic BS & as much use as a chocolate teapot............... I've been here 7 years & no-one has ever asked to see it at all. 

Quite why it's required, I have no idea. lol!


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## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

travelling-man said:


> An Attestado is the document that you obtain from your local Junta/Council (as opposed to Camara/Town Hall) that attests to you being a resident in Portugal & IMO it's just a piece of bureaucratic BS & as much use as a chocolate teapot............... I've been here 7 years & no-one has ever asked to see it at all.
> 
> Quite why it's required, I have no idea. lol!


Been asked for it twice. Once for initial residency and recently by the bank- who we have banked with sor the past 11 years!!


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

siobhanwf said:


> Been asked for it twice. Once for initial residency and recently by the bank- who we have banked with sor the past 11 years!!


Some Camaras ask for the Attestado before granting the Residencia but the word Attestado means attest & in this case attests that you are resident somewhere but logic suggests you can't attest to residing somewhere until you are a resident? 

Gotta love Portuguese bureaucracy. lol!


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## Diddion (Oct 17, 2017)

Nobod has said anything about setting up autonomously. Not something I know about, but I do understand that the difficulty of generating income here in Portugal can be immense. Who could afford private lessons on a minimum wage of 676 euros a month?


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## MikeItMo (Mar 3, 2018)

Diddion said:


> Nobod has said anything about setting up autonomously. Not something I know about, but I do understand that the difficulty of generating income here in Portugal can be immense. Who could afford private lessons on a minimum wage of 676 euros a month?


Fair point. This is the advantage of doing skype lessons, location is less of an obstacle. Knowing Italian I'd probably target Italy for students along with wealthier Portuguese cities. Also, maybe I would do some Ital-Eng translating.


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