The main address for this site is http://expat.silvert.org. All other sites are mirrors and may be out-of-date.

Portuguese Residency

This is a real can of worms, and the legal information is unreliable. The Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (SEF) is supposedly required by law to process applications within 30 days, but it takes months. Since they only give you a 30-day temporary residence permit, you can end up with no legal status for an extended period of time.

This is a huge concern to those who work in Portugal, probably less so to those who come here to retire. However it can still cause problems. For example, several times when I visited N. America I had trouble with the airlines, who would not let me board my return flight to Lisboa unless I could show either a return ticket to N. America or proof of residency in Portugal.

This site is maintained by William Silvert, to whom all questions, comments and complaints should be addressed. You are also welcome to record your visit on the guestmap.