Bob
@bobinportugal22
American expat in Portugal
Forum posts
45
About me
American
Lives in Albufeira, Faro
Speaks English
Registration: 14 February 2023
Social Security AIMA requirement by bobinportugal22
Filed an application for social security number, lost the info on their website and wondering how long it takes to get a response. I need to follow up to see f the registered letter was already sent. Thanks in advance for all the well informed ...
@JohnnyPT I went to the social security office today and was told the application was rejected and told I didn't need it for AIMA renewal. So what's the scoop, can I renew my residency without a number or is it all just one agency not ... Read More
Social Security AIMA requirement by bobinportugal22
Filed an application for social security number, lost the info on their website and wondering how long it takes to get a response. I need to follow up to see f the registered letter was already sent. Thanks in advance for all the well informed ...
@JohnnyPT I went to the social security office today and was told the application was rejected and told I didn't need it for AIMA renewal. So what's the scoop, can I renew my residency without a number or is it all just one agency not ... Read More
Social Security AIMA requirement
Filed an application for social security number, lost the info on their website and wondering how long it takes to get a response. I need to follow up to see f the registered letter was already sent. Thanks in advance for all the well informed ... Read More
Just an ovverstay question by Strontium
This hasn't happened to anyone I know, yet,聽 but what are the penalties for a non EU person who overstays their 3 months in Portugal?聽
An exception to potential problems is an active application for residency. No limit to stay with this condition but I'm assuming it must be filed before the 90 day violation. Read More
Seasons in Portugal by MateoT7
I've done a bit of research on the seasons in Portugal but numbers really don't tell the whole story.I'm looking to travel to Portugal during the worst weather for tourism to get a feel for what to really expect in the different regions. Can someone ...
@MateoT7 I picked the furthest South for the best temps and weather and walking distance to beach. Won't say the winters are perfect but far better than anything North of here. If beach is your thing look closely at Google earth and you'll see ... Read More
Spouse application on D7 visa by Wingover
Hi All, I have a few questions; 1. When a spouse will be coming as "Family Reunification" do you need to do anything on the application form before coming to Portugal or the spouse comes as a "tourist" and apply from within ...
I'm finding the links to be rather useless and keep going in circles. Is there a link to a form I need to fill and submit to apply for family reunification? The AIMA website has questions and answers but they're clear as mud. Read More
Scooter Purchase by dudley61
Hi there,I was wondering where I could pick up a new/second hand scooter to buy in the Algarve region, any advice would be gratefully appreciated.Many thanks.
@dudley61 There's also a Honda dealership to the West just before Portimao called Angle Pilot. Read More
Scooter Purchase by dudley61
Hi there,I was wondering where I could pick up a new/second hand scooter to buy in the Algarve region, any advice would be gratefully appreciated.Many thanks.
@dudley61 Look at OLX and Facebook marketplace. There's also I think Suzuki dealership to the East of Albufeira a few miles down the road. Read More
What makes you happy in your expat city ? by Ameerah Arjanee
Hello, I am a content writer for Expat Magazine, and we are planning on writing an article about what makes expats feel happy in the city where they live. We could love to get some testimonials from expats living in Portuguese cities (or Portuguese ...
@Ameerah Arjanee Having stayed in a couple coastal Algarve locations for a few days each, Albufeira simply felt right. Found a nice apartment to purchase at a decent price allowing me 10 minute walks to the beach and 4 grocery stores. What sets ... Read More
US residents first trip to Portugal by dgvilsack
Hello everyone,My wife and I are looking to move to Portugal. This will be our first trip. We plan on staying in Lisbon, Porto and some place (to be determined) in the very south of Portugal. 2~ 3 days each to scope the areas out for neighborhoods, ...
My move to Portugal was a bit unique in that I'd never been to Europe, came to Portugal with a move in mind focusing on the Algarve and bought an apartment in short order. I spent considerable time on Google Earth looking at coastal cities that had ... Read More
I am in a transition phase moving to Lisbon by karenmouarkech
Hi,My name is Karen. I am lebanese and lived the last 17 years in Germany.I have been twice in Lisbon and twice in love in this city.I am in a transition phase moving to Lisbon, looking for an apartment and for a job.I miss the beach and the ...
internatins.org is very active in Lisbon with frequent activities and opportunities to meet people. Read More
Doctors appointment by Erikableu!
Hi there. Did anyone ever need to visit a doctor in portugal/ lisbon ? Does it take a long while to get to see a GP? And can prescriptions just being transferred from one country to another ?
