Frequently Asked Questions

I AM A BRITISH CITIZEN LIVING IN PORTUGAL. IN ORDER TO KEEP MY RIGHTS IN THAT COUNTRY MUST I CONTINUE WORKING?

The Withdrawal Agreement protects nationals from the United Kingdom living in a different State from his/her nationality, as long as the requirements the EU legislation dealing with the free movement of persons connects to the right of residence are met. Essentially, nationals from the United Kingdom meet those requirements if:

    • they hold a paid or non-paid job; or
    • have enough resources; or
    • are members of someone else’s family meeting those requirements;

It is possible to move between these categories (for example, leave their job to start studying). In order to keep your rights, the meeting of, at least, the conditions concerning one of the abovementioned categories, is suffice.

I AM A BRITISH CITIZEN WORKING IN PORTUGAL SINCE 1995. MAY I STAY IN PORTUGAL AFTER RETIREMENT?

Yes. Because you are working in Portugal for more than five years, you already benefit from the right of permanent residence no longer subject to any conditions (as in to continue working).

I AM A BRITISH CITIZEN LIVING WITH MY FAMILY IN PORTUGAL. MY WIFE IS BRAZILIAN. I AM AWARE OF MY RIGHT TO STAY IN PORTUGAL. HOWEVER, I DO NOT KNOW WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE RIGHT OF RETURNING TO THE UNITED KINGDOM WITH MY FAMILY.

The Withdrawal Agreement protects the rights of persons exercising the right of free movement and living in a country which is not of their own nationality.
The prevailing law of the United Kingdom will determine if the members of their family may live with him/her in that country.

I AM A BRITISH CITIZEN LIVING IN PORTUGAL. HOW LONG MAY I STAY ABROAD WITHOUT LOSING MY RIGHTS?

The right of residence provided by the Withdrawal Agreement is not affected by temporary absences which do not exceed six months in a year, nor longer absences for the compliance of military obligations, or an absence of twelve consecutive months maximum for important reasons such as pregnancy or childbirth, serious illness, studying or professional training, or deployment to another Member State or third-country for professional reasons. Once obtained, the right of permanent residence shall be lost by the absence for a period exceeding five consecutive years only.

I LIVE IN PORTUGAL WITH MY SPOUSE WHO IS A UNITED KINGDOM NATIONAL, AND HOLDER OF A RESIDENCE CARD OF A FAMILY MEMBER OF A EUROPEAN UNION CITIZEN. MAY I STAY AFTER THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD ENDS?

Yes. The Withdrawal Agreement protects every family member who legally lives in Portugal with a United Kingdom citizen before the transitional period ends.

I HAVE COME TO LIVE TO PORTUGAL WITH MY HUSBAND, A NATIONAL OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. HOWEVER, I WANT TO FILE FOR DIVORCE. DO I LOSE MY RIGHT OF RESIDENCE AFTER THE END OF THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD?

The Withdrawal Agreement resumes the provisions of the legislation on free movement in the EU, which already protects third-countries’ national spouses who get divorced from a EU citizen. If you have lived in Portugal being married and file for divorce, you may continue living in Portugal after the transitional period. After five consecutive years of legal residence, you may obtain the right of permanent residence in Portugal.

I AM AN UNMARRIED PARTNER OF A NATIONAL OF THE UNITED KINGDOM LIVING IN PORTUGAL. MAY I JOIN MY PARTNER IN PORTUGAL EVEN AFTER THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD?

Yes. The Withdrawal Agreement protects partners which, at the end of the transitional period, keep a long lasting relationship with a national of the United Kingdom, even if they no longer live together at the Host Member State. Therefore, you may join your partner in Portugal, with the condition that, when you do, you still keep a long lasting relationship and the other keeps the residence in Portugal.

I AM A NATIONAL OF THE UNITED KINGDOM LIVING IN PORTUGAL AND PROTECTED BY THE WITHDRAWAL AGREEMENT. MAY I BENEFIT WITH MORE RIGHTS OF FREE MOVEMENT IN THE EU AFTER THE END OF THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD?

