# residency checklist



## suiko

Going to Portugal in September to sort this out...

Just wanted to check what documents I'll be needing to register my residency at the camara municipal

1. passport

2. Portuguese bank account with sufficient funds (maybe €10,000?), and printouts of UK bank statements showing incoming salary

* QUESTION: any recommendations for a Portuguese bank? Basically the cheapest account available!

3. rental contract 

* QUESTION: Does this need to be for three, or six months? Ideally would prefer three but will do six if necessary. Will they accept Air B&B? If so, what proof will I need, in the absence of an actual contract? Is Air B&B the best bet for a medium-term rental like this, or local agencies?

4 health insurance

* QUESTION: is private health insurance required? If so, any recommendations for the cheapest option (no health conditions)?

Many thanks!


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## jumblemon

I didn’t need any proof of health insurance, and they weren’t interested in the amount of cash I had.

I use millennium bank. There are plenty of branches and their banking app is great. It costs me 8 euros per month which is reduced to 4 if I have a savings account and make a regular payment into it each month (200euros).

I had an attestation from my local lawyer that had been validated by the local town hall that I was staying at a local address.


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## suiko

Thanks! How come you had a local lawyer?


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## vianina

I find the CGD bank quite good. I think it’s 3.50€/ month with a savings account. They have branches outside Switzerland so you may be able to set an account up before you go.

Depending on the area of Portugal, you may need to demonstrate 90 days have elapsed since entering the country before you can register. That happened to me in Viana do Castelo. In Lisbon others have experienced greater flexibility.


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## proud.to.be.EUROPEAN

vianina said:


> Depending on the area of Portugal, you may need to demonstrate 90 days have elapsed since entering the country before you can register. That happened to me in Viana do Castelo. In Lisbon others have experienced greater flexibility.


Nothing to do with flexibility, more with informative and knowledgeable attitude in Lisbon. EU rules are clear that there is no need for 90 days wait.
But some Camara officials like to make up their own rules.


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## jumblemon

suiko said:


> Thanks! How come you had a local lawyer?




My partner bought a house here.


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## suiko

It seems some camaras are asking people to come back after 3 months, and also asking for evidence of bank transactions within that period to prove continued residence.


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## vianina

I didn’t have that particular problem. In Viana they just wanted proof of presence three months prior and agreed to accept my NIF certificate for that purpose.

The NIF, incidentally, can be obtained by someone else, on your behalf, via power of attorney, prior to your arrival in Portugal.


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## suiko

I already have NIF, from a spell in Portugal 30 years ago. I guess the rental contract wll serve as proof of that?


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## vianina

I imagine so.

If you have decided where you want to rent in Portugal, it would be useful to email the Câmara and ask what they require for registration. It could save you some nasty surprises, or alternatively save you some worry.

You’ll also need to go and see Finanças to get the NIF address updated, but they probably won’t do it until you are registered by the Câmara.


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## MikeItMo

jumblemon said:


> My partner bought a house here.


Do you think this was the reason they didn't ask about bank statements etc? Or didn't they know your OH owned property?


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## suiko

Thanks. I guess Financas will be in the nearest city?


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## jumblemon

MikeItMo said:


> Do you think this was the reason they didn't ask about bank statements etc? Or didn't they know your OH owned property?




I don’t think it was that. Until January you have a right of residence as an EU citizen, so the contents of your bank account is irrelevant. It’s different for visas and citizenship where they want to make sure you will not become a burden on a social security system that you have not contributed to.


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## vianina

Normally yes, Financas or alternatively Loja do Cidadão are in the nearest city. Though any branch of Financas will do, I believe; it doesn’t have to be the closest one. Once you register residency you have 60 days to register your new domicile with Financas.


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## MikeItMo

This scenario occurred to me-

One goes on a recce visit and gets a NIF and bank acc. both registered non-resident due to not finding a suitable place to rent on the visit .

If one then returns later to rent a place, would the NIF and bank status have to be updatedat the financas and bank branch at which one registered initially?

So if I got a NIF in Lisbon Financas 4, for example, but then returned to rent on Algarve, could I update details there?


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## vianina

I think you can update at your local branches. My NIF was not done in Viana but that is where I had it converted to resident status. They did not care where I had originally got my NIF. However, they would not do it until I brought the certificate of residency.

With the bank, I think you can also ask ahead of time to be transferred to the branch local to your new home.


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## suiko

My NIF is registered to my address in Braga some thirty years ago. Do I need to change the address before doing the residency procedures? 

Obviously at the moment I only have a UK address, and will probably be doing the residency with a medium-term Air B&B rental, so presumably that won't do for a permanent Portuguese address anyway?


