# Getting Residency



## redbourn (May 8, 2013)

Have lived in Portugal for five years.

Had NIF for five years and also have rental contracts.

Live in Nazaré, Leira.

What to do next?

Many thanks,

Michael


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

redbourn said:


> Have lived in Portugal for five years.
> 
> Had NIF for five years and also have rental contracts.
> 
> ...


Your profile says you're from the UK so assuming a UK passport you should have registered your residency at your local Camara within 3-4 months of arrival so if you haven't done that then that's your next step. 

If you mean you have done that & your initial 5 year Residencia is about to expire then you need to contact your local SEF office to get an appointment to renew to the 10 year permanent residency card & whilst making that appointment ask them what other documents you need to bring to the appointment.


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## redbourn (May 8, 2013)

travelling-man said:


> Your profile says you're from the UK so assuming a UK passport you should have registered your residency at your local Camara within 3-4 months of arrival so if you haven't done that then that's your next step.
> 
> If you mean you have done that & your initial 5 year Residencia is about to expire then you need to contact your local SEF office to get an appointment to renew to the 10 year permanent residency card & whilst making that appointment ask them what other documents you need to bring to the appointment.



Thanks. I am registered where I live and will go into the SEF to apply for permanent residency. I have no idea what will happen with Brexit and can't imagine being thrown out of Portugal, but would be better to get the permanent residency now - I think.

i live in rented accommodating.

Michael


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

redbourn said:


> Thanks. I am registered where I live and will go into the SEF to apply for permanent residency. I have no idea what will happen with Brexit and can't imagine being thrown out of Portugal, but would be better to get the permanent residency now - I think.
> 
> i live in rented accommodating.
> 
> Michael


OK so if you have the initial 5 year residencia & it's due to expire, you need to either call or email your local SEF office for an appointment & you'll probably get nowhere by just going in to see them & FWIW, we got our 10 year permanent residency card about 18 months ago & it's a doddle.............. it quite literally took longer to park the car that it took to get the cards. 

IMO, the Brexit thing is largely smoke & mirrors & as I read it, Article 70 of the Vienna Convention of 1969, enacted in 1980 & the Acquired Rights thing say that once someone is domiciled in a signatory state then they have the right to remain & Portugal is a signatory state so there's absolutely no issue about whether we'll have the right to remain or not because we've had that right for decades. 

It's a pig awful thing to read through but that's how I interpret it & even if I'm wrong, there's nothing we can do about it anyway so why worry? 

I firmly believe that where Brexit is concerned, most of us will be dead before we see any significant (Brexit induced) changes to our lives & therefore what's needed is more wine & less whine.


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## redbourn (May 8, 2013)

travelling-man said:


> OK so if you have the initial 5 year residencia & it's due to expire, you need to either call or email your local SEF office for an appointment & you'll probably get nowhere by just going in to see them & FWIW, we got our 10 year permanent residency card about 18 months ago & it's a doddle.............. it quite literally took longer to park the car that it took to get the cards.
> 
> IMO, the Brexit thing is largely smoke & mirrors & as I read it, Article 70 of the Vienna Convention of 1969, enacted in 1980 & the Acquired Rights thing say that once someone is domiciled in a signatory state then they have the right to remain & Portugal is a signatory state so there's absolutely no issue about whether we'll have the right to remain or not because we've had that right for decades.
> 
> ...


Thanks. 


I'm not at all sure that Brexit will happen. The EU doesn't want it, May and many MPs and Lords don't want it and more and more of the public are against it.

Michael


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## redbourn (May 8, 2013)

Reading through the advice, it's quite possible that I skipped some necessary steps to getting permanent residency.

I have never visited an SEF office, only a camara, a freguesia and the loja da cidadao since I arrived almost 5 years ago.

What do I have?

NIF and documents: Registo Central de Contribuinte (dated August 2013), Certificado de Registo de Cidadão da União Europeia, and a document from the freguesia that I registered my address.

A bank account, UK passport and European Health Insurance Card and a rental agreement.

Michael


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

No you didn't miss anything. 

The first/initial residencia is valid for 5 years & obtained from your Camara & is a simple registration of residency which is a right that can't be refused rather than a privilege that has to be applied for. 

