Expat Women Living in Portugal

The Portuguese Immigration law has just been re-written. A brief summary of the new rules on immigration follows:

Circulation and Residency of EU Citizens
Law nº 37-2006 of 9 August

SUMMARY
This new law regulates the free circulation and residency of EU citizens and their family members in Portugal and implements EU Directive nº 2004/58/EC.

1. Visits: up to 3 months

1.1 Period: up to 3 months
1.2 Documents: Identity Card or Passport


2. Residency

INITIAL - more than 3 months
Registration: after 3 months, registration within 30 days
Card issued: in the act
Validity: 5 years
Department: Registration with local Câmara
Documents: Identity Card or Passport
Justification: based on self-declaration (no supporting documentation required)

• Employment or Self-Employment
• Declaration of Means and Health Insurance
• Education
• Family

PERMANENT - more than 5 years
Registration: after 5 years, registration within 30 days
Card issued: Certificate issued immediately; Card within 15 days.
Validity: Permanent
Department: Serviços de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (SEF)
Documents: Identity Card or Passport and "Cartão de Residência"


3. Current Residências - Documents remain valid, but may be substituted on request.


4. Loss of Residency

• Absent from Portugal for 2 consecutive years

• Abuse of rights, fraud or marriage of convenience

People from outside of the EU who wish to move to Portugal, either for a short period or permanently, should contact the Portuguese Embassy in their country to ascertain the requirements in force.


Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Visa Office
http://www.sef.pt

Telephone lines are provided by Portugal Telecom (PT), who also provide telephone calls and ADSL with various tariffs according to needs. Deregulation has meant that competing Service Providers can now offer reduced call packages for local, national and International calls, which often result in great savings to customers. AFPOP has negotiated benefits for its members in this area to make the cost of both National and International telephone calls even cheaper for its members.

There are annual taxes for television and radio, although these are small and included in the Electricity Utilities bill each month. There is no requirement to hold a TV license. Cable television services are available.

Deregulation has now also made it possible for companies, other than PT, to offer competing ADSL packages, thereby driving these prices down also.

Name of postal service - Correio Is the system reliable - Usually - including international postage How long does it take to receive a letter? Nationally two to three days Are there overnight services available? Yes - both by courier and through the postal service Most mail is delivered to post boxes - called 'Apartado' - which are rented annually (and cheaply) from the post office (Correio) and which you visit to retrieve your mail. There are also post boxes (Caixa Postal) in groups at the end of streets, but these are less common and of course some mail is delivered to houses. The system generally depends on the area and you should check when you move in to see how mail is delivered in your locality.

Electricity is provided by EDP and is quite expensive in comparison to other countries. Deregulation in 2006 has opened the door to competition and a price war is eagerly anticipated when licenses are issued to other companies. Two Spanish companies have requested licenses so far. Water is supplied through the mains from the local council, but many areas still do not have access to mains water and rely on cisterns and bore holes. Water delivery is available from local companies and is not expensive, although water is a vital commodity in Portugal, especially in the Algarve and Alentejo regions, where water for fire fighting and the requirements of the tourism industry place heavy burdens on domestic supplies. Gas is sold in bottles from various companies, although larger houses and developments have large containers which are monitored and maintained by the authorities.

The currency used in Portugal is the Euro.
• Notes (euros): 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500
• Coins (euros): 1 and 2
• Coins (cents): 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50

The best way to exchange money is at a foreign exchange office. It is important to carry some cash with you as some places do not accept credit cards. Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) are widely available and the 'Multibanco' system is considered to be amongst the best in the world. It means that there is no need to bring travelers' cheques or large amounts of cash to Portugal, as cash can be withdrawn from EU banks at these machines.

The most common card in Portugal is the Multibanco card, which is a card linked to your Portuguese current account. This card is accepted at department stores, supermarkets, gas stations and restaurants.

In order to open a bank account you will need your passport or Residence card, Portuguese Fiscal number and a work contract if applicable. You do not need a permanent address in order to open an account. All banks have a minimum balance to open an account, but these vary widely from 50 euros to thousands of euros.

Pre-authorized debit is an efficient way of paying gas, water and electricity bills. By this method, your bills are automatically deducted from your bank account. The various utility companies can help you with the arrangements.

No vaccinations are required to enter the country. It is safe to drink the water, although most people drink bottled water and use tap water for cooking.

The Portuguese Health care system is good, with costs for treatments being relatively low. Small charges are made for visits to the Doctor in the Centro de Saúde (Medical Centre). Emergency's in many hospitals are seen first by a 'Traige' nurse, who will determine the seriousness of the patient and award a colour code accordingly. Patients are seen according to this colour coding.

When moving to Portugal it is advisable to visit and register at the local Centro de Saúde and obtain a Cartão do Utente (user's card), which should then be produced when attending for treatment.

There will still be some minor charges, which should be paid at the time of treatment, but these are charges which the Portuguese people also pay. A visit to the Centro de Saúde for example will cost around €2.50

Pharmacies are recognized by a green neon cross above the entrance.

There are International Schools where English is the main language for learning (from pre-school to University level). Fees for International Schools can be quite costly and are paid on a term by term basis. Portuguese state schools also welcome foreign students, but lessons are taught in Portuguese only.

In Portugal you drive on the right hand side of the road. The legal driving age is 18. If you have an EU driver's license, you can exchange it for a Portuguese one, but this is no longer a requirement. Foreigners who come to Portugal to live must register their driver details with the authorities of Instituto Mobilidade Transportes Terrestres (IMTT). Portugal now has a good motorway system. The main Trans-Portugal motorway is tolled, as are some roads around major cities. Expats can get car insurance easily.

Portuguese public transport is, for the most part, reliable and cheap. Regular busses make circuits of many areas, with busses to and from the Algarve to the north both inexpensive and regular. Portuguese trains, both locally and nationally, are regular and inexpensive. The line between the Algarve and the north is electrified, making train journeys quick and comfortable and easily the most affordable way for an individual to travel Inter-City. Trains have First and Second Class (Conforto and Touristico respectively), with First Class having sockets for computers and other electrical equipment on the Inter-City service. Local train services are cheap and frequent but slow. The subway system in the capital, Lisbon, is excellent, with regular service and low prices. It is a very good way to get around a busy city. Taxis are available and easily identifiable and generally reasonably priced.

Dress in Portugal differs by region. The Algarve is very informal, whilst in Lisbon and further north dress is more along the lines experienced in most European countries.

Household Help is readily available and most work will be undertaken upon agreement. Many people do have maids to assist with some part of the household management and gardening services are also readily available in most areas. Generally it is not expensive although obviously if more tasks are included the cost will rise.

It is generally very hot in the summer, with temperatures ranging on average from 34º-38º Celsius, although it is not uncommon for temperatures to reach the low 40's. There is relatively low humidity, which makes the temperatures more bearable, but evening temperatures remain quite high. The winter is generally mild, although evenings can be quite cold, and there are two 'rainy' seasons, one at each end of the year, which normally last for three or four weeks.