The tax identification number, abbreviated as NIF, is a sequential number intended exclusively for the treatment of tax and customs information. Please be aware that in order to do almost anything in Portugal, you must have a NIF.

A NIF can be obtained in a variety of ways, through a lawyer, by visiting a local tax office or online. The following is a link to eportugal.gov which is a public service website in Portugal. Here is the specific NIF link with accompanying information. eportugal NIF Note that by acquiring your NIF locally in Portugal there is no fee. If you apply online through one of the myriad of websites which assist with the process you will pay a fee for the convenience. Fees range greatly so look around a bit prior to taking the plunge. Here are a couple of sites to get your started. Please note that we are not endorsing these sites, but they have been used by members in the past. Ei! Assessoria Migratoria bordr they price their NIF on their site at $150 NIF Online their 'special' price is €74,90 These are just a few of MANY options so please do your homework.

If you already have a PT address¹ on your NIF you can easily update it yourself online via the finanças portal. Takes 10 minutes. Step 1: Log onto finanças portal with your NIF and password. Step 2: Find the address change area (Menu >> Morada >> Entregar Pedido de Alteração) Step 3: Scroll to the bottom to the new address section ( Nova Morada ) and make all the changes by inputting your new address info and submitting. It will be in a pending status. Step 4: In a week or two, you will get a code in the mail from finanças, mailed to your new address. You log in again and navigate to to the address change confirmation area (Menu >> Morada >> Confirmar Morada). Step 5: You confirm your address change with the code mailed to you, and voila! your address change will be complete. ¹ if you still have your foreign address associated with your NIF, you will need to change it during your AIMA appointment or renewal. *special thanks to Tanya of the Porto People group for this entry.

The Social Security Identification Number (NISS) is the number that allows for unique, accurate and rigorous identification before Social Security at a national level. For immigrants, the NISS has been associated with being able to take and/or get paid to take your state sponsored language classes. It is also necessary in order to sign up for your European Health Card (not your SNS, two different things).

As of July 2024, the circumstances for obtaining a NISS have changed. Currently the following applies. Due to new internal Social Security guidelines, foreign citizens can only be granted a NISS - Social Security Registration Number - if they present proof of their employment status. According to the new rules, it is now compulsory to present: An employment contract or; A copy of the start of self-employment and a copy of the receipts/invoices or; Company registration certificate from the Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN). As is always the case when it comes to government or legal issues, consult your attorney for the latest up to date information. *source: Ei! - Instagram If you arrived to Portugal with work or plan on working, follow this link to the Social Security website to begin the process. Portuguese Social Security Website

You can only activate the key online if you have a Portuguese Citizen Card. For those of us who have Residence cards, we need to activate in person. We went here to obtain our 'key'. Municipal Assembly of Gaia You are asked to provide the following: Resident Card or Passport (if using your passport you will need your NIF paperwork) Phone Number (Portuguese) SNS Number Email Address 4-8 Digit PIN (anything of your choice) Your Cell Phone The clerk takes care of everything including changing your PIN for you from the randomly assigned one you are initially given. During the process of setup (of approx 10min) you need to have your phone to verify one text message and one email. That's it basically. You are given a receipt and brief instruction on how to use it. In a nutshell, it is a method of 2 Factor Authentication. You input your phone number and PIN and receive a text with a code in return which is used to access the service which requires it. *an example of use: in order to register a drone for flying in Portugal, a Digital Mobile Key is necessary.

Yes, at least partially. In order to gain your Permanent Residency or Citizenship, you will need to have taken and completed government sponsored language classes for Portuguese Language levels A1 & A2 and been issued a certificate. or have taken and passed the CIPLE¹ exam. ¹exam tests language proficiency in Portuguese at the basic A2 level for anyone applying for a Portuguese permanent residence permit or citizenship. This link explains a little about language requirements and how they've changed a bit: Permanent Residency / Citizenship

Here are a couple of links to get you started. Portuguese Government Sponsored Class Information Intercultural Association Lisboa for further information, please inquire within the Porto People whatsapp group.

There are several apps available for the both Android & iOS that support European Portuguese. The 4 most recognized are listed here, although there are others. Click on an image to be taken to that products website. The individual apps can be found in the Google Play Store or iOS App Store.

To purchase your card, specifically a Blue Card, you can use a kiosk at any Metro stop. *Please note that the Kiosks have a language button to select from a few languages. Those languages are: Portuguese English Spanish French The kiosks accept cash, coin and credit card for payment. You can also reload your card at a kiosk. Blue cards are good for 1 year so hold onto the card (you paid €0.10 for it, keep it) Porto Metro uses Zones to determine how much to charge for each ride/trip. These zones are noted on the kiosks on the right side of the machine between the screen and the payment area. If you already have a monthly pass, you can also reload the pass using the kiosk.

