Don't Apply for a Visa If...

This Might Not Be the Right Time

In one of my earliest posts, I explained how we were able to get a D7 Visa during a pandemic. But if you are planning to come to Portugal, should you apply now?

Pandemic Travel

From time to time we get to talk with readers that are going through the D7 visa process now. (If you want to talk, you just need to email me.) These have been wonderful experiences…we feel like we have made new friends and perhaps future “neighbors”. Whenever we speak to an American couple I encourage them to be vaccinated for Covid before they come to Portugal. This is not a knock on Portugal. Its vaccination rates are in line with the rest of Europe. But while the US has now fully vaccinated more than 21% of its population, Portugal has fully vaccinated 6%. Add to this the need to get a public health system number, and a likely lack of Portuguese language skills, and it just makes sense to get the vaccine if you can.

Europe Doesn’t Care

Having said that, let me be clear. Portugal, like other countries around the world, doesn’t care that you have been vaccinated. There is no process in place today, to prove that you have been vaccinated and enable you to move freely between countries. Don’t expect to show your Covid vaccination card at the gate or upon arrival and bypass the Covid protocols. You are still required to have a negative PCR test within 72 hours of landing in Portugal. (If you are planning travel, you should check the airline site and the destination country’s official website to ensure you are following the protocols.) Please note:

• The EU has been discussing a Covid passport that would apply only to residents of the Schengen region, as travel between these countries is almost like traveling between states.

• Also, the jury is still out on whether the vaccine prevents one from transmitting the virus. (That is why the CDC recommends you continue to wear a mask when you are not able to socially distance.)

Lockdown and Locked In

Also, please keep in mind, lockdown in Portugal is different than “lockdown” in the US. It really is a lockdown. And while many think that the Portuguese people won’t accept yet another lockdown should there be another wave, we really are in a race between vaccination and the more contagious strains.

But perhaps most important is the fact that getting your D7 visa is just the first step in the process. To be recognized as a Temporary Resident, with the ability to stay in the country for more than the 4 months your visa allows and to move freely between countries, you must complete your SEF meeting. We were to have ours at the end of March…but this was canceled due to the lockdown. At this time, we do not have a meeting scheduled. There are many, many people like us in Portugal. Portugal has recognized this fact and extended our legal status until the end of the year.

But what if there was a family emergency and we had to get back to the States? Denise’s niece is being married in February…what if we still haven’t completed our SEF process then? If we left, we would most likely have to start the process over again. More money, more stress, more mooching off friends or family since we no longer have a house in the states.

I am not trying to discourage anyone from relocating to Portugal. Even with the lockdowns, we are happy we are here. But it is something to consider…

Update 20 April 2021: We have received notification that our SEF meetings have been rescheduled for 30 July and 2 August.