@Erikableu! I use an international clinic in the Algarve who's charges are very affordable and with your US meds as prescribed they send documentation to a pharmacy to fill your scrips again at an affordable price. Read More
News in English by chrisschubert21
HiRegarding Internet New (Papers), I get Publico & Despertador; but even I try to learn Portuguese ASAP, I would like to get this News in English.Could you please advise me about this topic?Thanks!
Portugal Resident is an English language newspaper and emails daily with Portugal wide news. Idealista can be translated to English by Google. Read More
Buying Stuff Online From USA To Be Shipped in Portugal by Ashraf Ali96
Hi All, I would like to purchase some stuff from Amazon USA, to be shipped to Portugal, because I live here, Does anyone know if I will have to pay any customs fees during the shipping? or are there no custom fees for stuff purchased from USA?Thank ...
The best way to shop Amazon in Portugal is to shop online at the Amazon store in Spain. All VAT is included in the price and shipping is free and fairly quick. Portugal has no Amazon store. Importing any products shipped from the US is very ... Read More
American expats - testimonials about the upcoming elections by Ameerah Arjanee
Hi everyone. I鈥檓 a content writer for Expat Magazine, and we are planning on writing an article about what American expats abroad (and non-American expats living in the US) think about the upcoming presidential elections. How do you think the ...
A Chinese gentleman I met on a flight once asked my opinion today of the upcoming election and whether I thought Kamala had leadership qualities. My response was Trump's a selfish idiot and she's an intelligent woman with a successful political ... Read More
American expats - testimonials about the upcoming elections by Ameerah Arjanee
Hi everyone. I鈥檓 a content writer for Expat Magazine, and we are planning on writing an article about what American expats abroad (and non-American expats living in the US) think about the upcoming presidential elections. How do you think the ...
And there lies the difference! In the US, since Trump's public persona became acceptable in a large percentage of the population, it became OK to label anyone that disagreed with you as stupid and evil. Solidifying the opinion of many that violence ... Read More
Buy Nurofen plus in Portugal pharmacies by Erikableu!
Hi. I am new to this forum . I wonder , if you know, if I can buy neurofen plus in portugal pharmacy. I have a chronic pain condition and neurofen plus is the best helping medicine. Is there any compareable medicine in portugal as good as neurofen ...
After a recent surgery I was prescribed Skudexa (cloridrato de tramodol + dexcetoprofeno 75mg + 25mg) which I found to be very effective. I also have long term pain issues and was told by a doctor friend it would not be a good idea to take this long ... Read More
Follow-up residence card application after AIMA? by bloggerblogger
Hey guys,So I attended my AIMA appointment in Lisbon April 2024, submitted all the required documents, did face capture and fingerprinting (biometrics), paid the fees. Now according to hearsay, it takes about 90 days for the residence card to be ...
Successful AIMA appointment in Faro and took over 9 months to receive my card and only after another visit by a legal representative. Multiple emails that never received a response and every phone call was answered by a recorded message directing me ... Read More
Portuguese citizenship/ Residence permits renewal by engsultan93
Dear All, Greetings, I trsut this finds you all well. I have a unique question but just checking if someone has had a similar experience or has the knowledge to advise.I got my D8 visa a few months ago and went to my AIMA appointment and the ...
Mohammed, Kind of unrelated but if you're not paying into social security you need to make smart investment decisions for when you reach retirement age. There will be no government funds to fall back on when you're no longer working or earning. Read More
Request for criminal record enquiry by dvaughanjones
Does anyone understand what this is? I read on one of the group's instructions that VSF consulates outside US are the only ones who ask for this and not the ones in the US. We already have our our FBI criminal record certificate and understand that ...
I believe this will be a search of the PT criminal data base to determine if you've been naughty or nice in Portugal and will be done, if I remember correctly, during your AIMA interview. Read More
Travel while waiting for new residence card by Paglaom
My Portugal residence card expired on 15th March 2024. I did my AIMA renewal appointment on 1st March 2024. They said the new card will take 90 days to arrive. My question is, can I travel to Spain and back to Portugal with my passport and receipt ...
Good luck with 90 days! My appointment was over 5 months ago and no card. Supposed to be better than SEF but... Read More
US Social Security by cpsnyder1
Can anyone definitively say whther these monthly social security payments are taxed by the Portuguese govt if I am already paying US tax on them?聽 ThanksTo be more precise I would be living in Portugal on a D7 visa receiving Social Security ...