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## vianina

I think you can leave the NIF alone until you get residency. Residency is not contingent on a NIF anyway. It is useful as a means of proving that you have been in Portugal for a while, but that is hardly going to work if it is 30 years old. Just make sure that you have enough other paperwork to satisfy the Câmara. What you can usefully do with the NIF is ensure that all receipts for anything you buy in Portugal have your NIF on, that way your presence is documented.
By the way, you can set up a bank account without ever setting foot in Portugal, using an overseas branch of eg the CGD. And, again, attach it to your NIF.


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## vianina

Re the Airbnb, it should be good enough if the landlord is happy to vouch for you at the Junta de Freguesia who can give you a paper stating you reside there, which you then take to the Câmara.


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## vianina

Once you get residency you have 60 days to update your tax address. So, if you’re still at the Airbnb, you will have to use that address , which will probably be accepted by the tax service because it’s on your residency certificate.


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## MikeItMo

Here an update on my recent recce visit to Lisbon and the Algarve, my intended residency destination:
Vistied 4 financas offices to try yo obtain my NIF during my visit - Portimao, Lagos, Olhao, Lisbon office 4. Walk-ins possible in none of them. Posted in the windows of each is details as to how to make appointments, phone numbers, e-balcao address etc. But I needed a NIF first so the solution was to email my scanned passport and proof of overseas address to one of the individual offices. I chose Portimao but it could have been any. I got my non resident NIF about 24 hours later, as a PDF, which has valisity till January 20121. Paper copy will be sent to my home address.
With this PDF I went to Activobank in Chiado, Lisbon to open their Simple account. It's free and I got a Visa Electron card immediately. I had to deposit 500 euros. I can get a different card when I return. The staff there are very friendly and helpful, and speak the English good.
Of all the places I visited on the Algarve (Lagos, Alvor, Portimao, Faro, Olhao, Tavira) I found Lagos and Alvor the most appealing in term of vicinity to the beaches, one of my preferences. Olhao is also great but the beach access requires a ferry ride. I suppose I need to think how often I would want to visit the beach... Lagos seems quite pricy property-wise, and understandably so...
I love Lisbon, and the beaches aren't too far. I am contemplating renting there for some months, taking Portuguese classes, and getting the residency thing done there, going into spring 2021. Not sure I Can see myself living long term in the big city again at my age. 
Now I just need to sell my property in Italy...


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## suiko

Great to hear an update, Mike! I didn't even consider Lisbon - much as I'd like to - because rent (and eventual buying) are so much more expensive that elsewhere.
You may like to consider a winter rent in Sesimbra, perhaps? I think there are probably more available there than anywhere else nearish to Lisbon?

I'm just back from Portugal, where I opened the Activo account and got a SIM, as well as meeting the person who I'm planning to rent from after September.

The NIF business (trying to backdate the address held by Finanças to account for the last 20 years spent in UK) was, as expected, much more complicated, though. It wasn't possible to do this at the Setúbal office and now I have to make a special trip to Braga (where I lived in 1992-3) to try to do it there (with no guarantees of success!) Looks like I may have to give up on NHR status and just pay most of my income in tax to both Portuguese and UK authorities :-(


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## MikeItMo

suiko said:


> Great to hear an update, Mike! I didn't even consider Lisbon - much as I'd like to - because rent (and eventual buying) are so much more expensive that elsewhere.
> You may like to consider a winter rent in Sesimbra, perhaps? I think there are probably more available there than anywhere else nearish to Lisbon?
> 
> I'm just back from Portugal, where I opened the Activo account and got a SIM, as well as meeting the person who I'm planning to rent from after September.
> 
> The NIF business (trying to backdate the address held by Finanças to account for the last 20 years spent in UK) was, as expected, much more complicated, though. It wasn't possible to do this at the Setúbal office and now I have to make a special trip to Braga (where I lived in 1992-3) to try to do it there (with no guarantees of success!) Looks like I may have to give up on NHR status and just pay most of my income in tax to both Portuguese and UK authorities :-(


Good result for you too Mark. I supposed the ancient NIF would throw up some obstacles, but overcomeable let's hope!
Thanks for the location tip too. I'll have a look. Am looking at returning early Sept to find a place to rent. Flights on the budgets at the moment are dirt cheap. 
To be honest I forgot to get a SIM. And fortunately the bank accepted my Italian number.


