The Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) and the UK Embassy in Lisbon today launch the second phase of a campaign to clarify the needs of Britons living in Portugal on the procedure for exchanging their current residence document for a new title that certifies your resident status under the UK Exit Agreement from the European Union.
“The exchange of the current residence document (EU Citizen Registration Certificate issued by the City Council or EU Citizen Permanent Residence Certificate issued by the SEF) will be carried out through the new Brexit Portal, "which can be accessed from today, allowing British nationals to register online," according to the Aliens and Borders Service.
“The new card will be issued from 1 January 2021, from which date British nationals will no longer be covered by European Union rules. The new card will thus allow them to demonstrate that they are covered by the Exit Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom, having their rights protected after the end of the transition period”, added the same police force.
After submitting the registration form on the new Portal, UK nationals “will be able to download proof of that application in digital format – a supporting document with a QR Code – which can be printed and used whenever you travel as proof of your residence in Portugal'.
Subsequently, from 1 January, the SEF will notify British nationals who registered the request on the Portal «to schedule a visit to a service point in one of the 38 selected Municipal Councils throughout the national territory, for the collection of biometric data. appear on your new residence permit'.
A telephone line (+351 21 711 50 45) and an email address ([email protected]) will also be available from today, dedicated to providing support on issues related to the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, including the process of exchange of documents.
“The current European Union residence documents will continue to be accepted after December 31, 2020 and until the new residence permit is issued”, said the SEF.
“We are very grateful to the Portuguese authorities who worked so that Portal was ready before the end of the transition period. I am sure it will be very well received by the British community in Portugal. This is a very important step that will reassure the Brits residing here about their rights under the Exit Agreement. I am also delighted that the British Embassy and the SEF have worked so well together. This collaboration is a great help to ensure that UK nationals in Portugal have access to the information they need in these last days of the transition period», considered Chris Sainty, the UK ambassador to Portugal.
José Barão, acting national director of the Foreigners and Borders Service, José Barão, highlighted the collaboration between institutions.
«The work of the SEF in this Brexit Portal is part of the broader strategy of digitization of services that we have been following. We were one of the first countries in the European Union to provide a portal that allows the exchange of titles under the Exit Agreement. Fulfillment of the commitments of the Portuguese State is fundamental for SEF, as well as the tranquility of citizens of the British community and their families who live on national territory. We are grateful for the permanent availability and the intense collaboration of the Embassy of the United Kingdom in a joint work that resulted from this cooperation», he said.
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