Dear all, I first wish everyone a happy new year…
You might recall me writing about travelling to Portugal without the Schengen visa… I double-checked this with my lawyer… Here is what I heard from lawyers + my observations…
My lawyers has told me that If someone has an expired residency card that person can travel to Portugal with the expired card + SEF appointment to renew it (without the Schengen visa)… The current residency cards’ validity period are extended till end of March…
As I mentioned earlier in one other post, I recall people being able to get on plane at Istanbul International Airport by showing their SEF appointment paper… I actually checked this with the staff and they confirmed it… (by that time my worry was the ground staff not being aware of all these details about extension of validity cards, renewal process etc, yet to my surprise they had up-to-date information and aware of residency cards’ validity extensions and even told me that they let people on-board a plane if they have a SEF appointment - they can’t do any favours to anyone, the airlines and the staff are penalized if they let anyone get on a plane without a proper visa & documentation… )
Therefore my understanding is that the first time applicants will need a Schengen visa as they are to get the residency card… You need to have an existing expired residency card to be able to travel to Portugal by just having a SEF appointment and the SEF appointment should be all about renewing the expired residency (e.g. biometrics…)
Just like many of us, I still wait for my biometric appointment… I’ve completed 3 full years and await for the biometric appointment for the 3rd card.
Hope this clarifies
All the Best