What Applying for a Portugal Visa is REALLY Like (Step-by-Step Guide)

[@DecentGradient]

Thank you so much for taking the time to make this very comprehensive and well structured video. By far the best video I've seen on the visa process. Very informative!

[@TheUnretirees]

Thanks for watching and for your kind words!!

[@neokanobitrade2886]

Dawn and Matt, Fantastic video! You guys are truly the best. Your content is always meaningful and helpful, unlike many other half-baked videos out there. I’ve watched over a dozen creators covering similar topics about Portugal, and you stand out by far. I’m really looking forward to your course and future videos, especially for those of us planning to move. Keep up the honest and great work! I was wondering if you could recommend cities in the Silver Coast area with a similar cost of living to the one you mentioned with 15,000 inhabitants around same size), located about 30 to 45 minutes from a more larger city. I’m particularly interested in places that offer new houses or apartments developed from 2015 onwards. Also, could you suggest any reliable real estate agents or brokers who could provide more information? Thanks again for all your help!

[@TheUnretirees]

Thanks for watching! There are several cities that meet that criteria. We're in Nazaré, but just a bit north is Marina Grande, which is about 15 minutes away from Leiria. Alcobaça is just to the east of us and about the same distance away from Leiria or Caldas da Rainha. Headed south a bit, there is Mafra (which is probably 30 minutes from Lisbon). Ericeira, right on the coast, is probably 40 minutes from Lisbon as well. There are places north around Coimbra and Porto, but we're less familiar...and there are places south of Lisbon, but again we're just less familiar.

[@rabukan5842]

This is by far the most comprehensive video on acquiring a Portuguese visa. I will be retiring there in 2025, and this information will really help even though I have a friend whose wife is an immigration lawyer. Well done, and thank you!

[@TheUnretirees]

Thanks for watching and your kind words!

[@lisakibler458]

This is excellent! I haven’t seen another video and thorough and comprehensive as this one!! Invaluable! Thank you!!

[@TheUnretirees]

Thanks for watching and your kind words!

[@ocean1233]

EXCELLENT 💯 Sooo Greatful for this video INFO.!!!😊

[@TheUnretirees]

Thanks for watching....glad it was helpful!

[@kellytang6303]

I am recent your subscriber, what an excellent video, thanks a lot. I am like you, living aboard is always on my mind ( I am in Chicago). I may join you soon on the other side of the Ocean. Thanks again.

[@TheUnretirees]

Thanks for watching and maybe we’ll see you over here someday!!

[@luisalves3723]

You have The Cod and its Derivatives Festival in Figueira da Foz until Sunday.

[@TheUnretirees]

Awesome! Thanks for adding this!

[@bellaluce7088]

For those who don't already own a home in Portugal (glad you guys did and were able to move your five-year plan forward : - ), it's wise to plan for extra costs meeting the proof of a place to live requirement. Many who've been through the process report being told a one-year official lease is required at the initial application appointment if renting, and some have been rejected for not having that. So it's important to budget for double rent/mortgage in Portugal AND your country of origin OR for the cost of flying back and possibly having to pay for hotels or short-term rentals near whatever VFS office you're assigned to. Especially given the changes in policy in Portugal recently that suggest efforts to lessen immigration (e.g. elimination of the 10% tax rate for ten years) PLUS the possible increase in applications from the United States post-election, I personally would also plan for a worst-case scenario of NOT being approved for residency and potentially having to pay the full year of a lease I can only legally use for three months on a tourist visa. : - ( Hopefully, though, a landlord would take pity in that case.

[@TheUnretirees]

Thanks for watching and for your thoughts. We know of people who have leased for one-year in their visa process and others who were able to use a short-term rental with a less than one-year "lease". But it does seem that different offices can have different policies or interpretations.

[@ChummySalmon]

Invaluable! Thank you!!!!❤

[@TheUnretirees]

Thanks so much!!

[@scottmacconnell470]

Were you close to a VFS location? It doesn’t really seem practical to go to one multiple times for most. one of the things we found in San Francisco is that we had to pay on site with a money order with the amount determined at that time. So, we had to go to a post office and return with a money order. Another glitch that we ran into is that my wife’s sealed FBI envelope when opened contained a document said that her fingerprints were not accepted. We have no knowledge that this would be the case. They did make an exception and allow us to mail a new FBI document to them. We did this and we are waiting and waiting.

[@TheUnretirees]

Thanks for watching. Yes, we were near the NYC office so we did have the opportunity to go multiple times. It really is odd to me that different VFS offices can have different policies and practices, but they do. Glad you were able to resubmit the FBI report and best of luck on the result….hopefully soon!

[@marthajohnson4335]

My hubby and I have been watching your very informative videos and are grateful to you. We are planning to move when he retires. I am already retired and working a little part time. We have researched and researched and I have taken lots of notes. We also sat in a 2 hour zoom meeting with Expats FB Group Friday and learned a lot. We have already booked a 2 week visit to Portugal in April and plan to check out the places we have narrowed down. We are staying 14 days and 10 of those days we have rented a car. We want to get a feel and see what housing is like etc. How far would you say we would need to start the application process within the US.

[@TheUnretirees]

Thanks for watching. Six or seven months from your desired move date is probably best to start the process.

