Important notice for portuguese residency card holders!

Share experience regarding ownership of property and/or living in Portugal.
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Gambrinus
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Important notice for portuguese residency card holders!

Post by Gambrinus »

For Portuguese residency card holders.

If you are a foreign resident in Portugal, you can do your part to support your local community.
Simply head down to the local Junta de Freguesia with your residency card and a current power or water bill and ask to be registered as a voter.

The process is very straightforward and even if you do not wish to take part in local and communal elections, registration as a voter means that your local Junta moves up a notch in the national wealth distribution.

Communal funds are attributed according to the number of registered voters, so if you want to do your part to ensure your town gets more funds to spend on maintenance and beautification, please head down to the Junta and register.
shanagarry
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Re: Important notice for portuguese residency card holders!

Post by shanagarry »

Gambrinus - we have drifted away from the original purpose of this subject. As I see it there is no benefit at all in taking on Resedencia status - but there is some form of benefit to the community. Once I am a permanent part of that community, I am happy to play my part but for now it is of no use to me. I don't vote here - so why change the habit of a lifetime and vote in Portugal?

As a property owner I do have a Financas card which expired in 2006 - but my Lawyer tells me I do not need to worry about a new one? Why's that?"

I embarked on this exercise as I wanted to understand the process for importing a car through the free entitlement method - given the extortionate price of cars in Portugal. To qualify to do that, one of the conditions is to have applied for Resedencia. All I am trying to understand is the benefits or otherwise of Resedencia? Apart from being able to own a car registered in Portugal and healthcaree - that's it - am I right?

Playing the devil's advocate - If we wanted to keep ourselves to ourselves and not have a Portuguese registered car and not depend on the state for healthcare - how would the authorities know we are there?

I have no intention of becoming 'invisible' but I am beginning to see why there are so many British registered cars in The Algarve - without current tax discs - are they the 'invisible ones?

Is this confusing or what?
Gambrinus
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Re: Important notice for portuguese residency card holders!

Post by Gambrinus »

shanagarry wrote:Gambrinus - we have drifted away from the original purpose of this subject. As I see it there is no benefit at all in taking on Resedencia status - but there is some form of benefit to the community. Once I am a permanent part of that community, I am happy to play my part but for now it is of no use to me. I don't vote here - so why change the habit of a lifetime and vote in Portugal?

Communal elections do affect how life around your property develops - As an example in Lagoa, the current administration has invested vast sums of revenue generated in Carvoeiro into their own community in Lagoa before even considering re-investing in Carvoeiro - The oppositions plans to put an end to this and ensure funds are distributed more evenly thus ensuring that our property in Carvoeiro retains value by way of upgraded sorroundings.

As a property owner I do have a Financas card which expired in 2006 - but my Lawyer tells me I do not need to worry about a new one? Why's that?"
As far as I know your fiscal number does not expire and is valid for 25 years after you die. Death and taxes, eh? :lol:

I embarked on this exercise as I wanted to understand the process for importing a car through the free entitlement method - given the extortionate price of cars in Portugal. To qualify to do that, one of the conditions is to have applied for Resedencia. All I am trying to understand is the benefits or otherwise of Resedencia? Apart from being able to own a car registered in Portugal and healthcaree - that's it - am I right?
I have been a resident here all my life, so I have no grounds for comparison

Playing the devil's advocate - If we wanted to keep ourselves to ourselves and not have a Portuguese registered car and not depend on the state for healthcare - how would the authorities know we are there?

I have no intention of becoming 'invisible' but I am beginning to see why there are so many British registered cars in The Algarve - without current tax discs - are they the 'invisible ones?
A foreign registered car will be red flagged if it circulates regularly over longer periods and the risk of getting busted will increase with usage.
I would also speculate that eurpoean authorieties will cross-reference details more and more over the coming years and it will be increasingly hard to stay under the respective radars. Thanks to all the anti-terror measures a citizen in Europe is now transparent and fully traceable.


Is this confusing or what?
e-richard
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Re: Important notice for portuguese residency card holders!

Post by e-richard »

shanagarry wrote:As a property owner I do have a Financas card which expired in 2006 - but my Lawyer tells me I do not need to worry about a new one? Why's that?"
As Gambrinus has said, your number is valid for 25 years, but the physical card has an expiry date on it.
I've used my "out-of-date" card on numerous occasions without any problems.

So why have an expiry date ?

p.s. if I remember correctly, updated cards are sent to your registered address automatically.
shanagarry
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Re: Important notice for portuguese residency card holders!

Post by shanagarry »

Thanks to all for the variety of responses - they are mind boggling!

We have no intention of being anything other than 'legit' - but I think I can understand why some people do not.

As I will be commuting to and fro the UK for some time after we move I will bring my car with me for the long stays (6-10 weeks at a time) and buy my Wife a Portuguese registered smaller car until I eventually say goodbye to the UK for good. By which time the price differential may have sorted itself out (I can live in hope) :)
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Re: Important notice for portuguese residency card holders!

Post by Steen Jakobsen »

shanagarry wrote:Playing the devil's advocate - If we wanted to keep ourselves to ourselves and not have a Portuguese registered car and not depend on the state for healthcare - how would the authorities know we are there?
Hmmm.... credit card use, EDP readings, use of mobile phone / land line - possibilities are plenty and the imagination without boundary for the ever motivated tax man :lol:
shanagarry
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Re: Important notice for portuguese residency card holders!

Post by shanagarry »

Steen - you are spot-on - being 'invisible' in today's world is nigh-on impossible. I have no intention of playing that game - I want to have plenty of fun - not sitting indoors fearful of the next knock on the door.
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Re: Important notice for portuguese residency card holders!

Post by Steen Jakobsen »

In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.
Benjamin Franklin
Simplesimon
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Re: Important notice for portuguese residency card holders!

Post by Simplesimon »

Nice quote
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