Portuguese Residency / Autorização de Residência
The Portuguese government has been instructed to comply with EU legislation regarding free travel within the community, and was to have a new law in place by April 2006. However, the government has still not complied with this instruction and the law still stands as below.
Residence Permits for EU Nationals
As a European Union national you may remain in Portugal, as a tourist, for a period not exceeding 180 days. If you intend to settle you should apply for a residence permit (Autorização de Residência) from the nearest office of the Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (Portuguese Immigration authority).
EU nationals who wish to settle in Portugal do not require a residence visa prior to travel. However, under Portuguese law, an application should be made on arrival in Portugal for a residence permit from the nearest office of the Portuguese Immigration Service – . The details are as follows:
Wage earners who come to Portugal to work for a period not exceeding three months, will not require a residence permit.
- Seasonal workers whose work duration does not exceed eight months, will not require a residence permit.
- Wage earners whose work will last more than three but less than 12 months, will require a temporary residence permit, valid for a period equal to the duration of the contract. If the contract is extended, but the cumulative period does not exceed one year, the residence card will be extended for a period equal to the work extension. If the cumulative period exceeds one year, the renewed residence permit will automatically carry a 5 year validity.
- Wage earners whose work will last for a period equal to or over one year or for an indeterminate period, will require a residence permit valid for 5 years, renewable for 10 years.
- Providers of services will be issued with a temporary residence permit valid for the expected duration of their work, renewable, upon application for extension, for a period equal to the expected duration of the extended work.
- Self-employed people will be issued with a residence permit valid for five years, renewable for 10 years.
- Persons of independent means (including retired persons) will be required to produce evidence that they have sufficient income to support themselves and their dependants without recourse to state assistance. They also have to prove that they have health cover (state-funded or private). A British passport holder in receipt of a UK state retirement pension is entitled to state health care and should register on arrival with the local health centre. The health centre will take the necessary steps to obtain an E121 from the British authorities. If not in receipt of a state pension, evidence of private medical insurance cover will have to be shown. Their residence permit will be valid for a period of two years, renewable for five years.
- The first four categories above, i.e. wage earners, will not require a work permit, nor to register their employment with the Portuguese Ministry of Labour. They will be treated on a par with Portuguese nationals but must ensure that they have a formal work contract.
- The spouse of an EC national working in Portugal, who is also an EC national, will also require a residence permit, which will be given the same validity as that of the main applicant.
- Non-EC spouses and dependants will still require a residence visa from the Portuguese consular authorities in their country of residence. Their residence permits will be valid for the same period as that of the main applicant.
- Anyone aged 14 and over must apply for their own residence permit. Children who are under 14 years of age, may have their names endorsed on one, or both, of their parents’ residence permits if one or both are full residents of this country.
All applications should be made direct to the nearest office of the .
Information provided by the .