Keeping to the HOW TO theme.
BEFORE an application is set up, you should ask your lawyer to set it up so that you can see the status of the application and, importantly, make SEF appointments for biometrics. Thus on the Original Poster’s list of Steps, your lawyer does what the OP did, as follows:
Step 1 Your lawyer registers you as the applicant /requerente (with your email address). Below that are identification, fiscal identification, current address, and “legal representative/representante legal”. Under legal representative, the lawyer puts in their email address OR the SEF registered email address for the legal firm. The address is where you live currently (later linked to the apostilled police records that will be uploaded).
Step 2 to 4 ** are completed by your lawyer. When the screen is set up - which is achieved BEFORE it is populated with any documents, SEF will send you an email stating: " Your registration as applicant for Authorization of Residence as Investor (ARI) was accepted. To conclude the process you should access the site xxx using your e-mail as identification and the user password xxxxxxx / O seu registo como requerente de Autorização de Residência de Investidor (ARI) foi aceite. Para concluir o processo deverá aceder usando o seu e-mail como identificação de utilizador e a senha xxxxxx". Follow the instruction which takes you to the SEF/ARI portal and access to the application. You will see a € Euro sign, a people icon, a QR code, none of which are active until the application is populated and payment made first for you and then for others (if any).
Step 5 The documents required by SEF are uploaded by your lawyer. When correctly uploaded and sent to SEF, your lawyer will receive a DUC (Documento único de Cobranca- a bill) which is sent to you to pay the first fee. Once the fee is paid, the status changes to “Em análise”.
Step 5 is repeated for each additional member in your application.
So it is important to ask your lawyer to do Step 1 BEFORE registration, and in a way that you can see what occurs.
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