The SEF Portal for the online registration of British citizens who have established residency rights in Portugal went live a short time ago. Registering on the portal will allow eligible British citizens to continue to reside in Portugal through the application for a 5 year resident’s card in 2021. Registration will also facilitate travel between the UK and Portugal from 1 st January 2021 up to the receipt of the resident’s card. This resident’s card will allow British citizens to travel freely in the Schengen area and, after five years of residency, will allow British citizens to apply for permanent residency or nationality.
In order to be eligible, British citizens should hold an EU Residency Certificate. Registration is fairly straightforward but we do advise that you take advice before registering due to the fact that the registration is a fundamental part of the process of obtaining the resident’s card. The detail of the registration process is crucial and should it be submitted incorrectly, this could lead to delays or, for example, dependents not receiving the resident’s card.
We recommend that registration is effected as soon as possible and we have therefore tailored a service which will include: the registration itself; the management of the appointment to obtain the biometric data at the respective Town Hall; preparation of the documents for and assistance at this appointment; legal support up to the receipt of the resident’s card.
We are the only law firm in Portugal with over 30 years of experience in assisting British citizens with their legal matters in Portugal. We are also the leading law firm in immigration matters and are therefore uniquely placed to assist with this process.
Edge International Lawyers
December 2020
On March 14th 2024 the Moving to Portugal Show in central London saw a notable attendance, indicating a growing interest among British buyers in relocating to Portugal.
After our successful trip in February, Edge is returning to the USA this April to continue to provide expert legal advice for Americans looking at Portugal for investment and residency. This time we will be again in Los Angeles and San Francisco but we will also be adding New York and Miami to our roadshow.
Following our previous articles on the recent changes to the Portuguese Law of Nationality, we can now inform that the President of Portugal has now signed off the decree from Parliament that approved the said changes. This was the final act in the legislative process and consequently the law will now be published in the official gazette and become effective.