Nationals of the United Kingdom protected by the Withdrawal Agreement in a Member State cannot call upon it to obtain the right of free movement to another Member State, nor to get established or provide services or cross-border services to people established in another Member States. This fact does not affect any rights in as much as nationals of the United Kingdom may benefit under other legal instruments of the EU or the national law.

MAY I TRAVEL TO THE UNITED KINGDOM AFTER BREXIT (December 31st 2020)?

Following the end of the transition period, nationals from the United Kingdom living in Portugal before the end of the transition period may exit and return to Portugal, showing their passport, as long as they have supporting evidence in which they are residents. They may submit their certificate of registration at the City Hall and the supporting evidence of the application for the new residence document held at Portal do SEF for Brexit. The digital form of the supporting evidence of exchange of residence, read by QR Code, may be printed and used whenever travelling, as supporting evidence of your residence in Portugal. Family members which are not citizens of the European Union have the same rights by submitting a valid passport and their residence card.

AS A BRITISH CITIZEN LIVING IN PORTUGAL, AM I SUBJECT TO THE OBLIGATION OF A VISA IN THE FUTURE?

No. With the condition that you hold a valid document issued by Portugal supporting your residence status under the Withdrawal Agreement.

I'VE LIVED IN PORTUGAL FOR LESS THAN 5 YEARS AND I HAVE AN EU CERTIFICATE OF RESIDENCY FROM THE TOWN HALL (CRUE). WHAT WILL BE THE EXPIRATION DATE OF THE NEW CARD?

If you have lived in Portugal for less than 5 years, and you have an EU certificate of residency from the town hall (CRUE), the expiry date on your new Withdrawal Agreement residence card may not be the date on which you will have been resident in Portugal for 5 years in total and therefore on which you are eligible for permanent resident status. For example, if you first registered as a resident in November 2019, you will be eligible to apply for your permanent residency card in November 2024, but your current Withdrawal Agreement residence card might have a later expiry date. This is because all new temporary Withdrawal Agreement residency cards are issued for 5 years, regardless of the number of years you have already resided in Portugal. This does not affect your rights in Portugal, including applying for a permanent residency card when you complete 5 years of continuous residency.

If you are in this situation, SEF advises that you can:

  • Keep your current Withdrawal Agreement residence card and contact SEF once you have been resident for 5 years in total and are eligible to apply for a permanent card, even though your current card has not expired; or
  • Keep your current Withdrawal Agreement residence card and apply for a permanent one once it expires.

This only applies for those who do not already have a permanent residency card. You should be issued with a new Withdrawal Agreement permanent residency card valid for 10 years.

If you have need further information, or if you want to ask for a replacement card issued for the remainder of your first 5 years of residency, please contact SEF’s Regional Directorate that issues the residency card. For other questions regarding the residency process, please email brexit@sef.pt.

WHO IS PROTECTED BY THE WITHDRAWAL AGREEMENT?

The Withdrawal Agreement protects those EU citizens residing in the United Kingdom, and UK nationals residing in one of the 27 EU Member States at the end of the transition period, where such residence is in accordance with EU law on free movement. The Withdrawal Agreement also protects the family members that are granted rights under EU law (current spouses and registered partners, dependent parents/parents-in-law, children/stepchildren up to the age of 21 or beyond this age if dependent and a person in an existing durable relationship), who do not yet live in the same host state as the Union citizen or the UK national, to join them in the future.

Children will be protected by the Withdrawal Agreement, wherever they are born before or after the United Kingdom’s withdrawal, or whether they are born inside or outside the host state where the EU citizen or the UK national resides. The only exception foreseen concerns children born after the United Kingdom’s withdrawal and for which a parent not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement has sole custody under the applicable family law.

HOW CAN I APPLY FOR THE CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION?

