What residency documents or visas did I need if I will be in Portugal for a while?

"I applied for a Type I Visa from the Portuguese embassy in the US. It was basically a Schengen Visa which enabled me to be in Portugal for 4 months. During this 4 months I was supposed to obtain my resident card. However, due to the large backlog, I didn't obtain this until I was here 5 months. The process, starting with the Portuguese embassy in Washington D.C. was not really difficult but it was very stressful and took a long time. It started with an FBI background check - which took about 12 weeks. Then I had to obtain medical insurance, collect financial documents showing I had enough income to support myself without working, write a statement of why I wanted to retire in Portugal, fill out an application, have passport type photos taken and a copy of my passport notarized. The biggest challenge with this was being unable to find out exactly how much money/ income was required. After mailing all of these documents to the embassy, it look almost 5 weeks to get the approval. Then I mailed my passport to them and a request for a baggage certificate. The certificate enabled me to ship things to Portugal without paying duty. I received my passport back within a couple of weeks with my Visa attached. The resident card I just obtained is good for one year," remarked another expat who made the move to Cascais, Portugal.

"My wife and I had appts on 2 different dates. We brought all our papers and got there when they just opened and asked if they could take my wife. We got a very stern NO! Then the guard asked if my wifes appt was at the same center which it was. He left us for a moment and came back and said they would process both of us. I would go to the center where your appt is and ask if they could take you. Have a good reason and hope you get a good response," explained one expat living in Albufeira, Portugal.

Portugal Residency Advisors
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Portugal Residency Advisors is a full-service consulting firm dedicated to providing personalized services to individuals and families seeking to relocate to Portugal. With a team of experienced professionals and strategic partnerships, we are well-positioned to assist clients with all aspects of the relocation process.

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Portugal Residency Advisors

Portugal Residency Advisors is a full-service consulting firm dedicated to providing personalized services to individuals and families seeking to relocate to Portugal. With a team of experienced professionals and strategic partnerships, we are well-positioned to assist clients with all aspects of the relocation process.
Connect

Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.