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British Residents in Portugal: Over 27,000 Residence Permits issued

Mar 01, 2023

The government announced on Tuesday that 91.4 percent of the 27,080 British citizens residing in Portugal had been granted their residence permit in the past four months, bringing the total number of permits issued by February to 27,080.

The ministries of Internal Administration and Justice, along with the secretaries of State for Digitisation and Administrative Modernisation and European Affairs, issued a joint statement declaring that the British citizens who were notified in 2022 to schedule the collection of their biometric data have been granted a residence permit in Portugal.

As stated in the announcement, Portugal has put in place various measures to ensure that British citizens and their families who were residing in the country on 31^st December 2020 can avail the rights granted by the agreement regarding the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union (Brexit).

The same statement said that following a successful pilot phase of residence card issuance carried out by the SEF – The Immigration and Border Service in the Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira, with a 95% approval rate for requested permits, and in order to address the delays caused by the covid-19 pandemic on public services, other public entities, such as the Institute of Registration and Notary Affairs and Citizen Spaces, were granted the authority to issue and renew residence permits as of August 2022.

The government has also announced that there are currently 28 service points available, with particular emphasis on the Algarve region, which has 10 locations due to the significant presence of the British community. Furthermore, arrangements have been made to provide SEF mobile teams to the homes of citizens who are unable to travel due to physical disabilities.

According to the joint statement, the service is entirely dependent on the beneficiaries themselves making appointments. It was also noted that 33,637 British residents have already scheduled appointments, and of those who have attended, 93.4% have already obtained their residence permits.

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Benefits of Personal Income Tax for Young Professionals

by Diogo Pedro • 07 May, 2024

Over the past four years, young workers who earned their first income as employees or self-employed individuals have been eligible for a tax benefit in their personal income tax, known as 'IRS Jovem”. This benefit is intended to offer young workers the possibility of minimising their tax obligations, allowing for a higher amount of disposable income. To enjoy this benefit, taxpayers are required to comply with the following requirements: Have a complete course of level 4 or higher studies on the National Qualifications Framework (high school level acquired through double certification and aimed at pursuing higher education such as a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, or a PhD). Age between 18 and 26 years old. Considered independent, i.e., no longer included in the parent’s household for tax purposes. The specified age limit includes individuals up to 26 years old, inclusive. However, this limit is extended to 30 years old for taxpayers who have completed a degree at level 8 of the National Qualifications Framework (PhD). In 2024, this tax benefit has been improved, with increased tax exemption rates and an expanded range of applications over time. In this sense, upon completing the course of studies required, the individual may qualify for an exemption from personal income taxes for a duration of 5 years, as explained in the following details: 100% of the income in the first year with a cap of 40 times the Social Support Index – “IAS” value (€20.370,40). 75% of the income in the second year with a cap of 30 times the IAS value (€15.277,80). 50% of the income in the third and fourth year with a cap of 20 times the IAS value (€10.185,20). 25% of the income in the fifth year with a cap of 10 times the IAS value (5€.092,60). Moreover, the exemption can only be used once by the same taxpayer and should be requested when preparing and filing the personal income tax return. It is also important to acknowledge that this benefit has implications for withholding tax, allowing adjustments to the value subject to withholding tax. However, be aware that, while the withholding tax rate applied corresponds to the total amount of income earned, it is only applicable to the portion that is not exempt. If you have any questions or need assistance with this or related matters, feel free to reach out . We would be delighted to help you.

Being an urgent process, this legal action has priority over legal actions not deemed to be urgent.

My application has been pending for months with the Immigration Office - AIMA. What can be done?

by Sara Ferreira • 29 Apr, 2024

It is known to the general public that the Portuguese Immigration Office (AIMA) has not been able to timely approve residency authorisation requests within the legal timeframe defined to do so, thus resulting in residency applicants having their applications on hold for months, in some cases even years. One way to tackle this inaction from the Immigration Office is to file a legal action, namely the Subpoena for rights, freedoms and guarantees of the citizens.