Obtaining a Porto Metro monthly pass is straightforward. Follow these steps: Choose Your Pass Type: Decide which type of monthly pass suits your needs. Options include: Andante 3Z: Valid for travel in 3 zones (€30). Municipal Andante: Valid for travel within a municipality (€30). Andante Metropolitan: Valid for travel across all zones (€40). Purchase Your Andante Card: You need an Andante card to load your monthly pass. You can buy this card at: Metro stations CP ticket offices Andante stores Authorized Pay Shop agents Load Your Monthly Pass: Once you have your Andante card, you can load your monthly pass at: Ticket machines in metro stations Andante stores CP ticket offices Online via the Andante website Required Documents: For personalized passes, you may need to provide a photo ID (Passport and/or Resident Card) and a recent photo. Validate Your Pass: Always validate your Andante card at the start of each journey by tapping it on the yellow validators located at metro station entrances. Porto Metro has a good sales network for buying passes and getting information. They are busy so be prepared for a wait. More info at the link below:

To use any of the Porto Metro Cards or Passes, simply tap it on the yellow validation machines located at the entrance of metro stations or on buses before starting your journey. When you tap the card/pass you are looking for a green light. If you see a red light, you need to try again. This validates the card/pass for that trip. If you change trains, revalidate the card/pass again (it's not worth getting a ticket for not validating) Always Validate!

The Andante card is a Porto Area specific public transportation card/pass. You will see people validating a blue/silver card or using a monthly pass which may have their photo on it. Children, Students and those over 65yrs of age have special rates available to travel by bus, metro or train. These cards and/or passes are used for travel on buses, metro trains and regular trains within the Porto Metro Area.

The ANDA app* is a mobile application that allows you to travel on the public transport network in Porto, including metro, buses, and trains, without needing a physical ticket. It simplifies the process by automatically calculating the best fare for your journeys at the end of each month. The ANDA app charges you on a per trip basis up to the amount of a monthly pass. If you only take €22 worth of rides in a month, you only pay €22. If you take €50 worth of rides in a month, you only pay the amount of the monthly pass you qualify for, either €40 or €30. Note: the app is fully functional on Android, allowing the user to use their phone as their ticket. iOS (Apple/iPhone) users only have card/pass reading and recharging capability at this time.

To start using the ANDA app, download it from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. For Android users, ensure your smartphone (version 5.0 or above) has NFC, Bluetooth, and internet connectivity. For iPhone users, the app currently supports reading and recharging cards/passes ONLY.

Yes, thanks to one of our great members (you know who you are! 😉) on the Porto People Whatsapp Group. This is what they ask for below and is everything we submitted (re the certificate of authenticity of drivers license--we had but folks have reported NOT needing it-- we DID attach the apostilled copy of our USA driving record) The documents requested on the IMT form we completed online TROCA DE TÍTULOS DE CONDUÇÃO ESTRANGEIROS 3.0 (EXCHANGE OF FOREIGN DRIVING TITLES 3.0) (cognitoforms.com) Certidão de Autenticidade || Certificate of Authenticity Cópia do documento de identificação || Copy of the ID document–we used our resident card Cópia da carta de condução || Copy of the Driving License Certificado de Avaliação Psicológica || Psychological Assessment Certificate (NOTE N/A for us) Atestado Médico Eletrónico || Digital medical Certificate–we attached the paper copy of our medical/eye exam which had also been uploaded directly to IMT at the time of our exams Outros || Others–here we added the Apostilled Drivers Record **NOTE** online they did NOT ask for the - Certidão do domicilio fiscal que deve ser solicitada online pelo interessado no Portal das Finanças. (Tax domicile certificate that must be requested online by the interested party on the Finance Portal) We had the document for both of us and I almost attached it anyway as I had read it could be required but, I did not attach AND we both subsequently received a request to upload .

According to the Whatsapp Foodie Group, the following two creams are generally considered the favorites. This of course will vary by individual taste but does give you a starting point. The Facebook Portugal Cakers & Bakers Group can also provide additional information on the subject.

Yes, the major super markets in Portugal do carry fresh, pasteurized milk as expats are used to in North America. There are a couple of brands and it will vary depending on the super market. Below are examples from Continente and Pingo Doce. (these would be found in the refrigerated dairy section with the yogurt, butter, etc)