UK Citizen seeking Portuguese Residency Help

Hi. I am a UK national who applied for and was granted Portuguese residency last year.
I didn't need witnesses.  I am in Algarve.
I applied for NHR later.
The way I did it was to visit local Fincas with evidence of your nationality, residential addresses in UK and Portugal.
They will register you and give you a tax number.
You then visit the local authority offices and register there as Portiguese resident.
Go back to Fincas and they will change your address.
Apart from struggling with the online link to register on Fincas website, it was pretty straight forward and easier then I would have thought...example that , even as I was applying for NHR, I needed no hard evidence of rental or property ownership.
My girlfriend is not an EU or UK National, she also received a tax number after registering but thereafter she doesn't attend council offices, she needed to visit SEF with much more difficulty.
Unless UKs exit from EU officially changed the process, that's the steps that my friend and I both took in 2019.
Hope this is of some help?
Alan

Hey thanks for your message, as I understand From my research I need 2 witnesses for My local Parish at Board U.F. Historic Center of Porto with my ID documents they then give you the Atestado De Residencia, or a rental contract which I don’t have since I’m Airbnbing

Then you take that document Atestado De Residencia, and your NIF number and passport to the Municipality only then can you apply for a 5 year residency, it doesn’t sound like you can apply without the Atestado De Residencia document, I also spoke to a solicitor today who mentioned the above as well

I have also made an appointment at the municipality next week, but as I mentioned I’m pretty sure I will need the Atestado De Residencia document

My NIF number is addressed to my UK address unfortunately since I’m staying at a Airbnb

I think if I get stuck not finding 2 witnesses local to the Parish I live near I might have to find a long term rental contract which I can use as proof of address for my residency; which I would have to arrange quite quickly

"Fincas" means AT Finanças / Portuguese Tax Authority 

You will need a medium/long term rental. Please see this link:

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=908693

Hi,

I am doing the same in Algarve, having arrived a month ago.  Just hire a lawyer to act as your representative... it took me only a week to get the document, and she made the appointment.

Hi we did our residency in 2018 & we needed all the above including 2 witnesses, we were lucky with the witnesses though as our solicitors sister lives in our parish as did the secretary from the estate agents so they both signed our papers for us. We found the registering for residency easy.
It was registering our English driving licenses at the IMT that was a nightmare.
Do you not know anyone in your parish at all that could sign your paperwork for you? If you have a solicitor ask them if they know someone worth a try.

Hi

That’s right, I have received my NIF number

I am considering the sort term \ London term rental is another avenue

Thanks for the link

Hi,

Thanks for the advice, it should be a easy thing to do, although I’m finding it tricky

I’ve contacted some solicitors waiting for a response to my inquiry

And I’m asking friends I’ve made so far, except they don’t live near the parish I live near to

So I might have to go down the short term or long term rental contract and use that to help me gain the residency

Thanks

Hi Jean

That’s very lucky you found 2 witnesses,

For me its being a little tricky to find 2 who live and vote near the parish I live near to in down down Porto, but people are friendly and helpful so I’m positive

Or as I mentioned I might have to find a long term short term rental and use the contract for my residency

Fingers crossed

Thanks

Hi,
I am a Swiss citizen and have residency in Portugal. Unsure now if different laws apply for Brits. I rented an apartment, presented the contract at the Finanzdepartment to receive my NIF number and with that I went to the city to apply for residency. I never needed 2 witnesses. I had to bring proof of income. With that NIF and residency I opened a bank account. In that order.

Hope this helps you.

Butze

Personally, I didn't need a rental agreement to get my tax number. I know that because I have no rental agreement and I am renting for 6 months a year.
I still do not have private property nor a rental agreement which is a bigger issue in extending a tourist visa with SEF for my non EU or UK national girlfriend. 
My UK National friend, who lived at same address at the time, also received same documents without either a rental agreement not need for witnesses.
I find SEF and immigration very unhelpful.
The lady I rent for mentioned having two local witnesses as an optiin in her case.
My first visit to tax office - who were very helpful - gave my my certificate with my UK address. 
I then took that to Municipal Office, paid 10Euro or something, and they issued me the document to take back to tax office which then changed my address to Portuguese one that I gave them, and my new document was changed.
After that I could apply for Health Care, Driving license, Bank Accounts etc easily (although those had longer waits and more confusion due to Portuguese Language only!!

Hi

Thanks for your reply, that makes good sense,

Since I'm renting my apartment through an Airbnb I don't have a rental contract, hence why I am hoping I can find 2 witnesses that would help me,

If I am unable to, I would need to rent an apartment short term / long term so that would make applying for Portuguese residency much easier I figure,

Thanks

That's really helpful info,
Once I hopefully sort out my residency, I will try and change my UK address to a Portuguese one and apply for Health, Driving License and  bank account,

let's see how it goes, hopefully, it's not to tricky

Thanks
J

Each "Câmara Municipal" (Town Hall) in small towns
or
"Junta de Freguesia" (Local Parish) in main cities
often produce a very different list of requirements... We can't define standard procedures to require "Atestado de Residência".

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=908742

So following on from gaining a residency certificate what are the benefits of a NHR application, what is required and the process and is this easy enough to apply for remotely.

Thanks for any advice.