1 of 1 Major Portuguese cities like Lisbon (photo) and Porto attract the most immigrants, including many Brazilians (descriptive image) — Photo: AP Armando Franca Major Portuguese cities, like Lisbon (photo) and Porto , are the ones that attract immigrants the most , including many Brazilians (descriptive image) — Photo: AP Armando Franca
The new model of residence permit in Portugal for immigrants from CPLP countries (Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries) came into force on Wednesday (1st) and will be the procedure for many Brazilians already living in the country and for those who apply for residence want to change .
The new law grants migrants from CPLP states a oneyear residency permit without having to go through the expression of interest process, which currently takes up to two years. With “automatic” residency, migrants can legally work, enroll in courses, or rent property.
The device’s facilitation must serve the thousands of migrants awaiting the outcome of their migration processes. According to the Lusa agency, around 150,000 migrants are in this situation, most of them Brazilians.
€15 cost and peace of mind for a year
The new residence permit can be applied for by anyone originating from CPLP countries who has legally entered Portuguese territory, according to lawyer Anna Luiza Pereira, who specializes in the matter.
The CPLP countries are Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, GuineaBissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe and East Timor.
The rule, “as circulated, will apply to citizens who are in the process of expression of interest pending recognition. So those who entered the country in 2021 and 2022 and are waiting for the interview with the responsible authority [SEF]. You will be contacted by email to pay the fee of 15 euros and issue the certificate,” explains the expert. The approval is valid for one year and must be renewed at a later date.
For the lawyer, this new law came to speed up and make life easier for those who are already waiting for approval. “Of those who have been waiting for a return for more than two years to arrange an interview with the SEF,” he gives an example.
“Now we can only wait for the implementation. The big question is how these permits will be renewed. We don’t yet know how it will be in this case,” he recalls.
There is no information about the new visas yet
According to the rule, Brazilians who intend to come to Portugal no longer have to contact the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF). However, the regulation is not yet detailed.
“Everything leads us to believe it will be a faster process for CPLP citizens. So far we do not have any information about a specific platform for new orders in this new modality,” emphasizes Anna Luiza Pereira. What will change in this process is still unknown.
“Currently, for example, when applying for a joint residence visa, the SEF is always consulted in order to give an opinion on whether or not to be admitted. There is speculation that this phase, for example, can be dispensed with.”