Currently, the fact that Portugal is one of the main destinations sought to establish residence has become increasingly a certainty. In this sense, if you are a foreign citizen of the European Union, intend to be in national territory for more than three months, and wish to reside in Portugal, you must, within thirty days after these three months, obtain your Registration Certificate for EU Citizen, commonly known as CRUE.
There are a number of aspects to be considered, first of all, that only foreigners from countries of the European Union, the European Economic Area and also Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are covered by the possibility of applying for this certificate. After this prior consideration, it is important to assess which Municipality or “Loja do Cidadão” is competent to issue the certificate. At this point, the applicant’s residence must be taken into account in the appointment scheduling.
At the time of applying for the registration certificate, you should be able to prove that you have the means of subsistence to reside in Portugal for a period of one year. The European Union citizen registration process has an associated cost of €15.00, to be paid on the day of its issuance by the competent City Council. After its issuance, it will be valid for a period of five years. Therefore, if you intend to renew it, the applicant must appear, by prior appointment before the Immigration and Border Service (SEF), and apply for a permanent residence permit, which will be valid for a period of ten years.
An extremely important point is the possibility of travelling within the European Union only with the certificate, without the need to present a Citizen Card or Passport.
In conclusion, if you meet and fall within the aforementioned requirements, this will be the fastest process to establish your legal residence in Portugal for more than three months.
