Glossary of helpful terms for the Portuguese D7

Similar to the notarization process, but much more involved and verifies a document for use in countries that are members of the 1961 Hague Convention. Some aspects of the visa process may require a document to be apostilled, and you may also need your US driving records apostilled in order to convert your US driving license to a Portuguese one.

The Atestado De Residência is a document issued by your local parish governement, or freguesia, verifying that you live at your address. As in immigrant, you'll often have to provide proof you live at your actual address. Often, a copy of your rental contract or property purchase contract, or utility bills with your name will work. But, the atestado seems to be more recognized and trusted, and is often easier to deal with than a multi-page rental contract. The exact process to get an atestado varies slightly from freguesia to freguesia, so contact your local office to confirm the process.

May also be called: atestado

In the context of an American moving to Portugal under one of the many visa options, the term "biometrics" has a very specific meaning; providing your photo and fingerprints for official government documents, such as the residency permit card issued for holders of the D7 or golden visas. These biometrics are kept by the Portuguese government and provided on your permit card as you official identification in Portugal.

A Centro de Saude is a health center or medical clinic run by the Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS), or national health service. Not only is the centro de saude a primary health care center, they also provide adminisrative support. Once you are a resident, you will need to visit your local centro de saude to register with the SNS and get your SNS number for prescriptions and other services, even if you also have private health insurance

May also be called: health center

A document obtained from a Portuguese embassy or consulate prior to entry into Portugal verifying that personal goods and items have been bought and paid for for home use and should not be subject to Portuguese VAT or duties upon entry to Portugal.

May also be called: baggage certificate

CTT is a Portuguese company that operates as both the national postal service of Portugal and a commercial group with subsidiaries operating in banking, e-commerce, and other postal services. While the CTT group has many subsidiaries, you will mostly deal with the post office portion of CTT.

May also be called: Correios de Portugal

The Portuguese D2 visa, often referred to as the entrepeneur visa, provides residency for people who move their company to Portugal, start a new company or invest in an existing company in Portugal. This visa is only available to non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens.

May also be called: entrepreneur visa, business visa

The Portuguese D7 visa, often referred to as the retirement or passive income visa, provides residency for people living off of income from outside Portugal, such as pensions, real estate rentals, investments, and in some circumstances, work income. With the introduction of the D8 digital nomad visa, income requirements will likely change or be clarified in the coming months.

May also be called: retirement visa, passive income visa

The D8 "digital nomad" visa provides residency for remote workers, working remotely for a company, or as freelancers or small business owners. The Portuguese government introduced this visa on 30 October, 2022, so information is still a bit scarce.

May also be called: digital nomad visa, DR visa

Financas is the informal name for the Portuguese Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira, or the Tax and Customs Authority. Financas handles all tax matters, including providing you with your NIF, registering contracts for tax purposes, and tracking other financial transactions for tax. With your NIF, you can create a login on the Financas portal and access important receipts and tax documents.

May also be called: Finance portal, Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira

A freguesia is the most local form of government in Portugal and typically addresses the same type of government services handled by city governments in the US. the Junta de Freguesia is the executive body or parish board. You would visit your local freguesia for local matters, such as obtaining your atestado de residencia.

May also be called: parish, Junta de Freguesia

The Portuguese golden visa program allows for residency through investment. Currently there are very specific restrictions in place for where in Portugal you can by property for this visa. In addition, the process is very slow, expensive and may soon end. For anyone who wants to actually live in Portugal, the D7 or digital nomad visa would almost certainly be a better option. But, for people who want Portuguese legal residency but want the option to only spend a couple of weeks a year in Portugal, the golden visa is a good option. While the golden visa is very well-known, there are many other options.

May also be called: investment visa

A health plan is *not* health insurance, it is a membership based discount plan on healthcare, dental or vetrinary procedures. By joining a health plan and paying a small monthly membership fee, often starting at less than €10, you get access to in-network rates for procedures and services. Because this is not insurance, there are no waiting periods, age limits, need for a doctor exam, or any limits on how often you use your health plan, because you bear 100% of the actual costs, the health plan simply provdes a discounted rate.

