Awaiting Biometrics (Stage 3)

Congrats Vishwas. Looks like you submitting one month before some of us has saved you about 8 months! Hope rest goes smoothly for you.

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Really shows the scale of December 2021’s application volume, IMO!

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Hi Everyone,
My husband just returned home (USA) from his biometric appointment in Lisbon. Our family (3) was all pre-approved but only he has been summoned for biometrics. I asked him to write an account of his experience. Here it is, plus our general timeline:

Nov. 22, 2021 - Application for primary applicant submitted to NEF

July 20, 2022 - Preapproval received for primary applicant and dependents

Dec. 22, 2022 - Schedule set for March for biometrics for primary applicant

Mar. 20, 2023 - Met with lawyers then went to SEF appointment. Total time in SEF was < 15 minutes; Didn’t need to talk with anyone (but lawyer). Detailed face scan, fingerprint scan of index fingers only

Biometrics Meeting Details

My appointment with the SEF had been set for 11:30 AM on Monday, March 20th. I met with the lawyers at 09:30. They also had an appointment for another client at 10:30 at SEF so needed to ensure that all my paperwork was in order before they left for that appointment. I needed to provide an updated FBI “Rap Sheet” with Apostille, and I had brought my social security card which they scanned (again?). I also had a reasonably new passport which they needed to scan. The only stamp in it was the Lisbon entry stamp from that trip which was a little faint, but sill legible. I had heard that legibility of that stamp was important and problem and I was prepared to request a re-stamp from the immigration officer, but it was not needed. I did not need to provide proof of return flight, but maybe they were unconcerned about it given a Saturday arrival for a Monday appointment.

I was supposed to meet the lawyer outside of the SEF building approximately 10 minutes before my appointment time, and sure enough, it was shortly thereafter that they started letting people with that appointment time inside the building.

The general process is that there appear to be 3 “lines” (clusters) according to visit purpose and whether or not you have an appointment. As someone with an appointment, I was in the center line right in front of the entry way. The guard lets you into the building as your appointment time approaches at which point, you can go pull a ticket for the service queue. You then continue your wait in an interior waiting area while waiting for your ticket to come up. (Not unlike my US DMV experience). Once your ticket is called, you go into a separate part of the building where there are SEF agents cordoned off along the exterior of the room with chairs in front of each of their work stations, and biometics machines behind those chairs. I never even sat. Just handed my passport to the agent to go with the rest of the information that my lawyer had already provided my passport was returned and I needed to turn around to face the biometrics machine. It was raised to my eye level to take the face scan/picture (if smiling, no teeth; no hat, etc.), and then I put my index fingers on the scanners attached to that same machine. And then I was done, packed up and was out of the building.

As mentioned above, my lawyer also had a 10:30 appointment and they were able to grab an appointment ticket for me while they were already in the building for the previous appointment. This meant I was near the front of the queue as soon as I was let into the building. The interior waiting area is not comfortable. There are long lines of narrow perforated metal benches to sit and wait on, but I was barely there long enough to get my bearings before being called in to the back area with the SEF agents. All told, I was in the SEF building for less than 15 minutes, all thanks to the earlier appointment. As we departed the building my lawyer said it was the quickest appointment she had seen in her 8 years doing this.

That said, I met her only a couple of minutes before my appointment as she was seeing out another couple for whom it must have taken the full hour. So, my suggestion would be to plan on an hour or more at the Lisbon SEF. Wait in the center line. Show the guard your appointment letter to get into the building as early as you can and get the ticket as quickly as possible. My experience was fortunate, but also perfunctory. Just going through all of the steps required by the bureaucracy, being prepared for contingencies. And I definitely appreciated having a good lawyer to ensure it went smoothly.

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Congratulations! And thank you for the comprehensive account of your Biometrics appointment in Lisbon. Did your lawyer give you their estimate of how long to expect before you receive your card?

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No, the lawyers gave no estimate of when I’ll receive my card or when dependents will get their invitation for biometrics. It really seems like they have no idea what to expect anymore.

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Most people are told to expect 9-11 months for Lisbon. We know people with biometrics in April 2022 have received cards; SEF Lisbon may be up to about June/July 2022 at this point. Join us over at https://community.nomadgate.com/t/processing-time-from-biometrics-to-resident-card - the water’s lovely.

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@tommigun @jpgoldenvisa

Hi Tommy - and anyone else who has some insight into this - I have a question regarding the no debt declaration from the PT Tax Authority.

