Some things to think about:
Do you think SEF is so slow with all Visa applications?
Why are Golden Visas given the priority they are?
And why does the Golden Visa cost so much, given the D7 Visa fee is under 100 euros? --Both let you move to Portugal. Both qualify you for permanent residence/Citizenship after 5 years. The difference is how much time you are required to spend in Portugal.
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Frankly the extra few hundred for apostilles is a rounding error compared to everything else
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Actually, I don’t believe my attorneys had rosy glasses when providing their time frames to us. I have been very pleased with my attorneys who have offices in Lisbon, and it would be easier for them to schedule appointments there. At that time they obtained Biometrics appointment at SEF in Portimao (and some in Madeira) specifically because the processing times they had observed (with other clients) had at that time been running 3-4 months. The Lisbon processing times last Spring were about 10-12 months, which is what I recall reading also on various forums. Obviously since then there have been changes in the PT government posture and SEF reorganization.
Chriskoob - You raise some strong points. We started this process almost 2 years ago and have yet to receive Residency cards. Main reason to go with GV is to start the Residency clock towards Citenship/EU passport, to allow us to continue working and settle various financial matters before fully retiring. Give that I will likely “retire” in the next 12 months, we will explore the pros/cons of switching to D7 versus maintaining the GV path.
Hi there,
Finally!!, I have received my final approval as main applicant Mid of October 2023 ( Fingerprints done in Lisbon August 2022) along with my family members.
However, lawyers stated that I can only pay my fees and once card is issued, I can then pay for the fees of my family and get their card issued! Not sure if this is the new norm, but SEF stated that on the final approval notification…
Was it the same case for you ? Thanks alot !
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Congratulations to you, and soon to your family! Lisbon wait seems to be 14 months after biometrics…
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Thanks ! It was through Real estate …I am wondering if my family has to pay escalated fees or not !
Congratulations! This gives us Lisbon bio people some hope
What date in August 2021 did you get your biometrics?
Thankyou
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Congratulations, it’s a matter time and patience. We will all sail through this hurdle.
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Congrats! Good to see that Lisbon is still approving applications, and that real estate applications are being approved. When you get your card, I’d be curious about what text they put on the front - whether it says it’s an ARI under Article 90-A, or an entrepreneurial visa under Article 89.
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I got my residence card as primary investor in August, 2022 and my wife and daughter did their bio-metrics in May 2023 in Lisbon. Should I assume their timeline will be the same as of primary applicants or can it be sooner since I assume it would take less manpower to process their applications (due to less documentation etc).
All residency cards appear to have a timeline that begins with the card issuance /printing date. In short, your family’s cards are unlikely to be backdated to the date of issue of your card, assuming that is the heart of your question.
Hmm, that’s odd. The SEF email regarding our final approvals (of main applicant and all family members) - which was sent to our lawyer who forwarded it on to me - requested payment of the total fees for all four of us, i.e. EUR5,800 x 4. I’ve paid the total in one go by bank transfer. Neither our lawyer nor SEF stated anything about staggered payments or staggered card issuance. In fact my lawyer so far hasn’t said anything about the cards, only said to make payment and send proof.
btw congrats on receiving your final approvals!
Hi @Korion - when my lawyer booked them, she initially grabbed what she could - as she and her office were making bookings for all her clients. My family initially ended up with appointments on different days and locations. I asked her to see what she could do about that. She contacted SEF (by email) and fortunately, miraculously, got a favourable response to reschedule us all for same day, time and location. There are some earlier posts I made about this situation back in late December 2022. She sent emails not only to SEF Portimao but also to the regional directorate (Algarve).
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Hi @s_kates81 - as @tommigun and @rogergan68 said, we had no choice in the matter. In my case we were only invited to book appointments in December 2022 (during a 10-day window over Christmas - good thing my lawyer was contactable and not off on holiday somewhere!) and appointments were only available between Jan and March 2023. From earlier posts (back in the day) it seems there used to be a different system in the past.
Oh, I think I phrased the question wrong. I meant, should I expect the processing time for their applications to be as long as that of a primary applicant. (Since lisbon is taking 13+ months)
Thanks for the clarification! My sense is that it would be dictated by the location of biometrics. I see that you did your biometrics last year in Coimbra, and got your card within 4.3 months. Luck of the draw! As indicated by @joerh2017’s post, he did his biometrics in Lisbon in August 2022, and just received his card ~14.5 months later. Since your family did theirs in Lisbon in May 2023, unless some fire is lit to move Lisbon SEF reviews, it may be a year or more before your family get their cards… 
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To put things in perspective, in 2019 people were waiting 16+ months for card issuance. There was a big uproar by Chinese applicants at the time .
When I applied circa 2021 the wait was 18 months . It seemed like forever but it happened roughly according the the schedule the lawyers gave.
Today the wait is closer to 24 months . Given the massive number of applicants it’s not surprising . 24 months will pass slowly tor those people but it will come
Progress is slow but it happens in an expected pattern.
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