Moving to Portugal as a British Citizen After Brexit

For a British citizen, the question “can I live in Portugal?” has two answers, and the date that separates them is 1 January 2021. This guide follows what AIMA, the Portuguese agency for integration, migration and asylum, the Portuguese foreign ministry, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the EU’s travel site say, and it names the page behind each point. It is an overview of those pages on the day we read them, not legal advice. GOV.UK’s own page says the UK government and the British Embassy cannot give personalized advice on moving to Portugal, and that the Embassy in Lisbon and the Vice Consulate in Portimão cannot help with Portuguese visa and residency applications.

One date, two groups

AIMA’s page explains the background: the Withdrawal Agreement entered into force on 1 February 2020 and set a transition period that ended on 31 December 2020. GOV.UK draws the line from it. If you moved to Portugal before 1 January 2021 and have lived there legally since, you and your family members have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement. Everyone else is a new arrival under the rules for non-EU nationals.

Topic	Moved before 1 January 2021	Moving now
Legal basis	Rights under the Withdrawal Agreement, if you have lived legally in Portugal since then	Portuguese rules for non-EU nationals: a residence visa, then a residence card
Your document	A Withdrawal Agreement residence permit; after 5 years of residence, a permanent card valid 10 years	A residence card from AIMA after arrival, renewed every 2 to 3 years; permanent residency possible after 5 years on a temporary card
Where to start	If you have no Withdrawal Agreement card: email brexit@aima.gov.pt with proof of your residence before 1 January 2021	The Portuguese consulate in London or Manchester; VFS receives applications in London, Manchester and Edinburgh
ETIAS	Exempt with a residence document issued in the uniform format, except Irish and Cypriot documents	The EU article names only Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries as exempt; check before you travel

Sources read on 2026-10-18: GOV.UK, Living in Portugal (last updated 10 July 2026); AIMA, Brexit; European Union, Travel to Europe, UK nationals and ETIAS (16 April 2026); Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, where to lodge a visa application; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, external service providers.

If you moved before 1 January 2021

GOV.UK says you should have a Withdrawal Agreement residence permit, which shows that you hold rights under the agreement. After 5 years of residence you can apply for a permanent residence card valid for 10 years.

If you lived in Portugal before that date and have no such card, GOV.UK says you must get one now. You email AIMA at brexit@aima.gov.pt with documents that show one of two things: that you were legally resident in Portugal before 1 January 2021, or that you moved there permanently before that date, if you were not registered as a resident then. If AIMA asks for more, you have 10 working days to answer. A successful request gets you an appointment at an AIMA office to give biometric data, and AIMA posts the new card to you.

For the appointment GOV.UK lists what to bring:

• your valid passport
• proof of address
• the original of your EU residency documentation, if you hold one, which will be cancelled and returned
• your tax number (NIF)
• your health number (NNU)
• your social security number (NISS), if you have one

GOV.UK adds that if you are still waiting for your health or tax number, you should still go to the appointment, and that you may be able to appeal a refusal. AIMA runs a Brexit line on (+351) 214 236 709 on working days from 08h00 to 14h00 and answers at brexit@aima.gov.pt. If you are a dual citizen of the UK and an EU country, GOV.UK says to register your residency under your European nationality.

If you are moving now

GOV.UK says that to become a resident you enter Portugal on a residence visa and then apply for a residence card after you arrive, and that AIMA is responsible for visa and residency applications. It lists the purposes a visa can cover: study, retirement, work (including as a digital nomad), an internship, medical treatment, living with family, religious activity, volunteering and research. Our guide to residence routes to Portugal walks through them.

1. 1

   Pick the purpose of your stay

   GOV.UK lists visas to study, retire, work (including as a digital nomad), do an internship, receive medical treatment, join family, volunteer or do research.

2. 2

   Apply at the consulateDecision deadline: 60 days, except where the law sets otherwise

   London or Manchester, with VFS offices in London, Manchester and Edinburgh. The fee for processing a national visa application is 110 euros.

3. 3

   Enter on the residence visa4 months

   It allows two entries and is valid for 4 months.

4. 4

   Apply to AIMA for the residence card

   AIMA is responsible for residency applications; you apply after you arrive.

5. 5

   Renew, then look at permanent residency2 to 3 years, then 5 years

   The temporary card is renewed every 2 to 3 years. You may apply for permanent residency after holding a temporary card for at least 5 years.

Sources read on 2026-10-18: GOV.UK, Living in Portugal (last updated 10 July 2026); Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, type of visa; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, deadlines; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, fees; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, where to lodge a visa application; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, external service providers.

