A Certificate of Residency in Portugal is often needed to confirm your legal residence status. This document proves your residence and is important for legal processes or taxation purposes.
Needed for a Tax-Free Import
When you import tax-free, you need to prove that you formally moved to Portugal. One of the proofs you need to present is your Certificate of Residency.
How to Get this a Certificate of Residency?
For non-EU residents, this is generally a residence card now issued by the newly established Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum (AIMA), which took over SEF’s administrative functions as of October 2023.
EU citizens, on the other hand, receive a Certificate of Registration of Residence issued by local authorities, typically featuring a form with stars symbolizing EU membership.
To obtain a Certificate of Residency, non-EU residents apply through AIMA, while EU citizens can request their registration certificate at the local town hall (Câmara Municipal) or relevant administrative office.
