- A little about the country
- Where to begin?
- Legal ways to move to Portugal for permanent residence
- All works are good
- Business people
- You will be declared husband and wife
- Think for yourself, decide for yourself
The westernmost country in the Old World, Portugal is located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Its subtropical Mediterranean climate and rich opportunities for active beach holidays are not the only reasons why many travelers buy tours to Portugal every year. The homeland of aromatic wines and excellent cuisine increasingly attracts those wishing to move permanently to the warm sea and hot sun. If you are looking for a way to move to Portugal, get ready that the process will take several years.
A little about the country
Portugal is distinguished by rather low, compared to other countries of the Eurozone, real estate prices, and the migration policy in this state is much more loyal to foreigners than in the rest of the European Union. On average, an immigrant can apply for Portuguese citizenship after six years of permanent residence in the country.
Where to begin?
The mechanism for obtaining a residence permit in Portugal involves three stages:
- You can get into the country with a regular Schengen visa. The visa is issued according to the standard version, and its holder can stay in Portugal for up to 90 days. But the process of obtaining a residence permit requires a resident visa in the applicant's passport. Its varieties are work, business, student or family reunification visa.
- A temporary residence permit should be obtained if you plan to reside in the country from 3 to 12 months. The Office for Work with Foreigners (SEF) is responsible for issuing the documents. Visa cards that allow temporary residence serve as an immigrant's identity card in the state.
- After a year of permanent residence in Portugal, a foreigner can apply for a temporary residence permit (residence permit).
A residence permit gives you the right to permanently reside in the country for 1 year, after which the permit will have to be extended for another two years. The prerequisites for renewal are the absence of a criminal record, proof of residence and proof of material solvency.
An immigrant can obtain permanent resident status after five years of holding a temporary residence permit. To the above conditions, in this case, the successful passing of the exam in the knowledge of the state language of Portugal is added.
Legal ways to move to Portugal for permanent residence
The basis for permanent residence in Portugal can be:
- Starting your own business. The country offers loyal conditions for opening a private company or production, tax incentives and a simplified registration form.
- Employment. Concluding a work contract with a Portuguese company allows a foreigner to obtain an appropriate visa to enter the country, and then a residence permit.
- Conclusion of marriage with a citizen or citizen of Portugal. This method of obtaining a residence permit requires only the truth of the applicant's intentions. If the authorities suspect that the marriage is fictitious, the foreigner is deprived not only of a residence permit, but also of the opportunity to visit the country in the next few years.
All works are good
The enterprise for which a foreigner is sent to work must be officially registered. The employer registers the contract with the Labor Office and draws up an invitation for a foreigner on the basis of this document. In addition, the department will need medical and social insurance issued for the employee. A work visa is issued for a period of one year and if its holder confirms his professional qualities during this time, the employer applies for an extension of the permit to stay in the country for another five years.
The average salary in Portugal is 1100-1300 euros, and the most demanded professions in the skilled labor market were and remain translators, doctors, engineers, construction workers with experience and specialization. Seasonal workers are required on farms, vineyards and fishing businesses. Middle-aged women have a high chance of getting a job in Portugal. They are readily accepted as nannies and maids in families, as well as cook assistants in restaurants.
Business people
The priority direction for moving to Portugal is the development of your own business. The immigration policy for business people is particularly loyal, and to register your own company you need a registered capital of 5 thousand euros. Buying a ready-made business is also popular with Russian citizens.
Compatriots and people from post-Soviet countries are increasingly becoming participants in the Golden Residence Permit program, which has been operating since 2012. To obtain a "golden visa" and a residence permit in Portugal, entrepreneurs must open a company where 30 or more people will be employed or buy real estate, the value of which exceeds half a million euros. Another way to take part in the program is to open a deposit in a bank in Portugal in the amount of over 1 million euros.
The "Golden Visa" gives the immigrant great advantages over others. For example, he must stay in the country for at least one week a year, and not 180 days, like the rest. Together with a businessman, his children and wife or husband can apply for a residence permit in Portugal. During the implementation of the program, its participants have the right to change the direction of their activities. A prerequisite is the purchase of real estate with personal funds. Time of purchase - no earlier than October 2012.
You will be declared husband and wife
Like other European countries, Portugal allows you to obtain a residence permit by the right of family reunification. The most popular way in this sense is to marry a local resident. True, the newlyweds will have to prove the sincerity of their intentions, but the foreign spouse will receive the cherished Portuguese passport much earlier than a person who immigrated to the country on a work visa, for example, a visa.
A residence permit in case of marriage is issued after a year of residence in Portugal and compliance with all laws, and permanent resident status is available after another three years.
Think for yourself, decide for yourself
The purchase of real estate in Portugal, if its value does not exceed half a million euros, does not guarantee the acceleration of the procedure for obtaining citizenship, although it can serve as an argument in favor of a foreigner when considering his application. A house, apartment and other real estate cannot be sold earlier than five years from the date of purchase, but can be rented out.
Portuguese citizenship is automatically granted to the children of those who live in the country on the basis of a residence permit. Like other countries of the European Union, the westernmost state of the Old World does not allow dual citizenship and an immigrant will have to refuse a passport of a Russian citizen.
