The SEF news section hasn’t been updated since February 2022, and yes, it is summer vacation. 
Hi all for those who applied 1 year+ ago and still waiting for pre approval are you able to get another temporary visa whilst waiting or do you have to stick to the tourist visa rules? Just wondering how this works? In our case we bought a flat and applied for GV in March this year but only get the keys for our place in August. I assume we will only be able to stay 90 in 180 days for the rest of this tax year being UK residents?
My lawyers have told me it is not possible to apply for something else while the GV application is pending since there can only be one application in the SEF system. I think every one is entering with tourist visa and getting their lawyers to write a letter to explain the situation.
2 Likes
For what it’s worth, I personally know someone who first applied for a GV, then applied for D7 and had it approved…
2 Likes
it’s still possible to extend (or apply for new if you leave the country) Schengen C visa. As far as I understand applying for any type of D visa will override/kill you pervious application including GV.
For what it’s worth, I asked my lawyers about this, they asked SEF, who said definitely not to do this. But, yes, have also heard of others doing it successfully. No guarantees. Could end up back of the GV queue.
2 Likes
Just wondering if there is any, ANY progress in new pre-approvals? Where have we got now?
It is said in another post that an investor who applied last Augest has already recieved the pre-approval a few days before.Are there any other examples?
I don’t think anyone applying in 2022 has yet been pre-approved (unless it’s some kind of family reunification case). Are you perhaps thinking of someone who did biometrics in August 2022 who has now received final approval?
3 Likes
Applied 27/12/2021
Pre-approval 21/7/2023
Awaiting Biometrics Appointment
Also told by my lawyer that I need to renew my non-criminal record,as it seems to only valid for 3 months. while I think the apostilled process would take about a month.
3 Likes
Congratulations! Long wait for pre-approval, and a true test of your patience!
But recent pre-approval timelines suggest that (in compensation, perhaps) the wait for biometrics may well be much shorter - hopefully the next wave! And if you do get that opportunity soon, the shortest time to wait from biometrics to approval appear to be Porto, Faro and Coimbra…
1 Like
Yes, definitely start keeping valid apostilled FBI reports or whatever your equivalent is up to date - having it ahead of time saves you grief later. Especially with fairly regular biometrics openings these days
Yes,someone said this in another post.If not, it seems SEF are still dealing with the submissions before 2022,which is horrible.
I think SEF is deliberately working slowly. GVs should be the lowest priority for them. The country already received money from applicants first. SEF has no additional incentives to expedite the process.
2 Likes
Expediting the receipt of golden visa fees? (Which go direct to the state). Enabling wealthy foreigners to move to Portugal and start spending their $$$ in the local economy?
I don’t think it’s deliberate, they’re just under-resourced and focus on other priorities
4 Likes
I agree, these are very “logical” if you are an investor or a sane thinker. However, put yourself in the shoes of laid-back government workers. It has been clearly stated that all these investments are burdening the increase in local property costs (I am not making this up). There is considerable dissent towards the enablers, who are the investors themselves. Only a small portion of the population may benefit from us. Why would the government care if they can’t meet these deadlines? No heads are going to roll and no one is going to get fired. All these political decisions will take their sweet time, and they are only even clearing some of the applications not because of doing their duty or something, but because they are forced to save face in front of the media, public, and to not jeopardize more investors coming.
1 Like
Is there any way (other than maybe lawsuits) that we could expedite processing applications by the SEF? Maybe write letters to embassies or MPs?
If I had to guess I would say absolutely not. Nobody cares about the plight of GV applicants, and nobody can motivate SEF except PT courts.
Yes, there are several ways available and some people 
tried all of them with varying degree of success:
- write to SEF proper (email/post to the corresponding SEF office where you applied)
- write to the embassy
- write to the Portuguese parliament (Assembeia da Republica).
3 Likes
Did anyone actually get SEF to process their application faster by doing these things? I know those things have been tried, but I don’t recall any success.