# Thinking of moving, can't quite get my head around in which order to do things



## LloydBraun (Jan 30, 2018)

Hi everyone,

So, looking at moving to Portugal with my partner this year. We are Australians but also are both EU citizens (Ireland and England passports). I've looked through the forum but I'm still a little confused so apologies if this is doubling up. Basically, 
1. If we are EU citizens, what is the first step we should take. (bank account, residency card (can you get this if you are living in a room in a share house etc)
2. Health insurance (what type of health insurance do we need to have in order to get the residency card? As I said, we are both apart of the EU but I'm not sure how that works with needing to show something to get the residency card.

Any help would be amazing!

Thanks!


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## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

Just using the SEARCH facility at the top of the page and going to ADVANCED OPTION and then choosing Portugal as the country will help answer both your questions.

It will take a little bit of research but well worthwhile


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

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, 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. 

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

Hope that helps


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## rajtar (Feb 7, 2018)

I have moved many times and i cantell youhow i do things, it may not be how others do it but it always workes for me  Firstwith EU passport you can move and stay in any EU country basically without limits. You can work for a company or become self employed without any extra permits or visas. 
The last time i moved from Ireland to Portugal i simply sold most of my belongings, found a cheap house to rent from ireland, so when i arrived i moved in to the house straight away. I packed my car to the limits and send what i could not fit and drove from Ireland to Portugal pretty much non stop. I did some research on the internet first, as a personal trainer i wanted to be within driving distance to a big city and have access to all the shops and services at the same time. On my arrival i have spend my first 3 weeks exploring and deciding were to work and what to do next. I think that some planning is importand but as long as you know what you want to do you can always work things out with some money and imagination. Having a car helps if you are living in the village but cities are very affordable and you can basically walk everywhere.


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## Pgmills (Jan 19, 2015)

Travelling man is basically right but you need the attestado before you can register your residence.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Pgmills said:


> Travelling man is basically right but you need the attestado before you can register your residence.


The Attestado is supposed to attest to residency & it obviously cannot do that until residency has been obtained..... Admittedly, some civil servants want it the wrong way round but only because they don't understand the rules.

Typical Portuguese variable bureaucracy.


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## Pgmills (Jan 19, 2015)

Sorry mate you are fundamentally wrong. The attesado is signed off by the junta and it is this document that is taken to the camera to register one’s residence.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Pgmills said:


> Sorry mate you are fundamentally wrong. The attesado is signed off by the junta and it is this document that is taken to the camera to register one’s residence.


Not in any of the various Camaras in my area it's not.

But logically, how can the Attestado attest that you are a resident until you have registered as a resident? 

As I said, typical variable bureaucracy.


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## dancebert (Jun 4, 2015)

travelling-man said:


> But logically, how can the Attestado attest that you are a resident until you have registered as a resident?


Simple. Residence is a status, e.g. SEF granted John temporary residence. Residence is a place, e.g. John's residence is 123 Rua Principal.

The Junta de Freguesia for the parish where you live grants Atestado de Residencia. To get one:_"In most cases, once in the Parish Council, you must present your identification (Identity Card, Taxpayer Card and Voter Card or Citizen Card). In case you are not yet registered in the parish in question, you must present two witnesses or prove unequivocally that you actually reside in the parish."_ (quoted translated version of link) https://www.economias.pt/atestado-de-residencia/

I've read the 2 witnesses must live in the parish. Also read that the Atestado is essential for those who don't have a lease because they rent a room or are in student housing.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

All I can say is that over the last 6 years or so I've dealt with 3 or 4 different Camaras in my area & helped somewhere between +/- 50-60 people (mostly couples) get their NIF/Residencias/Attestados etc organised & every singe one has been NIF, then Residencia, then Attestado.......... Whether or not it's the same throughout the country is a different matter but that's how it's always worked with the Camaras I've dealt with.


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## Pgmills (Jan 19, 2015)

Just out of interest, if the camara has already granted the certificate of registration why would you need an attestado?


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Pgmills said:


> Just out of interest, if the camara has already granted the certificate of registration why would you need an attestado?


Good question & I don't know the answer. I got mine when I arrived & no-one has ever asked to see it or even shown any interest in it whatsoever. 

We weren't even asked to produce it when we our initial 5 year residencias expired & we changed to the 10 year PRC.

I'd be interested to know if anyone else here has ever had to produce theirs for anything & if so, what for?


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## grammymissy (Jun 21, 2009)

travelling-man said:


> Good question & I don't know the answer. I got mine when I arrived & no-one has ever asked to see it or even shown any interest in it whatsoever.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Our shipping company wanted it, for customs in Lisbon, in addition to copy of residency....


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

grammymissy said:


> Our shipping company wanted it, for customs in Lisbon, in addition to copy of residency....
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Glad to hear it's of some use at least......... When we came in 6 1/2 years ago the Customs asked for our Residencia but not about the Attestado which is probably a good thing because we didn't know about it at that point & only found out after we'd been here for about 8 months or so. lol!


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## Pgmills (Jan 19, 2015)

The Camara in Portimao insist on one in order to issue the certificate of registration of residence.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Pgmills said:


> The Camara in Portimao insist on one in order to issue the certificate of registration of residence.


I guess it's yet another example of the variable bureaucracy here but at the end of the day perhaps it doesn't really matter which you get first & probably FAR easier to just go with the flow & get whatever they say they want first?

The big problem is when one civil servant wants document A before they issue document B & the civil servant issuing B won't issue it until they've seen document A.

I think the answer to that one is to get the phone number of one, give it to the other & let them argue it out between them. lol!


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