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We are retirees. 1st the hardest aspect was renting an apartment.  I bugged real estate agents on their apartment listings with hardly any success due to lack of call back responses. Portuguese do not utilize Voice Mail as we do business. After 10 frustrating days, finally secured a annual rent with a 6 month  out clause.

FYI Renovations can take up to two years as we found out.

I came over when my SEF appointment was set. If you do not have a confirmed appointment ....wait. The SEF is reorganizing and their is a backlog trying to set appointments. I had all the checklist documents and barely was asked for much of it.

Once I finished the appointment and paid the fees it took 2 weeks for the Resident Card to arrive. You need to be sure you have a dependable address incase it arrives later.

I had flown over for a preliminary site selection and secured my apartment and banks before my D7 approval and SEF appointment.

Hope this help some.

If you want to scout around for the perfect place, a year is not an unreasonable time to allocate for that.

Unfortunately with things as they are now, it's really impossible to say with any certainty how long your process is going to take, and if you could somehow get into a living situation that you'd have to leave within 3 months, I think that might be kind of stressful - as noted above, it's good to be in the same place when your card shows up, and it could take months.

Meanwhile, I don't know, it seems to me a lot of people are attracted to Portugal by the weather, and in fact the weather varies significantly during the year.  So if you found the ideal place in February, you might change your mind about it in August, or vice versa.  Or you might be put off from the lovely north of the country by all the commentary that makes it out to be cold and wet, only to have it turn out to be the ideal climate with winters that aren't really so different from the rest of the country as to be a real problem.  At any rate, I'd say, do what appeals to you, rather than trying to build your life around the SEF process.

We are hoping to do the same thing in 2024.

Which Portuguese embassy did you apply to? I have heard there are differences, and some should be avoided?

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 Albufeira while here and had to return to US to resolve visa. Did the interview in San Francisco and waited 3 months for my kept passport to be returned to me with a visa stamp. Now back in PT with a SEF appointment in a week. Seems like I'll receive a resident number after that which then requires you to obtain a medical ID number, even with insurance, and clearance to swap your US license for a Portuguese one which has to be done in a 90 day window or it requires taking a Portuguese language test as well as a driving test if you wait too long. It's worth it in the end and loving the Algarve. One must decide if a location like Lisbon and surrounding area is your flavor or ocean is the draw. I chose the Southern coast and am perfectly content.

This person is asking for a clear timeline. I would also like to know the clear timeline. Please provide a timeline.

    This person is asking for a clear timeline. I would also like to know the clear timeline. Please provide a timeline.

    -@ShareAll

Here's a timeline:

Minute 5

@EZD1 sorry cant help with this I am also trying to do everything you have accomplished....one question...did you not already have a 12 months lease as required when you applied for your visa or were you a lucky one? Thanks. Helene