Customs: Taxes& Fees?

Hi La James
It's my intention to retire in Portugal as well.
I have bought property in Vila do Conde north of Porto.
I am seeing a lawyer in Porto at the beginning of May
and will ask the questions you have raised and will report back online
I see from your post you obtained the retiree visa already?
As I'm at the beginning of this process is there any thing I should look out for?
I am particularly concerned about staying in Portugal for possibly four months waiting for the appointment?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

WimKay

Hi Wim.  I actually did find out.  From the Consulte's office in SF -- they handle all the Western Region of the US --- they will supply a Certificate of Luggage. These two links give you all that you need to avoid any importation tax. 

https://www.portaldascomunidades.mne.pt … de-bagagemhttp://www.portugalinsf.com/luggage-certificate/

The Certificate allows for 2 moves within a 12 month period with no taxes.

I applied for a Resident Visa as a retired person living off my own income and I picked the Visa up last week.  I am currently in Lisbon now trying to determine what I want/need in my new place.  I head back to US in early May and will then have been granted the certificate.

I am not sure I understand what you are asking when you said:
As I'm at the beginning of this process is there any thing I should look out for?
I am particularly concerned about staying in Portugal for possibly four months waiting for the appointment. 

There is an initial appt that must be made via the Consulate office.  Prior to that appt, you should be starting to gather ALL the things that need to be assembled.  Once the package is turned in --- then you wait to see if you are approved. (is this the 4 months you speak about?  They told me 12-16 weeks on March 01 -- and I had mine by the end of the month). Once you get that you can come to Portugal and stay. BUT you need to schedule an appointment with Portuguese Immigration and Borders Service's (SEF).  Once they approve -- you are good-to-go.

LAJames:
could you please share your experience with collecting necessary docs for the Portuguese consulate:
-have you purchased the health insurance before that? what company? global or Portuguese?
-have you got the reference of somebody from Portugal? original or scanned?
Thanks.

Hi again.  Sorry for the delay.  I am not on here much.  You have to get the following, (in this order to simplify -- as each one is needed for the next "get").
NIF card.  You will need someone with a Portugal Passport and local mailing address to let you use that for the NIF tax documents that need to be mailed to you at year's end.   That's all they have to do.  Go with you to a NIF office and acknowledge they citizenship and use of theirbddress for this one document.  Then you need to get a Bank Account here in Portugal.  Don't even bother trying to go to a million banks... Just go into any Activo Bank and open your account in minutes totally hassle free.  Then you will need to find a lease for an apartment.  That lease will need to be registered with the Department of Finances who takes care of taxes due on the rental income.  You will need a Portuguese citizen to write you a letter of Recommendation. And you will need proof of your own personal health insurance (I picked a company called Patriot Insurance. My policy covers at least 35,000, has 0 deductible and has repartition benefits. (ie: if you die over here...your insurance will pay for you to be flown out of here and to where you would have been buried if you never came here.   (ALL of this needs to be done before you hand in your application). It is much less frightenning  then it sounds