# Residence Permit for Chinese spouse



## Frantel (May 18, 2013)

I am Portuguese citizen living in China with my wife Chinese, married 3 years, our marriage is registered in Portugal (after a painful amount of work). Do not have funds for Golden Residence Permit. How can she obtain Residence Permit? We are going to Portugal in June. How much time do we need on the visa we are about to apply for? How soon can we apply for the Residence Permit?


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

If your legally married and the marriage is registered in Portugal, life's easy for you, you apply for re-unification of family through SEF on, after arrival, she might or might not need a Visa for entry, or your other option could be to apply for Portuguese Nationality before you leave, but providing you have paperwork re-unification is a quick formality.


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## Frantel (May 18, 2013)

I am so glad its u! looked at many of yr reply's could not figure out how to reach u. Your answer makes me feel a lot better!! Visa stuff a nightmare! Need easiest and less painful way. The Embassy in Beijing is no help and make you feel like criminals for asking simple questions.

What kind of a Visa do we apply for in Beijing? And how much time do we request for this Visa? Schengen Visa ? or Family Unification Visa? we dont live in Portug. coming to Algarve to buy small house and live permanently. Not sure how to do all of this?


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## Frantel (May 18, 2013)

hello Canoeman, are on by any chance online ?


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

As far as I know she would reguire a Schengen Visa, the re-unification is done at the SEF office *in* Portugal this is link for re-unification of family, make certain you have all necessary paperwork, translations etc before leaving China, application can start immediately but must be within 30 days of 3 months 
Portal SEF


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## Frantel (May 18, 2013)

So we would apply for Schengen Visa for the purpose of family re-unification and permanent residence permit. Do you think this is what my wife should say during her interview? Or just talk about tourism and when we arrive go to the SEF. to do the P.R

These interviewers and their visas are wrapped up in so much ego. It becomes very stressful.


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## Frantel (May 18, 2013)

So we would apply for Schengen Visa for the purpose of family re-unification and permanent residence permit. Do you think this is what my wife should say during her interview? Or just talk about tourism and when we arrive go to the SEF. to do the P.R

These interviewers and their visas are wrapped up in so much ego. It becomes very stressful.


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Being Portuguese you don't need a Visa to enter Portugal, as far as I know your wife does, A Schengen should be ideal, I would think as she says as little as possible, when you arrive here you then go to your local SEF office and apply for a Residents Visa for your wife as family re-unification providing you have all necessary paperwork and proof of your marriage then it should be a straightforward application


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## Frantel (May 18, 2013)

I agree with you 100%. I think will should apply for a straight forward Schengen tourist visa. The amount of time you ask for in the Schengen always complicates things. Not sure how many days we should ask for? and does she need a criminal clearance, which has to be verified by the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Beijing embassy. I hope we dont need this. All of her other docs are in order because we went through HELL doing endless paper pushing to have our marriage registered in Portugal. What a nightmare that was but very thankful it is done!


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## Frantel (May 18, 2013)

*Permanent Res Portugal*

I agree with you 100%. I think we should apply for a straight forward Schengen tourist visa. The amount of time you ask for in the Schengen always complicates things. Not sure how many days we should ask for? and does she need a criminal clearance, which has to be verified by the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Beijing embassy. I hope we dont need this. All of her other docs are in order because we went through HELL doing endless paper pushing, to have our marriage registered in Portugal. What a nightmare that was, but very thankful it is done!


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