# power of attorney to register for residency



## lucifers cat (Feb 17, 2019)

Hi,
This forum is an amazing source of valuable and diverse information, my thanks to all the contributors.
Taking further advantage of your experience and knowledge, I would like to ask some more questions and welcome your comments.
Background:
My wife and I are both U.K.nationals currently residing in China.
It is our intention to sell our property here and retire to the Algarve.
We have planned a holiday in Albufeira and Loule in mid June for two weeks. Due to personal commitments, we must return to China after our holidays.
Given the uncertainty of Brexit and the various implications this will have on the residency process, I am considering the following course of action.

In the first instance, to engage the services of a lawyer and giving them power of attorney to act on our behalf to apply for NIF and residencia. Once having sold our China property to return and complete the process within the Brexit transition phase, i.e. before 31/12/2000.

Any comments on this proposed strategy would be most welcome.
My thanks in anticipation of your response.
Luciferscat


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

I hope you mean 2020 not 2000? lol! 

That plan won't work IF (note the big IF) the UK crashes out before the date you mention because there might not be a transition period.


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## lucifers cat (Feb 17, 2019)

Hi Travelling-man,
Yes, 2020, would be a real travelling man myself if I could do that!
Quite right, I am working on that assumption. Calculated risk given the current political and business consensus of a hard brexit.
Assuming a soft brexit, any thoughts on the feasibility of the plan re power of attorney and acceptance by the authorities of this kind of representation.
Thanks again


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

You need to be present in person to register residency I'm afraid. 

However, it has been known for some people (mostly UK passport holders living in South Africa) to come here, get NIF & Residencia ((both of which can (often) be done within 2-3 hours)) & then return home to sell their property in SA & then return to Portugal before the 6 months rule applies.


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## lucifers cat (Feb 17, 2019)

Thanks Travelling-Man,
Pick your brains further if I may.
We will be staying for a week in Albufeira and another in Loule both booked online and as far as I am aware without formal lease documentation. If I engaged a lawyer and he/she went with us would they accept the firms address as the required local address.
Thanks again,
Luciferscat


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Portugal is famous or perhaps, more accurately infamous for it's 'acute variable bureaucracy syndrome' where individual civil servants interpret the rules any way they like so anything is possible..................... You will definitely need some type of proof of address in Portugal to register residency here but it doesn't necessarily have to be a lease etc & can sometimes be nothing more than an ID card of a friend or relative who verbally states that you're staying with them as house guests.

You don't need a lawyer to help you get residency & in all honesty, they'd probably be a hindrance that costs you money for no good reason.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

travelling-man said:


> Portugal is famous or perhaps, more accurately infamous for it's *'acute variable bureaucracy syndrome'* where individual civil servants interpret the rules any way they like so anything is possible..................... You will definitely need some type of proof of address in Portugal to register residency here but it doesn't necessarily have to be a lease etc & can sometimes be nothing more than an ID card of a friend or relative who verbally states that you're staying with them as house guests.
> 
> You don't need a lawyer to help you get residency & in all honesty, they'd probably be a hindrance that costs you money for no good reason.


*'acute variable bureaucracy syndrome'* Thanks TM. I love it and that is a very good description of what we have here, next-door, in Spain.


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## lucifers cat (Feb 17, 2019)

Hi Travelling-Man
Fully understand and appreciate all your saying.
Mr and Mrs nomates I'm afraid when it comes to Portugal, hence the lawyer option.
That together with not speaking a word of Portuguese and assuming the lawyer knows their way around the system is why I am considering to do it this way. 
Appreciate your time and invaluable comments Travelling-Man


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

luciferscat said:


> Hi Travelling-Man
> Fully understand and appreciate all your saying.
> Mr and Mrs nomates I'm afraid when it comes to Portugal, hence the lawyer option.
> That together with not speaking a word of Portuguese and assuming the lawyer knows their way around the system is why I am considering to do it this way.
> Appreciate your time and invaluable comments Travelling-Man


The obvious answer is find yourself a competent translator and by 'competent' I means somebody who knows the the subject (vocabulary) of the matters for which you require the translation. This last part is important since incompetent translators will just gloss-over or omit the bits they don't know. OK so this may mean you pay a little extra to have an additional professional but that is cheaper than having everything go wrong because of trying to save a few €.


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## lucifers cat (Feb 17, 2019)

Thank you Travelling-Man and baldilocks,
Great information and recommendations to think about.
One last question before I leave you good folk in peace.
Given that I can persuade my holiday let landlord to draw up a lease agreement for the 9 days we stay there.
Does it matter how long the lease is for or does it need to be for a minimum period for the NIF and Residencia
Thanks again all.
Luciferscat


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

That again will depend on the AVBS I'm afraid.


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## lucifers cat (Feb 17, 2019)

Not too dissimilar to China then except there's no brown envelopes involved.
Can't thank you enough for your patience and help.
Please keep up the good work, I'm sure your efforts are benefiting hundreds of people.
Well done
Luciferscat


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

luciferscat said:


> Not too dissimilar to China then except there's no brown envelopes involved.
> Can't thank you enough for your patience and help.
> Please keep up the good work, I'm sure your efforts are benefiting hundreds of people.
> Well done
> Luciferscat


Are you really sure about your username? "Lucifer scat" could well have an entirely different meaning from the one you intended.


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## lucifers cat (Feb 17, 2019)

Do you know it never dawned on me it could be read like that. Think I had better change it quick.
This isn't the first time that I have missed the obvious, I joined a ukulele website by the the name of UkeHunt and never realised the guy running it was taking the proverbial with the title until months later when someone else pointed it out.
Thanks baldilocks


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## lucifers cat (Feb 17, 2019)

anyone know how to change your username?


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

luciferscat said:


> Do you know it never dawned on me it could be read like that. Think I had better change it quick.
> This isn't the first time that I have missed the obvious, I joined a ukulele website by the the name of UkeHunt and never realised the guy running it was taking the proverbial with the title until months later when someone else pointed it out.
> Thanks baldilocks


If you go to the Right hand column and go down to "Contact us" you can ask to change your user name - just putting a space between the 's' and 'c' should do it. 

FYI my username has been in existence for over 20 years and came about because I needed a username for another forum site and since SWMBO was always calling me baldy (I was getting a bit thin on top - I still am!) I chose baldilocks whilst bearing in mind that should I ever get to the 'comb-over' stage (à là Charlton or Gregor Fisher) then I could become "Baldilocks and the three hairs"!


OR
send a PM to SuperMod - she or he should be able to do it for you.


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## hktoportugal (Feb 25, 2019)

When exactly are you planning to move permanently to Portugal? My wife and I deployed EuroFinesco last year to obtain our NIF's as non-residents (and be our fiscal representation). We needed that to conclude the purchase of an apartment in Porto last year. We don't live in Portugal yet (moving this year from Hong Kong, currently selling our house in China) but I can attest to the "acute variable bureaucracy syndrome" mentioned in this post, declaring residency on the basis of a short term rental is a miss or go I would think. I would recommend you reach out to EuroFinesco and see what they can offer.


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## lucifers cat (Feb 17, 2019)

Hi hktoportugal,
Thanks for the reply, your timing couldn't be better.
At this moment, I am in communication with EuroFinesco regarding their services re residency.


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