I'm not an expert in any way but Portugal and the US have a tax treaty that eliminates double taxation. If you're filing tax returns in the US and all income is US based then it won't be taxable in Portugal. There is an option to become a tax ... Read More
SEF Interview by Jim Garrison
I haven't seen this problem before. My wife and I both just received our passports back and we both have SEF appointments booked in April.The problem is both our appointments are on the same date and time but in two different cities! I'm retired ...
I would recommend Ana Bruno and Associates out of Lisbon as they're familiar with this process and very reliable. They provided me with an attorney for just this purpose. Read More
Sending and receiving packages in Portugal by Priscilla
Hello, As an expat, there are inevitably certain items you might want or need from back home, and around the holiday period, many people like to send gift packages. How easy is it to send and receive packages in Portugal? Is the public ...
I've received several orders from Amazon.es and they arrive promptly with no complications. No idea why some are having a problem other than an address that is not correct. Had a hard time getting the address information for my apartment from the ... Read More
Taxes and social security by Maribor
Good morning everyone, I am a Portuguese and American citizen. I have been living in Portugal for the lasr 30 yrs and working for the last 23 yrs. I might have a job opportunity for an Americqn Company but online. Does anyone know how I have to ...
I am no expert but recently switched tax residency to Portugal and believe you'll have to declare your US income and pay taxes on it in PT. Don't believe you can maintain tax residency in two countries but suggest you need a tax pro to deal with ... Read More
Health insurance requirement at SEF by bloggerblogger
Hey guys,So I moved to Porto in December 2023 from Africa and my SEF appointment is scheduled for April 2024 according to my D visa. I am a digital nomad or freelancer working remotely you can say. Before my Visa interview back home, I had presented ...
@bloggerblogger I may be wrong but my research showed that Medicare would only cover you in a foreign country for emergency treatment and would not be sufficient to meet visa requirements as repatriation is one of the conditions. Read More
Health insurance requirement at SEF by bloggerblogger
Hey guys,So I moved to Porto in December 2023 from Africa and my SEF appointment is scheduled for April 2024 according to my D visa. I am a digital nomad or freelancer working remotely you can say. Before my Visa interview back home, I had presented ...
@Nia Queiroz It was accepted at my SEF appointment in Portugal as required insurance to establish residency though the D7 visa. Read More
Health insurance requirement at SEF by bloggerblogger
Hey guys,So I moved to Porto in December 2023 from Africa and my SEF appointment is scheduled for April 2024 according to my D visa. I am a digital nomad or freelancer working remotely you can say. Before my Visa interview back home, I had presented ...
AXA-Schengen insurance is what I used and was accepted. It includes repatriation which is one of the requirements and possibly normal travel insurance may not include. Very inexpensive! Read More
1 Year Purchase or Lease by vincefandel
I'm trying to understand the logic in requiring an expat to obtain a one year purchase or lease that they cannot live in for one year. Not only does this seem to have no real logic in this requirement it also makes the party pursuing living in ...
@JohnnyPT I'm not sure that's completely true! I believe one is required to obtain a Schengen short term visa now. Where in the past with a US passport no visa was required. Read More
RENTING SITES by phil666
Hi All,Looking in the future at renting 3 months-6months 2024 Autumn/winter .Are the any sites to look at that anyone can recommend. Not the booking.com etc type of sites.Cheers
There is also long term lettings in Portugal Read More
Criminal record by Szefritz
Hi , my name is Sze from HK.I am new to this forum. I am going to apply resident visa to live in Portugal. One of the requirement is that I have to provide criminal record from my origin living place which is HK. I know I need to have this document ...
My background check was done by the FBI in the US in English and my understanding was that it could be hand delivered at your interview and accepted as long as it was in a sealed envelope from the FBI or whatever agency you would use. If the ... Read More
Portugal visit by Lynda Entzion
Good day. I am planning a 3 month visit to Portugal in the fall of 2024. I am in the process of finding a place to rent during my stay. Does anyone have any suggestions on what they have experienced or recommendations? Also do I need to get a Visa ...
There is a new requirement to apply for a visa to travel to the EU. One used to be able to simply travel on a US passport but no longer. Read More
Does Portugal tax retirement income by vincefandel
Dan anyone offer a simple answer to how or if Portugal taxes US social security income or any other retirement income?
Mine is deposited in a US bank and I choose to transfer funds or not. Read More
Extend "Schengen" Visa Stay by RICK_E
My wife and I are in Portugal from the UK. Just visiting on the standard visa waiver scheme. Our 90 days are up in early January, and we'd like to stay another three months. Is it possible to extend our stay? We have place to stay, plenty of ...