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## yevlondon

MikeItMo said:


> Here an update on my recent recce visit to Lisbon and the Algarve, my intended residency destination:
> Vistied 4 financas offices to try yo obtain my NIF during my visit - Portimao, Lagos, Olhao, Lisbon office 4. Walk-ins possible in none of them. Posted in the windows of each is details as to how to make appointments, phone numbers, e-balcao address etc. But I needed a NIF first so the solution was to email my scanned passport and proof of overseas address to one of the individual offices. I chose Portimao but it could have been any. I got my non resident NIF about 24 hours later, as a PDF, which has valisity till January 20121. Paper copy will be sent to my home address.
> With this PDF I went to Activobank in Chiado, Lisbon to open their Simple account. It's free and I got a Visa Electron card immediately. I had to deposit 500 euros. I can get a different card when I return. The staff there are very friendly and helpful, and speak the English good.
> Of all the places I visited on the Algarve (Lagos, Alvor, Portimao, Faro, Olhao, Tavira) I found Lagos and Alvor the most appealing in term of vicinity to the beaches, one of my preferences. Olhao is also great but the beach access requires a ferry ride. I suppose I need to think how often I would want to visit the beach... Lagos seems quite pricy property-wise, and understandably so...
> I love Lisbon, and the beaches aren't too far. I am contemplating renting there for some months, taking Portuguese classes, and getting the residency thing done there, going into spring 2021. Not sure I Can see myself living long term in the big city again at my age.
> Now I just need to sell my property in Italy...


Hi Mike. Which email did you send your documents to for NIF? Sounds like a good option.


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## MikeItMo

yevlondon said:


> Hi Mike. Which email did you send your documents to for NIF? Sounds like a good option.


yes, I agree. Preferable to schlepping to tax office, even with no cv19 changes, unless time-constrained to get one of course. I just anticipated the issuance of it being Italy-slow. I was very pleasantly surprised. 

Email [email protected]

I composed request in Portuguese and English, using the googl of course!


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## yevlondon

MikeItMo said:


> yes, I agree. Preferable to schlepping to tax office, even with no cv19 changes, unless time-constrained to get one of course. I just anticipated the issuance of it being Italy-slow. I was very pleasantly surprised.
> 
> Email [email protected]
> 
> I composed request in Portuguese and English, using the googl of course!


unfortunately my trick with email did not work 
no response for over a week

will try in person i guess


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## MikeItMo

yevlondon said:


> unfortunately my trick with email did not work
> no response for over a week
> 
> will try in person i guess


sorry to hear that. strange that so long gone by with nada


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## suiko

I got responses pretty quick with the various Financas offices I tried in the south, though only one offered an appointment in the near future. 

The exception is Braga, which refuses to makes any appointments, is uncontactable by phone and insists on my just turning up.


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## yevlondon

suiko said:


> I got responses pretty quick with the various Financas offices I tried in the south, though only one offered an appointment in the near future.
> 
> The exception is Braga, which refuses to makes any appointments, is uncontactable by phone and insists on my just turning up.


omg omg omg 
i just received my NIF by email from Portimao

Lisbon office said no, you need to come in person, and offered an appointment. i said i would contact them later

and then a week later, today suddenly an email from Portimao
now i have a NIF!


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## John and Cecil

I am curious, is it allowed to use an overseas address for an NIF? Someone here said they used an overseas (I assume non - EU address). I tried to use my US address on my drivers license with Financas and they refused. I had to hire an attorney to vouch for me, but now my tax info is being mailed to a stranger and it is not cheap. I am a EU national but never lived in the EU.


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## yevlondon

John and Cecil said:


> I am curious, is it allowed to use an overseas address for an NIF? Someone here said they used an overseas (I assume non - EU address). I tried to use my US address on my drivers license with Financas and they refused. I had to hire an attorney to vouch for me, but now my tax info is being mailed to a stranger and it is not cheap. I am a EU national but never lived in the EU.


i emailed a scan of my passport and bank statement (UK, which follows EU rules until 1 january). i do not think they would accept a non-EU address (you would need a tax representative)


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## MikeItMo

Yes, an overseas address gets you a non-resident NIF. If you are non -EU, you'll need a representative I believe. Here's the financas reply to one of my initial NIF enquiries:
Exmo.(a) Senhor(a)
Um cidadão estrangeiro residente em país terceiro (isto é, não pertencente à União Europeia ou aos seguintes países do Espaço Económico Europeu: Noruega, Islândia e Liechtenstein) que queira efectuar inscrição como contribuinte em Portugal deve apresentar junto de qualquer serviço de finanças/loja do cidadão, documento de identificação ou Passaporte apresentar documento com a morada no país de origem e deverá nomear um representante que obrigatoriamente tem de ser residente em Portugal (deverá juntar documento a aceitar a nomeação como representante, devidamente assinado e junta cópia da identificação).

Um cidadão estrangeiro residente em país pertencente à União Europeia ou aos seguintes países do Espaço Económico Europeu: Noruega, Islândia e Liechtenstein, deverá apresentar documento de identificação ou passaporte assim como documento com a morada no país de origem.

Informo que face às restrições impostas pelo Covid 19, deverá preferencialmente efectuar o pedido através do sistema informático do e-balcão no portal das finanças, em alternativa utilizar este endereço de e-mail ou, caso esteja obrigado a nomear representante, o e-mail do serviço de finanças do seu representante.

Deverá anexar, devidamente digitalizados, os documentos acima identificados.


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