Considering that the transition period ended December 31st, it is no longer possible to apply for the certificate of registration at the City Hall. You should now request the issuance of a new document. Please send an email to gricrp.cc@sef.pt, attaching your identity documents and proof of your stay in the country before December 31st 2020.

I'VE BEEN LIVING FOR MORE THAN FIVE YEARS IN PORTUGAL, BUT HAVEN'T GOT THE PERMANENT RESIDENCE CERTIFICATE. WHAT SHALL I DO?

If you live in Portugal for more than five years, but haven’t got the permanent residence certificate, you may apply for the replacement of your certificate of registration with a permanent residence document. For such, you might have to submit supporting documents in which you are living in Portugal for more than five consecutive years as provided in Law 37/2006, and during that period you have been employed or self-employed or have had means of subsistence.

MY PERMANENT RESIDENCE CERTIFICATE HAS EXPIRED. WHAT CAN I DO?

As a national from the United Kingdom living in Portugal, after the end of the transition period on December 31st 2020, it is now necessary to exchange your current residence document as a citizen of the European Union by the new residence permit which confirms your resident status under the Withdrawal Agreement. You should register again at Portal do SEF for Brexit, to apply for your new residence permit.

UNDER THE WITHDRAWAL AGREEMENT, WAS IT NECESSARY TO REGISTER AS A RESIDENT BEFORE APPLYING FOR THE NEW CARD FOR NATIONALS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM LIVING IN PORTUGAL?

In case you did not apply for the certificate of registration at the City Hall before the end of the transition period, you should now request the issuance of a new document. Please send an email to gricrp.cc@sef.pt, attaching your identity documents and proof of your stay in the country before December 31st 2020.

I LIVE IN PORTUGAL AND I AM UNDER THE WITHDRAWAL AGREEMENT BUT I DO NOT HAVE A CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION ISSUED BY THE CITY HALL. WHAT SHALL I DO?

You should request the issuance of a new document. Please send an email to gricrp.cc@sef.pt, attaching your identity documents and proof of your stay in the country before December 31st 2020.

DO I HAVE TO BE SUBJECT TO A PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE EXAM TO OBTAIN THE PERMANENT RESIDENCE DOCUMENT?

As in the EU Law, the right of residence under the withdrawal agreement is not dependent on the knowledge of the Portuguese language.

I AM AN UK NATIONAL AND I ARRIVED IN PORTUGAL BEFORE THE END OF THE TRANSITION PERIOD (31ST DECEMBER 2020). I DO NOT INTEND TO LIVE HERE, BUT SO FAR I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO RETURN TO THE UNITED KINGDOM DUE TO TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS IN FORCE. DO I NEED TO GO TO A SEF’S BUREAU TO EXTEND MY STAY, SINCE I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR MORE THAN 90 DAYS?

If you arrived in Portugal before 31st December 2020, and you are not resident or don’t intent to become resident, and you are still in Portugal due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, you do not need a visa or further authorisation to stay in Portugal longer than 90 days, once you were exercising your right to free movement under European Union law when you arrived here before the end of the transition period. It should be considered as a regular stay under the Withdrawal Agreement. You should consider flying back as soon as the restrictive measures are lifted.

I AM A NATIONAL OF THE UNITED KINGDOM MARRIED TO A PORTUGUESE NATIONAL BOTH LIVING IN PORTUGAL. DO I HAVE TO REPLACE THE RESIDENCE DOCUMENT?

British citizens living in Portugal who are also family members of EU citizens benefit both from the statuses. You may apply for the new residence document as a beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement, or for the residence document of a family member of a EU citizen. The Withdrawal Agreement ensures you the right of residence in Portugal only, however as a familiy member of a EU citizen you have the right of free movement and residence in all EU.

WHEN WILL APPOINTMENTS BECOME AVAILABLE?

All Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries have already been notified to make their appointments. If you have not yet been able to make an appointment, you should wait for further notification.

