# 6 months Portugal and 6 months UK - advice please



## Langham (Sep 28, 2016)

Hi
New to the forum.
We're planning on buying a home in Portugal for use 6/7 months of the year - returning to the UK for the rest of each year.
Would appreciate any advice on how this works in practice - residency, healthcare in both countries, tax status, whether to buy or hire a car when in Portugal and any other helpful info.
Many thanks
Langham


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

At the moment you're allowed to stay for 180 days per year without becoming a registered resident & allowed to keep an overseas registered car here for the same period. However foreign registered cars are expected to have current tax, test & insurance all the while they're here & they do tend to attract more attention from the cops who have the right to (permanently) confiscate the vehicle if it doesn't have the correct paperwork. 

If not a resident you're not expected to declare tax. 

As a non resident you'd need an EHIC card to get treatment on the Portuguese NHS. 

All those things might change after Brexit has been completed but of course, no-one knows the future.


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## Strontium (Sep 16, 2015)

To be sensible you must decide where you are resident and stay within the rules (as above) or you can have big problems, as Portuguese resident you are not allowed to drive a non Portuguese registered car (some time is allowed for the transfer), You will get stopped and have to prove, with all the correct paperwork you carry in the vehicle, when the vehicle arrived in Portugal . no paperwork proof then bye bye car. Think that as UK cars no longer have a paper tax disc you don't need current UK car tax well then get stopped and it's bye bye car. Think you can pop over the border to Spain and back to reset the 180 day clock? Difficult to get UK car insurance to cover use abroad for 180 days.


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## Langham (Sep 28, 2016)

Thank you both for your response. 180 days a year sounds the way to go. Will be very careful with the car - maybe long term care hire is the answer!


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## brodev (Jan 3, 2010)

I have done 6 months here 6 months there for quite a few years now. I drive out with my UK registered car. The car is insured with Nationwide BS as they give 6 months foreign use included. (Saga gives a full years foreign use). Occasionally I have stayed for more than 6 months (insured with Saga at the time)and I have had no hassle whatsoever regards the 180 days rule. Neither have I heard, among my friends, of anyone who has, but the rule is there and I know many who abuse it. I have been stopped by the police on a few occasions and I have been asked to produce my car documents but I have never been asked to produce ferry tickets. To be 100% we need to follow all the rules correctly and I do my best but I admit to breaking the speed limit on occasion.


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