@RICK_E I paid the law firm a flat 1500eu fee and they handled all the paperwork and even provided me with an attorney once I finally got an appointment with SEF after returning to Portugal. I was in PT for 8 months before having to return to ... Read More
Extend "Schengen" Visa Stay by RICK_E
My wife and I are in Portugal from the UK. Just visiting on the standard visa waiver scheme. Our 90 days are up in early January, and we'd like to stay another three months. Is it possible to extend our stay? We have place to stay, plenty of ...
I was in that boat after using an attorney in Lisbon to acquire bank account, fiscal number etc and was informed I could extend my stay as long as I had an application submitted. Read More
Retiring to Portugal by cousins75
We got a lot of very good information from the Embassy.but a couple of things not sure of 鈥︹��..Do the Portugal embassy have an office in London ?they were suggesting Manchester, we live in Devon .also they want proof of an address how ...
AXA.Schengen.com offers travel insurance for 6 month periods at a reasonable price that includes repatriation and meets D7 requirements Read More
Weather in Portugal by tony359
Hi all,I live in the UK and I am considering moving to a warmer and sunnier country, hence I have been considering Portugal. Some friends suggested Coimbra, just North of Lisbon. I've been keeping an eye on a webcam I found online to see how the ...
I'm unfamiliar with the weather in England with the only exposure to movies and TV where it seems to rain a lot. I'm living in Albufeira and, yes, we will see a season of rain that started about a week ago but the ocean was 71 degrees 2 days ago and ... Read More
Visa D7 App Help by poogies201057
Hi, my wife and myself came to Portugal from UK to finalise the house sale here on 14/09/2023, with the intention of staying in Portugal. We are trying to apply for a D7 Visa, we have everything required for the application however the issue we have ...
My situation was similar and bought an apartment in Portugal but had to return to the States. I was stuck there for 4 months while awaiting my visa stamped passport to be returned to me. Using an attorney in Lisbon it was made quite clear there was ... Read More
Portuguese D7 Visa Medical Insurance - With Type 1 Diabetes by mcblowe
Hi All,Great to be on here.I want to apply for a Portuguesa D7 visa. However, will I be able to get one with type 1 diabetes, as the medical insurance will not cover that as it's a pre-existing medical condition. It will cover me for everything ...
Affordable insurance that meets the SEF requirements including repatriation is available through axa-schengen. A six month policy meeting the base needs is about 185 euros. Read More
Evolution of banking services in Portugal by Cheryl
Hello everyone, With rapid technological advancements, banking services are digitizing at lightning speed. Expats are thus propelled into a new era of options and payment methods, disrupting the traditional banking services of local ...
I've had my Novobanco account for about a year and have used online banking in the US for many years. I've been frustrated many times trying to arrange payments and have them fail and being able to finally accomplish it using the App on my phone??? ... Read More
Duration from arrival into Portugal till residency ID is granted by EZD1
HelloI have been notified that my D7 visa application has been approved and to go to Portuguese Embassy to get in stamped in my passport. My question is related to planning for the move and the sequence of steps and actions from the dateof landing ...
Did ass backwards, came to Portugal August of last year, decided to stay hoping to resolve D7 while here to no avail. Hired an attorney, did an 8 month lease in the Algarve, come to find out a 1 year lease is required. Bought an apartment in ... Read More
Motorcycle Rental by slugsurmamates
Looking to rent a small motorcycle for a 3 month period.125cc would be perfect. Within Albufeira area.Mature - full UK Car license held and have own motorcycle elsewhere. Honda Click 125.Condition not too important - reliability only.Can anyone ...
There are rental shops in Albufeira and you might be able to arrange an affordable long term fee as they're focused on daily rentals. Especially if your interested in the winter months as demand is reduced. Read More
Buying a property by Alex Gorman14
Hi I have a international salary some from South Africa, some front Dubai ,some from Portugal paid into a potragues bank account, I have a deposit ,can I qualify for a bond on a property?
Alex, I would strongly suggest using a mortgage broker as they're paid by a fee from the lender with no cost to you. They will use their network to find the mortgage best fit to your needs. I used one in Albufeira and was very impressed with ... Read More
Non resident Bank account by helpn764
Which Portuguese Banks let you open account a non resident account without visiting Portugal? I do have a Portuguese NIF.Thank you.
@rspencerkeith You need to deposit funds in excess of the annual median income of Portuguese citizens which is roughly 9,000 euros for a single person and more for family members to apply for the D7 visa. Read More