Portugal Expat Forum

craigandmicki
Joined 2010
Posts: 1181

6 years ago

Days Absent from Country

6 years ago

A number of posts about living part year in Portugal have caused some confusion about how much time one is permitted to be outside of Portugal and retain your Residence Permit. Relevant regulations include the European Union Long Stay visa; the Schengen Community rules; Portugal's own regulations. The bottom line to all of these is having one's PERMANENT permit versus TEMPORARY permit. The rule states:
"A permanent residence permit is not subject to minimum stay requirements. But a permanent residence permit may be cancelled if the holder, without an acceptable justification, is away from Portugal for a period of 24 consecutive months, or for a period of non-consecutive 30 months over 3 years. The Law explicitly deems acceptable being away for any period of time in one's country of origin in order to carry out a professional, entrepreneurial, cultural or social activity. In practice, SEF will only demand to see proof of the holder having actually lived in the country or of a justification of absence from the country in the event the renewal of the card is requested after its expiry date. As such, provided the renewal of the permanent resident's id card is applied for before the expiry date, Portugal minimum stay requirements should not be a concern. " This is only one facet of the time-in-country question so it remains important to understand your own situation and review the applicable regulations.

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Help others in Portugal by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in Portugal.