How to Get Your First Residence Permit in Portugal

You've arrived in Portugal, ready to turn your Type 1 Visa into a Temporary Residence Permit or Titulo de Residencia. This article outlines the steps, timing and required documentation along with links to the official government sites and forms. Remember that the Type 1 Visa allows unlimited travel in the Schengen zone and two trips to/back from the US during the 120 days for which it is valid. You can travel to non-Schengen countries as well; you simply have to comply with the respective countries rules for entry.

Scheduling Your Appointment

Due to the high volume of Residence Permit applications, the SEF offices are currently (since mid-2015) asking that you book your initial appointment by calling their main customer service number. Call center hours are Monday-Friday from 09:00 a.m. to 05:30 p.m. The numbers are 808 202 653 (fixed network) or 808 962 690 (mobile network).

• The automated message is in Portuguese so either wait until the end of the message, when an English-speaking person will come on the line, or hand your phone to a Portuguese friend to navigate the menu for you.
• Your appointment date might exceed the viability of your 120 day Visa; when this happens, the SEF sends you an email confirming the appointment. You are expected to print out that email and carry it with you, as it officially extends the duration of your 120 day Visa until that appointment.
• When you go to SEF for your appointment, you will get a number and wait....while the appointment itself takes less than an hour you might spend the entire day waiting, as many SEF offices give you an appointed time to get an appointment, not to meet with the official.

What to Bring With You

This is the list of documents required by the SEF, with an explanatory "Note" added where clarification helps. Blue, underlined terms are hyperlinks that take you to more information at the SEF portal.

TEMPORARY RESIDENCE PERMIT (GENERAL REGIME, INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES OF APPLICANTS: RETIRED / WITH OWN FINANCIAL INCOME /RELIGIOUS) (ARTICLE 77, PARAGRAPH 1 OF THE REPSAE (LEGAL FRAMEWORK ON THE ENTRY, PERMANENCE, EXIT AND REMOVAL OF FOREIGNERS FROM NATIONAL TERRITORY), IN CONJUNCTION WITH ARTICLES 51 AND 53 OF THE REGULATORY DECREE NUMBER 2/2013)

1. Application delivered personally (on a standard form) signed by the applicant (where the applicant is either a minor or legally disabled person the form shall be signed by his/her legal representative)

2. Two recent, identical photographs, in color with blank background and easily identifiable, except in SIGAP Service Bureaus

3. Passport or any other valid travel document

4. Valid residence visa

5. Evidence of sufficient means of subsistence, as per the provisions of Order number 1563/2007, of 11/12 [Note: This is the same evidence you provided for your Visa. Account statements should be no more than 3 months old]

6. Evidence that the applicant has adequate accommodation [Note: Provide your rental contract, hotel booking or home purchase contract. The address on the document you provide will be the address used on your Permit. If/when you move, you'll need to update your address at your local Junta da Freguisia for a fee, taking their validation letter within 30 days to your SEF and paying a fee for new cards. If you fail to update your address within 60 days of a change you will be charged a late fee].

7. Permission for checking criminal records (see standard form)- (except people under 16 years old) [Note: Your signature on the Application form is permission for checking with the Portuguese Police to ensure your criminal record is clean since arriving in Portugal. There is no separate form for this]

8. A document attesting to the existence of a family relationship, where applicable [Note: applicable when moving to Portugal to reunite with family]

9. Document proving the applicant's tax situation, where applicable [Note: This has nothing to do with the US IRS…it's your NIF number if you have already received one]

10. Document proving that the applicant is registered with the Social Security [Note: This refers to the national health plan. You will provide your proof of health insurance and receipt of payment. Proof of insurance is a one page document with your name, dates affective and policy coverage]

Sticky Points

Be prepared for someone to ask you for more documentation than is officially required. Respectfully providing what you can, respectfully declining what isn't necessary--so therefore you don't have it--are appropriate responses. I recommend taking a print-out of the SEF Required Documentation with you to indicate that you've come prepared according to their specific requirements.

• Some applicants have been told by other applicants or even by their SEF official that a new FBI report is required. That isn't correct. Perhaps the applicants misunderstand what is asked for in point 7, above. At this stage, the FBI report has done what it needed to do, which is get you your Schengen Visa. You can bring a copy of that original FBI report with you as a pre-emptive measure but don't let that derail your appointment.
• Some applicants have been asked for Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates and/or IRS reports. You can have your birth and marriage certificates with you, and in fact I've always recommended that applicants bring a copy of all of their original Visa application documents with them. However, "IRS" doesn't mean the United States 1040 filing. This is never necessary with the SEF. "IRS" means the Portuguese IRS; at this point, you won't have filed taxes with the IRS and might not yet have your NIF number. [If you do have your NIF, provide that so it's included on your Residence Permit card. Note that the SEF can enter your NIF number into their system and determine your status with the Financias office.]

You should be able to complete the process and be told you are approved at this appointment. If you fail to bring any required documentation, you will have to make another appointment and return. This rarely happens, usually to people who aren't clear, firm and convinced of what they are doing or who don't follow instructions. You can pay your fees in cash or with a Portuguese bank card (Multibanco) but not with a credit card.

The Titulo Card is sent to your address, or your post office might send you a notice to come pick it up, and it arrives within a couple of weeks. It has photo, name and address.

You will use your Titulo card at a Financias office to apply for an NIF, your financial number / tax identifier or numero de contribuente. This is required to open a bank account, get any credit or grocery store cards and for tax purposes. However, you can get an NIF at your nearest Financias office before you have your Residence Permit, simply using your passport and proof of residence address (i.e., rental contract or house deed). This allows you to open a bank account right away. The Financias officials usually say "no, we can't do that" but be respectfully persistent because they can!

Further Renewals

You will renew your Titulo de Residencia 30 days prior to each expiration. It expires after the first year and is renewed for successive periods of two years. At the 5 year renewal, you may apply for a 'permanent' Titulo that is renewed every 5 years. EU countries must recognize long-term resident status after five years of continuous legal residence. Absences from the EU country for periods of less than six consecutive months (and not exceeding ten months in total within the five-year period) or for specific reasons provided for by national law (e.g. military service, secondment for work purposes, serious illness, maternity, research or studies) will be regarded as not interrupting the period of residence.

References:

• Residence Permit Documentation in English at SEF Portal
• Residence Permit Documentation in Portuguese at SEF Portal
• Scheduling Appointments at SEF