5 tips to avoid errors in the documentation to enter Portugal

Making a mistake with your visa or documentation can put an end to your dream of going to Portugal

Data from June this year shows that 30% of foreigners residing in Portugal are Brazilians: 239,744 people with residence visas, considering until the end of 2022, according to the report on immigration, borders and asylum of the Foreign and Border Service ( SEF). But this number is already much higher. In addition to the country offering different types of visas, other benefits have emerged.

Clube do Passaporte, an international consultancy company specializing in obtaining European citizenship and providing advice on visas for Portugal, explains that the country has two blocks of visas: residence visas (D visas), lasting more than a year, and temporary residence visas (E visas), which are valid for up to 12 months.

The modalities vary and respond to different study and work needs, for example with options for two months, four-monthly exchanges, doctorates lasting more than a year, among others.

They are divided into numbers: D1 (for work), D2 (for entrepreneurs), D3 (for highly qualified professionals), D4 (for long-term studies), D5 (for those already studying in Europe), D6 ( for family reunification) and D7 (for pensioners or with passive income). The E types follow the same logic, but for shorter stays.

“One of the main differences is that the residence visa allows you to obtain a residence permit and, after five years of legal residence in the country, you can apply for citizenship. And more recently, a visa was created that is considered residency, but its duration is shorter, for looking for work. It is almost a new modality, lasting four months and renewable for another two months. Once a job has been found, the holder of this visa can apply for a residence permit. Another visa recently created by the Portuguese government that falls into this new category is that of digital nomads,” explains Gabriel Ezra, lawyer and founding member of the Clube do Passaporte.

Understand the context

According to the lawyer, the best way to correctly choose a visa is to understand exactly the context in which the person is located, what he does today in Brazil, what he imagines in Portugal, among many other points. This analysis can be automated or based on an interview to understand the best option for the customer.

“It is essential to have the support of a consultant from the beginning, because people make many mistakes when choosing a visa. And many choose to leave irregularly: they enter as tourists, because they do not need a visa to do so, but with the intention of working and settling in Portugal. However, there is the possibility of a visa to look for work, and entering as a tourist and then making the so-called expression of interest can have a series of barriers and prevent different actions compared to those who enter Portugal with a legal title”, comments Ezra.

Growing benefits, but with caveats

Portugal also has a number of advantages for member countries of the Community of Portuguese Language Member States (CPLP). These benefits have intensified especially this year, with improved relations between the governments of Brazil and Portugal. The bloc also includes Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe and East Timor.

“These benefits are often confused with a job-seeking visa, but it is not a real visa. Citizens born in CPLP countries have mutual benefits. Most visa applications require proof that you can support yourself and have accommodation in Portugal for the requested period. In our reality, citizens of member countries do not need to present these documents if they have a letter of invitation from a person who legally resides in Portugal. A Brazilian who legally resides in Portugal, for example, can sign up by declaring that he will stay at his house,” she comments.

The title, commonly called CPLP residence permit, is an automatic residence permit (without the need for an interview with the Foreigners and Borders Service), used extensively by people residing in Portugal waiting for an appointment after having demonstrated their interest.

Technically, the expression of interest was created for people who traveled to Portugal without the intention of establishing legal residence there, but who ended up showing interest in staying. However, it has been used recurrently for several years, and especially by Brazilians, as a resource for entering and obtaining work in Portugal, when entering as a tourist.

Today, waiting times for an appointment with the Foreigners and Borders Service for a residence permit resulting from an expression of interest can reach up to four years, leaving the person in legal limbo.

“And this CPLP residence permit, which was created to give these people a legal residence permit, has been the subject of a lot of criticism, because it is not equivalent to the normal residence permit already mentioned, as it does not give the person the right starting from Portugal and traveling around Europe, for example,” adds Ezra.

How to avoid and correct mistakes

With so many options, errors may occur, either before or during the process. Corrections depend on the case. If the choice of visa was wrong – for example a student visa when you intend to work – your application will be rejected and the loss will be financial and temporal. But if it is granted, the person can try to correct it on the residence permit.

In another hypothesis, if a person took out a study visa to do a doctorate, then obtained a residence permit and found work, he or she will be able to ask to update according to his/her reality, and without losing the period of residence prior to the purposes of nationality counting.

Despite allowing corrections, Ezra explains that the most common errors occur early in the process, with incorrect, unsubmitted, missing, excessive, unnecessary, or late documentation, among others.

“There are people who have spent two years with their passport waiting, unable to leave Brazil. There are many customers who turn to us in this type of situation. When starting a process from the beginning, a lot of documentary due diligence is done so that everything is positioned correctly, and also to help in case of clarifications or documents requested by the Consulate, which ends up being quite common,” he says.

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Source: Terra

Ben

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.