Pros & Cons of becoming a resident

guestt · Post by **guestt** » Sun Aug 29, 2004 7:19 am

I have been living in Portugal for 18 months and am still mystified at the pros and cons of becoming a resident. I still pay UK Income Tax and NI so don't know whether it would be worthwhile applying for residency over here.

Also for anyone who has done it, how much paperwork is involved (and queuing in offices etc)

Any positive feedback is welcome

digger · Post by **digger** » Sun Aug 29, 2004 7:53 am

I seem to remember there being little paperwork involved. They wanted to know how much money I had in the bank!! and/or how I intended supporting myself. It’s pretty straight forward if you are British. When I got my residencia it was in an office in Lisbon where people from Africa and all over were waiting impatiently and I sensed I was getting preferential treatment.
I think one should decide where they want to be a resident officially…UK or here…I pay tax here and not in the UK…..I get pt nhs…..but am not entitled to nhs in the UK (?)
I’d be interested to hear other comments on this…….

digger · Post by **digger** » Sun Aug 29, 2004 8:06 am

Hi again guestt
I was looking at something on another forum recently…..about dental treatment….and apparently there is no nhs treatment here and one can spend 100s or 1000s with a dentist here…..one reason why many people keep there UK residency…….officially you are resident in the country where you spend most of your time (or so I understand)….

digger · Post by **digger** » Sun Aug 29, 2004 8:24 am

…..cont……….ie. you should be resident in the UK for 183 days or more per year to qualify for nhs treatment ……but I think it’s unlikely you’d ever be asked for an proof…

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Aug 29, 2004 8:46 am

Ref Dentist......Just a little detour....I need a Dentist I'm non resident and I live much of my time in Carvoeiro...can anybody recommend a good Dentist that wont cost an arm and a leg ...
Ref Resident...the only reason I stay non resident is because I pay tax in UK and I worry about the Tax dept getting it right here...Also ...I keep a couple of my old UK cars here . (Cant afford new ones with that additional and huge (Illegal Tax)....on UK plates and if (When ) I get stopped its no problem because Im just a tourist at that point......as so many others do ...If I get a little sick I go to the German Doctor in the town..usually only 30 to 50 Euros and if I get real bad (Not yet) I go back to UK....I have Bank accounts and all the other things I need without being resident......BUT legally if you spend more than 6 months here in any one year you are automatically RESIDENT for TAX purposes only.......this is different to Residencia...........I welcome an expert opinion....???

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Aug 29, 2004 12:31 pm

yes the law is here that if you are here for 6 months then you must apply for residency...many of course choose to ignore such llaws...but they do not quallify for many things here, such as paying taxes (which are lower here) health care...and now according to a new law they have to appoint a fisacl representive to pay all property taxes for their houses.

best to go an agency like gracy bliss in lagoa who will do it for you (for a fee of course!!!)

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Aug 29, 2004 2:34 pm

I'm not sure thats correct.....but stand to be corrected.......I dont think you MUST get residencia if you are here for 6 months...???...In this case there must be many thousands of people living here illegaly...........I know that you are considered resident for TAX purposes only after living a full 6 Months here........but I have never heard that you MUST get residencia ...can somebody in the know advise......Thank you

GuestE · Post by **GuestE** » Sun Aug 29, 2004 4:14 pm

Just a warning re 'Guest's' recommendation of Gracy Biss (not Bliss I assure you as her newpaper photo was taken 10 years ago). She was going to charge 2k Euros for a matriculation of a car and Residencia, most of which was completed already. Have had matriculation done for 595 Euros.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Aug 29, 2004 5:37 pm

Yes I had the same experience...and got my car matriculated in Portimao for just over 500........Other (No names mentioned)....advertisers in the resident quoted me between 1200 to 2000...........

BobT · Post by **BobT** » Sun Aug 29, 2004 8:09 pm

We just got our residencia a couple of weeks ago, and as we were matriculating two cars, the guy we used in Portimao didn;t charge for the help on the residencia, and his fee for the cars is about 500 euros each. We had to go to the office of estrangeiros in Portimao twice (once to apply with the paper work), and about six week later to collect the cards. Not an experience I would want to repeat in a hurry. Bit nly a tw or three hours in total. A lot of people from from the new European countires applying for work permits and other Portuguese necessaries. The sort of stuff they probably get in the UK whilst waiting in nice four star hotel recently acquired with my previously hard earned tax. Hmmmm. That's one ofthe many reasons we chose to live here now.

As for pros and cons. Wll pros are; We now get access to the Portuguese NHS, although we had to have private health cover to apply for residency as we have no IRS declaration yet. We get six years free of paying any council tax (rates) to the local Camara. Used to be ten but now six, and confirmed by the Financas last week. We can import boht of our cars without paying the Portuguese car extortion tax. Lastly it makes us feel a bit more like we actually live here full time now. Kind of strange but true.

As for cons. Well officially we can't get treatment on t he national health any more, despite paying very serious income tax and NI for nealry 30 years. Of course if I had never paid a penny into the UK coffers, but happened to come from a new European country or be a phony asylum seeker, then I would be well looked after!

Rant over..........................for now

digger · Post by **digger** » Sun Aug 29, 2004 8:45 pm

Hi Bob
…although I didn’t pose the question///start this topic…..thanks for that….

not quite sure what you mean re council tax …..but will get back to you
.

digger · Post by **digger** » Sun Aug 29, 2004 8:51 pm

........and congratulations on becoming fully paid up members..

falcon · Post by **falcon** » Mon Aug 30, 2004 5:26 am

Anonymous wrote:yes the law is here that if you are here for 6 months then you must apply for residency...

Maybe it has changed now, but when I did it over two years ago, it was 8 months.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Aug 30, 2004 12:33 pm

Appreciate if some 'Expert' can advise that one MUST apply for residency if here for more that 6 or 8 Months.....I never knew of this. (Not to be confused with ' assumes resident for tax purposes'....)

digger · Post by **digger** » Mon Aug 30, 2004 2:07 pm

I’m no ‘Expert’ so would rather not answer the question. And I think the answer may depend on your nationality. Falcon mentions 8 months (was), but doesn’t mention his nationality. Best phone your consulate… ..they should answer this type of query over the phone no prob

Pros & Cons of becoming a resident

Pros & Cons of becoming a resident

RESIDENCIA ETC