Questions About Moving to Lisbon from USA

jlportugal77

17 February 2021 02:13:39

Hello, everyone!

I'm in a rather unique situation. I am a Portuguese citizen myself (my family is Portuguese) though I live in the USA. I am hoping to move to Lisbon with my girlfriend in June or July. We plan to live there together for at least one year. My girlfriend is a US citizen only. She hopes to be able to work remotely for her current US employer while abroad but won't be sure if this is possible until May or so. If she is not able to work remotely, she will likely pursue independent work (she is an architectural designer and could work as a contractor). In the worst case scenario where she can't find any work at all, my income is sufficient to cover us both during our time in Portugal

My questions are:

- What should the visa process look like? Do we wait until she knows for certain what her employment status will be (so, May) then apply for the visa at the Portuguese consulate here in the U.S., then move in June or July? Are there any issues with this timeline?
- If she can't find employment, should we expect there to be any problems with her visa approval process? My income can cover the both of us without issue, but we are not married, so I'm not sure if the government will require proof of her income.
- How might covid affect our plans?
- Is there anything else I should know about with this process?

Thank you in advance!

JohnnyPT

17 February 2021 18:32:16

3835

Portugal

Hi JL, Welcome

The timeline you have mentioned will depend on the evolution of the pandemic... Until May/June everything is very uncertain. Only when group immunity is achieved through vaccination will things be more conclusive...

You can search here what you are looking for and know more about required documents and conditions to apply for each type of visa to your girlfriend.

Visa Requests: Apply for Residence/Renewals and e-Visa Online Platform

A. All Residence Permits available to non-EU citizens:

APPLYING FOR RESIDENCE IN PORTUGAL
https://imigrante.sef.pt/en/solicitar/

RENEWING RESIDENCE IN PORTUGAL
https://imigrante.sef.pt/en/renovar-residencia/

B. Visa Requests: Apply for Residence/Renewals and e-Visa Online Platform

This visa application can be made online without third parties involved. Due to the entry restrictions still in force, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, this system currently only processes national visa applications. But you can register, see the options available, ...

The e-VISA is the platform of the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs aimed at simplifying visa application procedures.

Visa applicants receive a personal access code that allows them to follow up the process online, broken down into four stages:
1. "registered application" / "pedido registado"
2. "application under examination" / "pedido em análise"
3. "application granted or refused" / "pedido deferido ou indeferido"
4. "visa issued" / "visto emitido"

This e-Visa Portal is available in the following languages: Portuguese, English, French, Ukrainian and Russian.

https://pedidodevistos.mne.pt/VistosOnline/

Due to the pandemic, there are limitations on visa applications on this platform from March 2020...

Best regards

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