My lawyer obtained my so-called ‘definitive NIF’, i.e. the Portuguese tax number, around 10th March 2023 and my Registo Central de Contribuinte (this I believe is the Taxpayer Registration Document) has been issued. I chose to go with a fiscal representative in Portugal and went with the person recommended by the lawyer who they say they’ve used and that they recommend.

However, apparently the login details have still not been provided to the fiscal representative by the Tax Authority and hence she has been unable to login to my tax portal and download the declaration of no-debt.

Does anyone know how long the tax authority generally takes to provide the login details once you are registered in their system and you have a Portuguese tax number (i.e. the ‘definitive’ NIF)? Would the login details not have been created at the same time my tax account was setup?

Just by way of explanation, my lawyer had obtained a temporary NIF back in Oct/Nov 2021 when we were hurriedly trying to submit the GV initial application before 1st Jan 2022 (when the investment amounts were set to increase). At the time she said that the temporary NIF would be fine for submitting my application. Mission accomplished and application submitted I never thought about the tax number again until the biometrics appointment was booked, in Dec 2022, for an appointment on 6 March 2023. The lawyer then assured me they would be sorting out my declaration of no debt to the Tax Authority and my declaration of non-inscription in the Social Security. However when I arrive in PT for my biometrics the lawyer says they have not yet requested these documents but not to worry SEF will give them some days to get and submit these documents.

Well, the NIF/Registo Central de Contribuinte was issued around 10th March and so has the declaration of non-inscription in the Social Security. But we still haven’t received the login details to download the declaration of no-debt.

Is this normal? How long does this normally take? It is now over two weeks since the NIF/Registo Central de Contribuinte was issued.

Just got this from the sef. Is it happening?

I’m literally about to take off for Lisbon, we are taxiing as I swipe lol. Good luck everyone!

Edit: I was a mid December 21 application, if the actual date matters I can check but iirc it was the 14th

O Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (SEF) alterou a sua polĂ­tica de agendamento a candidaturas de Autorização de ResidĂȘncia de Investimento (ARI), no sentido de priorizar os pedidos mais antigos.

Assim, para efeitos do procedimento administrativo referente Ă  sua candidatura de ARI efetuada via portal ARI, com o nĂșmero de processo XXXXX/ARI/XXX/XX, e caso ainda pretenda solicitar autorização de residĂȘncia atravĂ©s do artigo n.Âș 90/A, deverĂĄ efetuar o seu agendamento entre os dias 28-03-2023 e 07-04-2023.

A equipa de apoio Ă s ARI.

NĂŁo faça ‘Responder’. Este endereço de correio eletrĂłnico Ă© usado exclusivamente para o envio desta mensagem.


Dear Sir/Madam ** NAME**

The Immigration and Borders Service (SEF) has changed the scheduling policy for applications to Residence Permit for Investment (ARI) in order to prioritize older applications.

Therefore, and for administrative purposes as per ARI application within the ARI portal, process no. XXXXX/ARI/XXX/XX, and in case of an application for a residence permit under article no. 90/A, the scheduling shall be made between 28-03-2023 and 07-04-2023.

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Seems they decided to clear the backlog

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Good news for you and those with December 2021 applications with pre-approvals!
Suggests that a new wave of appointments has been created. Can you or your lawyer enlighten (for others) the calendar period for appointments? 2nd trimester?

I’m afraid I don’t understand what this message is saying :confused: :thinking:

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Appointments available for April and May 2023.

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You can schedule appointments between 28 March (i.e. today) and 7 April (i.e. an 11 day window), implying a new wave of appointments open, presumably from April up to some point 


That’s good news if that’s what it is!

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please the rest of your family had their appointment after how long?

I received my invitation for biometrics this morning, as well. It looks like we are back in business!

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Good signs, congrats everyone!

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Churchill’s quote (paraphrased) seems apropos:

It is not the beginning of the end, but it is the end of the beginning.

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My wife and I also received our biometrics email invitations today, simultaneously. Same email text as noted by the earlier poster, same date window in which to make appointments, no indication of what dates will be available for the appointments. I applied on 12/12/21 with payment the next day, and my wife applied on 12/16/21 with payment the next day. We were pre-approved on 12/15/22.

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I find it interesting how the various timelines have panned out.

I applied on 1st October 2021, then it was 4 months to pre-approval, another 10 months to invitation. You guys with December 2021 applications seem to have waited 12 months to pre-approval, but only another 3 months to invitation. So although pre-approval took a lot longer for you, it seems there’s been little difference in total timeline.

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Thats so true, at the end it all balances out :rofl: :joy:

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