With the Conservative election victory in late 2019, the UK government obtained the parliamentary majority required to approve the UK's exit deal from the European Union. Officially the UK will leave the EU on 31st January 2020, although there will be a transition period from this date until the end of 2020. During this period, EU rules effectively still apply, both to EU citizens in the UK, and to UK citizens in EU countries.
There are thought to be a significant number of British citizens resident in Portugal who have never registered with the authorities as required for EU citizens under Portuguese law. While many have slipped under the radar because they are not stamped in or out of the country, this will likely change after the end of the transition period. UK citizens would be issued 90 day stamps, and would not be able to spend more than 90 days in any 180 day period in the country.
This transition period until the end of 2020 also provides the last window for UK citizens to immigrate to Portugal under EU freedom of movement terms. These give EU citizens a legal right to enter Portugal and become resident without the paperwork and prior approval that non-EU citizens such as Americans and Canadians need, which can take several months.
The transition period is supposed to allow the UK and EU to negotiate the longer term relationship post Brexit. But since the UK government has insisted it will leave the single market and will not accept EU immigrants on the present terms, it seems almost certain that the present easy route for UK immigrants to move to Portugal for work or retirement will end.
Therefore if you are a UK citizen contemplating a move to Portugal, now is the time to act.
I can help British citizens get their documentation in order to prepare for Brexit.
I can take you through the process to obtain a NIF, bank account and residency certificate, in person.
Permanent Residence
For UK citizens who are already legally resident and have the required residency certificate, permanent residence is gained after the initial 5 year residency expires. Obtaining a permanent residence card makes it easy to prove this status in future beyond Brexit, and indications are that it will exempt the holder from any other special registration process for UK nationals in Portugal. Unlike the initial residence process, this is done through SEF (the Portuguese immigration department) and requires an appointment at a SEF office for the forms and evidence to be presented and for biometric information including fingerprints and facial scans to be taken. I can help make you an appointment and attend with you to walk you through the process. As a lawyer, I can also avoid the worst of the queues too.
Please contact me for further information.