You only go to the SEF office when the initial 5 year residencia/registration of residency is due to expire & SEF then issue a 10 year permanent resident card which again is a right that cannot be refused.

I note you mention a health card & assume you mean an EHIC card from the UK which will probably have date expired but even if it hasn't you're not meant to use it because you're resident here rather than in the UK & as a resident of Portugal, you're entitled to the same more or less free healthcare as any Portuguese person so you need to register with your local centro do saude.

If you want ot travel elsewhere in the EU you need to get a Portuguese EHIC card before you travel.


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## redbourn (May 8, 2013)

travelling-man said:


> No you didn't miss anything.
> 
> The first/initial residencia is valid for 5 years & obtained from your Camara & is a simple registration of residency which is a right that can't be refused rather than a privilege that has to be applied for.
> 
> ...


All good news thanks.

I can't imagine Portugal throwing me out when I bring money into the country every month and take nothing from the treasury, so makes me lazy about entering the bureacratic agony.

EHIC card expires 15/10/2019

Have been living in Nazaré for nearly two years and love it. 

T3 with ocean views; fully furnished; rooftop terrace with BBQ tables and chairs - €450.00 and great owners who really take care of me and the house.

Michael


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

It's a horrible piece of legislation to read but as I understand it, Article 70 of the 1969 Vienna Convention enacted in 1980 & the Acquired Rights thing say that once someone is domiciled in a signatory state then they have the right to remain & as Portugal is one of many signatory states, I really can't see how they can start kicking people out.


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## redbourn (May 8, 2013)

travelling-man said:


> It's a horrible piece of legislation to read but as I understand it, Article 70 of the 1969 Vienna Convention enacted in 1980 & the Acquired Rights thing say that once someone is domiciled in a signatory state then they have the right to remain & as Portugal is one of many signatory states, I really can't see how they can start kicking people out.


Thanks. Am not really concerned but might as well get in sorted out in August.

I can't pretend I don't have the time to do it ;-)

No Portuguese ID cards have been issued for ages and it would be nice to have one.

Michael


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## JohnBoy (Oct 25, 2009)

redbourn said:


> Thanks. Am not really concerned but might as well get in sorted out in August.
> 
> I can't pretend I don't have the time to do it ;-)
> 
> ...


Hi Michael. I can echo the advice that TM has been giving you and obtaining your 10 year permanent residency will be easy. It will be a small document that folds into three, rather than the old style plastic card though.

I cannot remember what other documents I took to SEF, but you will definitely require a passport type photograph and, at the time of your application, will be required to give your fingerprints. Then you're good to go.

Best of luck.


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## redbourn (May 8, 2013)

JohnBoy said:


> Hi Michael. I can echo the advice that TM has been giving you and obtaining your 10 year permanent residency will be easy. It will be a small document that folds into three, rather than the old style plastic card though.
> 
> I cannot remember what other documents I took to SEF, but you will definitely require a passport type photograph and, at the time of your application, will be required to give your fingerprints. Then you're good to go.
> 
> Best of luck.


Thank you. I am also getting proof of my pensions.

Just noticed that I also have an NISS number too; don't know where that came from as I have never worked in Portugal.

Michael


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

If you're in receipt of UK state pension, you'll need an S1 to give to the Centro do Saude as part of registering for NHS cover.


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## redbourn (May 8, 2013)

travelling-man said:


> If you're in receipt of UK state pension, you'll need an S1 to give to the Centro do Saude as part of registering for NHS cover.


Thanks,

Michael


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## Maggy Dampier (Jun 12, 2018)

When we got our permanent residence permits SEF took our photos.


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## RichardHenshall (Jul 26, 2009)

redbourn said:


> ... I am also getting proof of my pensions. ...


You might need to be careful about who you share that with since you don't appear to have admitted to paying tax in Portugal as a resident.


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## redbourn (May 8, 2013)

I have never registered as living in Nazaré after leaving Aveiro and wanted to clear things up before applying for permanent residence.

It only occurred to me on the way home that "residência" could apply to residence in a town or in Portugal.

So should I update my address to my new one before applying for permanent residence? 

And ..

Why are they telling me to first visit as Finanças ?

Thanks,

Michael


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