The foreign ministry’s pages give the mechanics. A residence visa allows two entries and is valid for 4 months, and in that time its holder must apply to AIMA for a residence permit. The ministry gives 60 days as the deadline for deciding on a residence visa application, except in circumstances set by law, and 110 euros as the fee for processing a national visa application. For the United Kingdom the ministry’s list names the consulates general of Portugal in London and Manchester, both with VFS, and its list of external service providers adds Edinburgh.

One detail concerns Britons in particular. The ministry’s list of documents for a residence visa asks for travel insurance that covers medical expenses, urgent assistance and repatriation, and it says the requirement may be waived under a bilateral agreement on medical care, naming the United Kingdom S1 as an example. Whether the S1 applies to you depends on the benefits you receive, which is covered below.

Once you hold a residence card, GOV.UK adds several rules:

• Portuguese law requires you to carry a valid residence document, and the police may fine you if you cannot show it.
• You renew a temporary residence card every 2 to 3 years, and a permanent residency document every 5 years.
• You may apply for permanent residency if you have held a temporary card for at least 5 years.
• Portugal recognizes dual citizenship with the UK, so you do not have to give up British citizenship to become Portuguese.

Travel: the 90 days and ETIAS

Without a residence card or long-stay visa, a British citizen travels to Portugal under the Schengen rule that GOV.UK states as up to 90 days in any 180-day period, and visits to other Schengen countries in the previous 180 days count towards it. Overstaying can lead to a ban of up to 3 years. GOV.UK’s living guide says that time spent in Portugal on a residence card or long-stay visa does not count towards those 90 days, and tells you to carry your passport and residence document whenever you cross a border, because your passport may be stamped if you do not.

The same guide says that British nationals who are legally resident in Portugal and hold a biometric residence card do not need to register with the EU’s Entry/Exit System, and that without a card you may be wrongly identified as overstaying. If you are legally resident but have no card, it tells you to contact the Portuguese immigration authority.

ETIAS is the travel authorization for visa-exempt travelers. The EU’s ETIAS site said on 18 October 2026 that ETIAS is not in operation and that the EU will announce the start date several months before launch, and its steps show an application fee of 20 euros. An article on the same site dated 16 April 2026 said UK nationals would need an ETIAS starting from the last quarter of that year. It also says that beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement who hold a residence document in the uniform format, issued by a country that requires ETIAS, are exempt, with two exceptions: documents issued by Ireland and by Cyprus do not allow travel without ETIAS. Check the EU site for the start date before you book.

Health care, tax and pensions

GOV.UK says that once you are registered as a resident you should register with the national health service (SNS) and have the same rights to treatment as a Portuguese citizen. You ask for a health user number at your local health center. Private insurance is optional, but you still register with the SNS. If you receive a UK State Pension or certain other exportable benefits, are a frontier worker who lives in Portugal and commutes to work in the UK, or were sent to Portugal temporarily by a UK employer, you may be entitled to state healthcare paid by the UK, through an S1 form. GOV.UK also says you cannot use a UK-issued EHIC or GHIC to get healthcare while living in Portugal, unless you are a UK student in Portugal, or a State Pensioner or frontier worker with a registered S1.

On tax, GOV.UK says the UK has a double taxation agreement with Portugal so that you do not pay tax on the same income in both countries, and it points you to the Portuguese Tax and Customs Authority for questions about relief. To work and pay tax in Portugal you must apply for a Portuguese tax number. To claim Portuguese benefits you need a social security number, and for a Portuguese pension GOV.UK sends you to the Portuguese Social Security Institute. Its page on tax recommends professional advice from an English-speaking lawyer in Portugal.

What the dates in this guide refer to

The most recent information in this guide is GOV.UK’s “Living in Portugal” page, which shows a last update of 10 July 2026. The ETIAS article is dated 16 April 2026. Residence, travel and health rules for Britons have changed several times since 2020, so read the page for your situation before you pay for a visa, translations or travel.

If you apply for a national visa from the United Kingdom, see applying for the Portuguese national visa from the UK.

Official pages read for this guide, all on 18 October 2026: AIMA’s Brexit page; GOV.UK’s Living in Portugal guide, its Portugal entry requirements and its guide to healthcare for British nationals living in Portugal; the ETIAS site of the EU and its article on UK nationals; and the foreign ministry’s national visa pages on visa types, deadlines, fees, where to apply, external service providers and residency documents.