You do have a right to move and live there! As long as your application is under consideration, you have the right to remain on the national territory, including those long vacations on Madeira you always dreamt about! 
1 Like
You do legally have the right, but good luck exercising that right to enter and exit the EU if you donāt fly into and out of a Portuguese airport to/from a non-EU airportā¦
2 Likes
There is discussion about this in the class action lawsuit topic. Nothing has coalesced yet, however.
1 Like
Would an airline even let you board ? (Assuming you normally require a Schengen visa )
1 Like
For any lawsuit that forces structural changes, a lawyer/ law firm not associated directly with ARI application process need to be foundā¦those who do not liasion directly with AIMA on GV related matters. But I am all game for it. There has to be a legal, organised way to address this mess rather than simply relying on outcomes of individual cases at the mercy of hardly literate, common sense lacking, morality deficient, mostly inhuman judges of administrative courts.
2 Likes
Would add that experience with class action lawsuits in PT/EU would be a key qualification.
1 Like
Theoretically - you are right. Practically, I have been flying in-and-out of EU through various airports (CDG, MUN, MAD) with no issues. If you are travelling outside of Europe to U.S., then consider flying to/from England, Ireland, Canada, or straight to U.S.
If the āsmart bordersā will be rolled out in 2025, the situation might change.
2 Likes
Youāre using a passport from a country that needs a visa to enter the EU and having no issues entering the EU despite lacking a Portugal residence card? If so, what are you showing the airline agents and immigration inspectors when you enter the EU in countries other than Portugal?
1 Like
Actually, I am a U.S. citizen - sorry, forgot to qualify that issue. I do not need a visa to enter EU, and all airlines (BA, Lufthansa, Qatar, TAP, Ryan, United, and American) simply check the front page of the passport, ensuring its validity, comparing the name with the one on the ticket, and picture with my muzzle. None of them ever checked my stamps, and so far - neither any of the border agents.
Right, so my earlier comment was for those from countries without visa-free EU access or those obviously spending more time in the EU than a tourist.
Well, as long as you can enter EU legally, you can stay in PT. Depending on your visa, you might have single or multiple entries into EU. If you have a pending case before AIMA, you can overstay your visa, but then it would be best to leave from PT to a non-Schengen country.
And just FYI, I have been consistently overstaying my tourist visa (beyond 90/180 limit), and no issues so far when travelling in/out of EU (with the U.S. passport).
1 Like
I donāt think thatās technically true for applicants after 1/1/22. It may be that no authorities will drag us off, but itās still an awful lot of risk to take on, especially if you are moving a large household.
1 Like
No, that is true for all applicants: GV, CPLP, or ManifestĆ£o de Interese. These programmes allow you to first come to Portugal, and then apply for a visa (including GV!). D7 is, obviously, a different animal.
As for the risk, it is entirely up to you to determine what amount of risk you are willing to take. I have a greater risk tolerance (with U.S. passport) than many, but you should decide what is acceptable to you. In Portugal, there is very little interest on the parts of authorities to chase most legitimate applicants out of the country.
4 Likes
Seriously!!
3 Likes
Amazing sponsored post
2 Likes
Invest now, and maybe AIMA will sort their sh** out and look at your application before Earth becomes uninhabitable!
11 Likes
Indian passport holder here.
I have a 5 year multi-entry Schengen visa, and in 2022 I visited Austria for work. After the work, we took a short holiday in Portugal, and flew back to India from Lisbon. The Lisbon departure exit stamp in the passport is so faint, itās almost invisible.
A year later in 2023 I was travelling back to Austria, and the officer in passport control at Vienna kept flipping and searching in my passport. After the third time he did that, I asked if he was searching for something, and if I may help to find it.
He explained that he can see the Vienna entry stamp of 2022, but cannot find the exit stamp as to when I left the Schengen area. After searching in vain once again he gave up and stamped my passport and sent me on my way.
He must have thought - what the hell, this guy must have left the Schengen area sometime, as he is entering it again a year later, and was not overly concerned whether the previous visit was an overstay or not.
So they certainly have some discretion on this point. But they do check this!
2 Likes
The good news I have for you: Lisbon airportās ink budget mustāve been increased, the stamps are no longer nearly invisible!
Though thatās not to say that they are as good as others
Heck, Japan gives you an extremely high quality sticker. Theyāre so good
4 Likes
Thanks, @AJ,
I am not surprised at all about your experiences. Unfortunately, and with the gratest sympathy, I fully appreciate the difference between the U.S. and Indian passports. They are both blue, but with different insignia, which makes all the difference in the world.
All I could do is to report on my experiences. My Portuguese stamps are also very faint, as opposed to German, Croatian, Spanish, French, etc. Yet fortunately for me, nobody ever took time to look through them.
The bottom line: your passport matters. Thatās why we all are trying to obtain E.U. residency/citizenship, isnāt it?
1 Like
When the much-delayed European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) finally starts (first half of 2025 maybe?), EU entry and exit dates should all be logged online
ā¦ which of course means Immigration will also know exactly how many days youāve been in the EU without having to think/add/count stamps. Worth noting if you must keep below 90 days in the past 180, as there wonāt be any room for discretion or Agents not bothering to count. The system will probably make it pretty clear if you need to be challenged.
1 Like