# Moving to Portugal — Official Task Guide > Maintained by Relokato (relokato.com/portugal) > Generated: 2026-08-30 · Not legal or immigration advice --- ## Immigration & Visa ### Apostille all vital documents (birth, marriage, etc.) US users: this MUST be the FEDERAL apostille issued by the US Department of State Office of Authentications in Washington DC — NOT the state-level apostille from your Secretary of State. Foreign… **Source:** US Dept of State — Office of Authentications — ### Obtain FBI Identity History Summary + FEDERAL apostille (US Dept of State) Step 1: FBI check via FBI eDO or an approved channeler (Fieldprint, Identogo) — 3–14 weeks. Step 2: send the FBI report to the US Department of State Office of Authentications for the FEDERAL… **Source:** FBI Identity History Summary — ### Get NIF (Tax Identification Number) Fiscal representation is not required for EU/EEA residents, and non-EU citizens can be exempt by adhering to electronic notifications — it is not the only route. Can be requested remotely before… **Source:** gov.pt — Pedir o NIF (pessoa singular) — ### Take out travel/health insurance valid for Portugal The MNE checklist for national residence visas asks for a valid travel insurance policy covering necessary medical expenses, including urgent medical assistance and any repatriation. It publishes no… **Source:** MNE — Vistos nacionais: documentação instrutória (Residência) — ### Book AIMA appointment for residency permit Must be within 4 months of arriving in Portugal — check for cancellations daily **Source:** AIMA — Autorização de Residência — ## Housing ### Sign long-term lease Portuguese tenant law heavily favors renters **Source:** Portal da Habitação — ## Financial ### Check whether you qualify for the IFICI regime Eligibility turns on the activity you carry out in Portugal, not on which visa code you hold — no route is excluded by name, and no route qualifies by itself. Replaced the NHR. Deadline is 15 January… **Source:** Finanças — NHR/IFICI Regime — ### Register with Segurança Social if you carry out work activity in Portugal (NISS) Segurança Social registration, and the NISS that comes with it, follows from work activity carried out in Portugal — employment or self-employment — not from holding a residence permit. Recurring… **Source:** Segurança Social — Trabalhadores independentes — ### Notify US IRS of foreign address (Form 8822) Also research FEIE (Foreign Earned Income Exclusion) **Source:** IRS Form 8822 — ## Post-Arrival ### Assemble your AIMA proof of accommodation AIMA does not accept Junta de Freguesia certificates. You need a sworn declaration of your address (declaração sob compromisso de honra) plus either the permanent land registry certificate access… **Source:** AIMA — Autorização de residência: regime e requisitos gerais (art.º 77.º n.º 1) — ### Get your Atestado de Residência from the Junta de Freguesia For banks, school enrolment and utilities — not for AIMA, which does not accept it. Since a 2025 binding interpretation you do not need a residence permit to obtain one; a lease or a utility bill in… **Source:** CCDR Algarve — Parecer: atestados de residência a cidadãos estrangeiros (Solução Interpretativa Uniforme homologada em 08/01/2025) — ### Register with local health center (Centro de Saúde) Get SNS number for access to public healthcare **Source:** SNS — Health Centre Registration — ### Validate foreign driving license From the date your residence permit is issued you have 90 days to drive on your foreign licence — and you must file the exchange request with IMT inside that same 90 days. After 90 days you may still… **Source:** IMT — Driving Licence Exchange — ### Get Portuguese SIM card NOS, MEO, or Vodafone — good coverage nationwide **Source:** ANACOM — ### Register kids at school Two separate routes, with separate timing. PUBLIC SCHOOLS (pre-school, basic and secondary): enrolment and renewal run through the gov.pt service linked below, which is the source for this step — the… **Source:** gov.pt — Matrícula e renovação de matrícula — --- ## About this guide Relokato maintains official-source relocation task lists for people moving abroad without corporate HR support. Every task in this guide links to the government or institutional source it came from. This is not legal, immigration, tax, or professional advice. Verify all requirements with official authorities or a licensed professional before acting. **Tools:** [Visa checker](https://relokato.com/tools/visa-checker) · [Cost calculator](https://relokato.com/tools/cost-calculator) © 2026 Goldmark Digital LLC d/b/a Relokato