To Be or Not to Be a Permanent Resident: Your Options After Five Years of Calling Portugal Home
Danielle Avidago | Immigration Consultant
After 5 years of living in a country, after holding a residency visa and some residence permits, it is normal to feel like that place has always been your home. A home you were not born in, but where it makes you feel safer and more welcomed than your birthplace. And that feeling is more common in Portugal than we think.
A sense of belonging grows in you with each winter sunbath, every bite of pastel de nata or bacalhau, and with every passing day. That is why Portugal enables foreigners who have lived in and called Portugal home for at least 5 years to apply for Portuguese citizenship and match their sense of belonging to Portugal with an official Portuguese nationality.
However, despite feeling like Portugal is where you belong and where you can be your true self, sometimes applying for citizenship is not the path for you. Either because your non-European Union home country does not allow dual citizenship, or simply because you do not wish to apply. In those cases, the Portuguese immigration law allows two paths: the Permanent Residence and the Long-Term Resident Status. Let us dissect a bit of each option.
Permanent Residence
This option is available to third-country nationals who meet three criteria: five years of residence in Portugal, a valid residence permit, and completion of either a Portuguese course or an A2 language test. This Permanent Residence Permit is valid for 5 years, allowing you to relax and enjoy everything Portugal has to offer without concerns about administrative procedures, as the renewal of the residence permit is done through a simple request.
This option is ideal for those residents who fall in love with Portugal and do not see themselves living in any other European country. It allows you to work, and have access to health services, education, social security and justice in Portugal, while also enjoying a sunny and breezy afternoon in an esplanada by the river. If stability and peace in Portugal is what you are looking for, this is the best option for you.
Contact us for more information on obtaining Permanent Residence in Portugal.
Long-Term Resident Status
This status is very similar to the Permanent Residence Permit, with one pivotal and crucial difference: the possibility of residing and working in other European Union countries. Although you are very into Portugal and the sunny beaches, you wish to explore what more Europe has to offer in terms of quality of life, studies, work opportunities, or even personal growth. With this residence permit, you can freely have several “homes” in all European Union countries (Ireland and Denmark being the exceptions).
This status allows you to benefit from several rights the European Union considers fundamental, such as education, health, and work opportunities, which you can freely and easily access when bearing a Long-Term Resident Status.
To apply in Portugal, you still must take an A2 Portuguese test or course. It also has no validity date, but it must be updated according to the immigration law of the country you are now living in. You must maintain regular ties with Portugal to retain this status.
If studying in various European Union countries or exploring potential European Union homes to work and live in is what you are looking for, this is the best option for you.
To summarise, with the Permanent Residence Permit, you can keep stably strengthening your connection to Portugal, bearing most of the fundamental rights and duties Portuguese citizens are bound to; while with the Long-Term Residence Status, you can freely enjoy the rights, privileges and duties any European Union national has, getting familiarised with all the different cultures and customs of the European Union Member States, bound by their uniqueness.
Whether you choose to settle permanently in Portugal or explore opportunities across the EU, our team is here to guide you through the process that best aligns with your personal and professional goals.