I HAVE RECEIVED AN EMAIL NOTIFICATION FROM SEF TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT TO PROVIDE MY BIOMETRIC DETAILS.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE NO APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE AT MY LOCAL CENTRE.
DO I HAVE TO TRAVEL TO A CENTRE THAT IS AWAY FROM MY LOCAL RESIDENCE?

If you could not book an appointment within your area of residence because there is no vacancy, you can book appointments at the other locations available on the Portal. If you do not wish to book outside your area of residence, you must wait for further notification in order to book.

WHAT SHOULD I BRING WITH ME TO MY APPOINTMENT?

You will need to bring your British Passport and, if you are a holder, your NISS, NUS and NIF with you to your appointment.

HOW MUCH WILL THE CARD COST?

The fees charged for the administrative procedures relating to the residence card to be issued to British citizens, beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement, are regulated by Portaria. 1/2022, 04th January.

HOW DO I PAY?

The payment is made through Documento Único de Cobrança, which payment tutorial is available on the BREXIT Portal.

HOW WILL I RECEIVE MY CARD?

The residence permit will be delivered to the address registered in the Portal. Therefore, it is important that you insert correctly the data concerning your address.

I HAVE RECEIVED MY RESIDENCE CARD BUT SOME OF THE DETAILS ARE INCORRECT OR HAVE SINCE CHANGED (E.G. NAME, ADRESS, VALIDITY PERIOD). HOW CAN I REQUEST A NEW CARD WITH THE CORRECT DETAILS?

If you have received a residence card with incorrect details, you should go to the nearest SEF delegation in order to have your situation analysed.

I HAVE BEEN INVITED TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT, BUT I HAVE A DISABILITY AND MIGHT NEED ADJUSTMENTS TO BE MADE SO I CAN ATTEND THE CENTER. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

If you have a physical disability that prevents you from attending the service, you should report your medical situation, attaching the documents proving your mobility impairment to the email address: brexit@sef.pt
Upon validation, a team will go to the address stated in your file in order to attend to you.

I AM A BRITISH CITIZEN BENEFICIARY OF THE WITHDRAWAL AGREEMENT AND MY FAMILY MEMBERS ALREADY HAD THE RESIDENCE CARD OF THE UNION CITIZEN'S FAMILY MEMBER, HOW DO I PROCEED FOR THE ISSUANCE OF THE RESIDENCE CARD OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS?

If your family members are holders of a residence card of a family member of a Union citizen of a third State under Articles 15 and 17 of Law 37/2006 of 9 August, please proceed to identify them on the Brexit Portal.
To do so, you must authenticate yourself in the Brexit Portal using the credentials used for registration and scheduling.
You should then select the option ” Agregado familiar – Países terceiros “. You are required to fill in the residence card number for each member of the household to be regularised.
Finally, the user must define the degree of kinship and confirm the registration.
Watch the ‘step by step’ video here 

I AM A BRITISH CITIZEN AND BENEFICIARY OF THE WITHDRAWAL AGREEMENT BUT MY FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE NEVER BEEN REGISTERED AND THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY RESIDENCE DOCUMENTATION. HOW CAN THEY GET A RESIDENCE CARD AS A BENEFICIARY OF THE WITHDRAWAL AGREEMENT?

Only your close family members can get a residence card as a beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement. Read the European Commission’s guidance on which of your family members have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.
The process to register eligible family members who do not hold any residence document can be consulted here and the relevant documents must be sent to brexit@sef.pt

I AM A BRITISH CITIZEN BENEFICIARY OF THE WITHDRAWAL AGREEMENT AND, AFTER 01/01/2021, I MARRIED A NATIONAL CITIZEN OF A THIRD STATE. HOW DO I PROCEED TO ISSUE THE RESIDENCE TITLE TO MY SPOUSE?

Your spouse is entitled to a residence permit under family reunification, cf. provided for in article 98 of Law 23/2007 of July 4th. You must contact our Contact Center and make an appointment to submit the request.