Tag: Portugal

Titulo do Residencia part 3

Well, that 4.5 hours did not go as I hoped! The agent refused my FBI background check as too old. So ridiculous and annoying.

I had to spend hundreds of Euros to get a new report, including three car rentals. First we had to drive to Lagos to have our fingerprints taken (thanks, Identity Abroad) and wait four weeks to get the new apostille report.

Second, another car rental to drive to Portimão to drop off the report at AIMA. I was hoping to get my card by mail but CTT never actually tried to deliver it and, worse, left the notice in the wrong mailbox so we never got it. Meaning of course a third rental and another trip to Portimão, but at least I did get my card. Yay!

Viv’s card was also issued, almost immediately after mine. Again CTT didn’t actually try to deliver it but this time we got the notice and retrieved her card the next day.

It’s been a journey, for sure, but now we’re legal long term residents of Portugal 🇵🇹 who can travel all over the Schengen Zone. We also signed up for the national health service and CMD, started the process to exchange our drivers licenses, and I’m looking into state language classes.

Titulo do residencia

I’m so relieved now. One of the important steps in moving to Portugal is getting temporary residency. This is not the same as a visa and can only come after you enter the country on the previously received visa.

Some people get an appointment to submit their documents with that visa and some don’t. We did but the appointments were for the end of November, so I submitted a request to reschedule. Mine was set for today in Portimão and Viv’s is in two weeks in Faro.

We took the opportunity for a little road trip—my first time driving since before we got here!—and came to Portimão yesterday.

We got to the AIMA “store” a couple of hours early this morning but were given a senha (ticket) and got called to the counter in about 15 minutes.

The Facebook group I’m in gave a lot of details about what documents are needed but what is required seems to vary a bit depending on the office and person you get. For instance, I brought proof of private health insurance and Portuguese and US bank statements but they weren’t wanted.

The person who processed me was very nice and spoke enough English that we got done in about 40 minutes despite having to work through one snag.

Portimão is a nice beach town and our hotel, RR Hotel da Rocha, has a friendly staff and is definitely more upscale than expected—a great value at €105/night including a breakfast buffet.

Now we’re just having a late lunch and a little stroll around the beach area. Heading home tomorrow satisfied with the trip.