[@LTgoBirds]

Love your content!! My wife and I are considering retiring early and moving to Portugal. We’ve been on scouting trips already (Silver Coast and Algarve) and we also would like to start a KZbin! While I’m binging your videos, Do you have anything that speaks to the equipment that you use to start your KZbin channel?

[@TheUnretirees]

Thanks for watching and on the description for the most recent video we lay out our equipment. Nothing crazy. Best of luck to you!

[@LTgoBirds]

@@TheUnretireesthanks for the reply. Okay, sounds like I have more watch hours for you coming up! Blessings.

[@cunningham-press]

One thing that is curious to me is that I understand that you should enter the country using your new visa to activate it. Which Matt did but Donna was already in country, so perhaps should have left and then returned again. Thanks for the informative videos.

[@TheUnretirees]

Thanks for watching and, yes, you’re probably right that Dawn should have left and then returned, but it wasn’t a problem for us. I imagine someone may have an experience where it didn’t work out, but it worked out fine for us.

[@cunningham-press]

@ glad to hear that. So many land mines in the process.

[@DebbieTomasovic]

Did you attend your AIMA appointment alone, speaking English?

[@TheUnretirees]

Well, we both went together to each of ours, but only the person whose meeting it was actually did the meeting while the other person waited. In both cases, our AIMA representative spoke English. Thanks for watching!

[@victoriastithlcpc]

How far out (days/weeks) was the appointment with AIMA that you were assigned from when you received your VISA? I’m wondering if they try to give you a bit of time before you have to rush out of the US and arrive in Portugal for that appointment? Thanks!

[@TheUnretirees]

It was about five weeks after approvals for each of us.

[@victoriastithlcpc]

@ thanks! So you really need to be ready to go!

[@shahabkhanshahabyoutube1511]

I could’ve just mailed the passport to someone in US and they’d have mailed it to VFS and vice versa

[@TheUnretirees]

Thanks for watching and, yes, some people do that. We have been told, however, that it isn’t legal to be in Portugal as a non-resident without your passport. We’re not lawyer, but we didn’t want to suggest this because of what we had heard. Thanks!!

[@upcycledcopycat8389]

Couple??? 's When in this process did you change your drivers license over? And what was THAT process. I have been looking into this compared to Spain and seems easier in Portugal What if you're a couple but only I'm planning the move due to my husband's health issues. Would the same financial documents for one of us be adequate would you think or would it have to be separated before the process even starts. All our pensions go into a joint account that we set up years ago that we transfer around to other accounts. Do all the accounts have to be submitted??? Can I even start this process alone without my husband? I would be traveling back and forth. Do I have to have a rental for a year at up before the nif and bank account? Thanks for the chance to ask your opinion😊

[@TheUnretirees]

Thanks for watching! If you're under 60, you don't need to change your license over until it expires in the US. If you're over 60, there is a timeline but it seems a little "flexible" since it depends on getting a public health care number which can take many months (we're still waiting for ours). But over 60 you need a doctor to give you an exam and determine you are fit to drive, and then submit paperwork and wait. We haven't done it yet. For documents, we would guess that if only you are moving that you need to present documents for you -- and joint account US bank/broker statements would be ok. You really only need to submit account information up to the point where you can demonstrate you have assets. No need to show them all the millions :). And, sure, you can move with or without your spouse and have only one go through the visa/residency process. You'd want to get a NIF first because that is required to do anything. Most people have said that the visa requirement for a proof of a place to live is a one-year lease, but others have had success with shorter leases. Best of luck to you!

[@upcycledcopycat8389]

@TheUnretirees ... the license (I'm 68🇨🇦) is better than Spain that's for sure. Interesting you bought a car without a Portuguese license??? How onerous was getting insurance then? I got an international one last year (for car rental in Spain) but never did rent one. But that's just a permit. Thanks for the info

[@shahabkhanshahabyoutube1511]

Hi guys, If I’m the main applicant for the D7 visa and I have 3 dependents with me , do I have to apply NIF for all of them and put 10,000 euros for each one of them in my Portuguese account? Or do I have to have these for only myself ?

[@TheUnretirees]

Thanks for watching. Each one will need a NIF, but for dependents, it’s a reduced amount. A dependent spouse would mean an additional 50%, and each additional dependent is an additional 33%. So, if you are €10,000, you and a spouse would be €15,000, and you and a spouse and two children would be €21,667. Now, officially the number is a bit under €10,000 (€9870). Best of luck!

[@BRocks4thwall]

I’m in the beginning planning stages and trying to pinpoint an area to live. I’m less interested in a city dwelling life but I’d like to be in a convenient distance (

[@TheUnretirees]

Thanks for watching and part of it depends on what you call a city, lol. For us, we live in a city of 15,000 and within 30 minutes there is a city with about 30,000 people and another with more than 100,000. And between here and there you can find places with land and chickens and goats. But if you define a city as 25,000 people, there is a ton of places that are within 30 minutes with space. If you're looking at a bigger city, you're looking near Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra and a handful of others (like Leiria for us) -- but still lots of options where chickens and goats can roam! best of luck!

[@BRocks4thwall]

@@TheUnretireesthank you so much! This gives me the perspective I needed.

[@shahabkhanshahabyoutube1511]

Guys I want to order the bank account service from bordr so if you have a referral code give it to me pls

[@TheUnretirees]

Thanks for watching and here’s the referral link to Bordr: www.bordr.com/?via=unretirees