Itās basically like going to the DMV. Donāt stress too much, but looking nice certainly makes a good impression compared to dressing like a slob (this applies to most of your life, fwiw)
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I will appear as an old man in my photo, as I will be 500 years old by the time my application is processed.
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thanks guys) unfortunately I was not able to rebook, so my appointment in Lisbon is in 4 days. Hopefully the wait wonāt be too longā¦
my attorney also asked me to provide a translated and apostilled copy of my tax identification number from my native country, just FYI
dunno whether this is common, but I was unable to do the biometrics in Lisbon today due to a āsystem downā. now waiting for a rescheduleā¦
Oh my! this is really scary to go all the way to Portugal just for this appointment and not be able to do it!
Please keep us posted when theyāre able to reschedule it for you.
Fun fact, because itās Friday. Even after you do your biometrics, and they check and accept all your documents, in person, they havenāt actually approved them. No, another check is needed. It is still 4 to 5 months (current durations according to my lawyer) before the biometrics are āapprovedā. During that time, they can still come back with problems.
Only THEN can the next step can happen re payment for printing of card, and then the actual card printing. Which all takes months by itself for some reason.
Maybe you can reschedule somewhere other than Lisbon, which is notoriously slow
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At what point did we get into this nightmare.
We were happy and we didnāt know it!!!
as per my lawyer, she is waiting for a phone call from SEF to reschedule.
unfortunately, yes. my lawyer told me that it is about 1,5 years after the biometrics that I can count on getting the cardā¦
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Thatās for Lisbon, it seems the other offices are a bit faster.
The most used phrase in this GV blog isā¦āwaiting forā,
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Bit late to this, but the US/Portugal treaty text is here. This apparently provides US nationals with an extra 60 days stay in Portugal on top of the usual Schengen limits, in accordance with Article 20(2) of the Schengen implementing convention. (NB I have no personal knowledge of whether this works or how to make use of it.)
Other such agreements are listed here:
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It seems that this is still in force, but it also seems that one would have to apply at SEF for the extension 
This is not exactly the same route, but similar (scroll down past the first part about Ukraine): Extending a tourist visa in Portugal WithPortugal
Thanks, Chris. I am aware of this one: I had it posted on another thread. Fortunately, so far nobody ever even raised an eyebrow about staying past 90 days in Portugal. Unless ETIAS will be instituted soon, I hope this trend will continue.
Also, travelling within Europe, even on flights between countries, does not seem to trigger an extensive passport check, especially if you use some cheap carrier like Ryan Air (they are only concerned if your baggage is within the maximum dimensions and weight limits, or else - pay up!). Just FYI. 
Hi everyone, has there been any invitation round this month? Is there a way to track when these happen?
Not yet, as far as I know.
Judging from the previous timings, it is likely to be opened in the next 2 weeks, for biometrics in the last quarter of this year.