The IMT is a one-time tax paid by a property buyer at closing. This tax ranges between 1% and 8% of the transaction value, based on several factors, including price, location and if this is the buyer's primary residence.

The IMT is a Portuguese government agency in charge of all matters related to transportation including the issuing of driving licenses and the exchange of foreign driving licenses.

May also be called: Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes, Institute of Mobility and Transport

The IRS (Imposto sobre rendimento das pessoas singulares) is the name of the personal income tax paid by Portuguese citizens and residents. This is just the name of the tax, and does not refer to the tax agency, like IRS does in the US.

May also be called: Imposto sobre rendimento das pessoas singulares

Multibanco is Portuguese bank network for 27 Portuguese banks, that provides ATM services throughout Portugal. In addition to traditional bank services such as deposits and withdrawls, Multibanco offers nearly 60 services, including the ability to pay directly for goods and services, pay your phone bill, buy train tickets, and even pay your taxes. In high tourist areas, you will also see Euronet ATMs. Avoid Euronet ATMs at all costs as they have insanely high fees. Keep walking until you find a Multibanco.

A special tax status for people residing in Portugal that lasts 10 years. Benefits and eligibility details are numerous and require a seperate article.

May also be called: Non Habitual Resident

Número de Identificação Fiscal - This is your Portuguese tax ID number and is required for you visa application as well as large number of financial transactions in Portugal. You do not need to be a resident yet to get your NIF.

May also be called: contribution number, Número de contribuinte

The NISS is the Portuguese social security number. You only need a NISS if you are a resident and working in Portugal; either for a company or a self-employed freelancer.

May also be called: Número de Identificação de Segurança Social, social security number

Once you have your residency permit, you can get your SNS number, which gives you access to the Portuguese national healthcare system. Even if you have private health insurance, you will still need your SNS number to get the best prices on prescription medication, vaccinations (including Covid-19 vaccinations) and access to medical care not available through the private system.

May also be called: SNS number

While Portugal has its government-funded national healthcare system, the SNS, as an American moving to Portugal under the D7 or other visa options, you will need to purchase a private healthcare insurance policy for your SEF appointment to get your residency permit. A private health insurance policy covers services provided by the private healthcare system in Portugal. This is different than a travel insurance policy, and also should not be confused with a health plan.

Named after the town town in Luxemburg where the treaty was signed, the Schengen Area is a border control-free travel area for 27 European countries. It is NOT the same thing as the EU, in that there are four countries in the Schengen Area that are not part of the EU, and there are five EU countries that currently do not participate in the Schengen Area.

For people considering a move to Portugal, many conduct a "scouting trip" which combines a vacation with other activities such as investigating possible locations to live and administrative work such as opening a bank account and getting a NIF.

Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras - The Portuguese Immigration and Border Service. Among other duties, SEF is the agency responsible for border control and the issuing of residence permits to foreign nationals legally residing in Portugal. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreigners_and_Borders_Service for more details

The Portuguese national health service providing tax-funded health services in Portugal.

May also be called: Serviço Nacional de Saúde

This is the big prize; the permit for legal residency in Portugal, good for two years, then renewable for 3 years, and 5 years after that.

May also be called: permit, residency card

A Portuguese government document used for person A to vouch for person B in order to prove that person B has either accomodations or financial support to meet visa requirements.

May also be called: letter of invitation, Terms of Responsibility, termo de responsibilidade

In order to apply for a visa, you need to have travel insurance that covers medical expenses in Portugual including Covid-19 coverage and repatriation services. This is short-term insurance, usually less than 6 months and will provide coverage while you get Portuguese private health insurance.

VFS Global, formerly known as "Visa Facilitation Services Global" processes visa applications on behalf of the Portuguese government. Often your first point of contact in becoming a Portuguese resident.

A document or stamp providing legal permission to be in a country. A visa can be short or long term. The popular Portuguese D7 visa allows the holder a 4-month stay in Portugal while waiting for an appointment with the Portuguese immigration agency SEF to obtain a residency permit. In some cases, the appointment with SEF may be delayed beyond the initial 4-month period, so an automatic extension will be granted.