How much patience do aspiring expats need? Let’s put it this way: If you don’t have it, you ain’t gonna make it.
Moving to a new country requires a lot of paperwork and with that comes a lot of bureaucracy. Portugal is no different. I have been fairly fortunate in most of my interactions with bureaucracy here. When I moved here, the visa requirements were different and I was able to move to Portugal without having my NIF (Financial ID number) or a Portuguese bank account set up. I did the NIF online and set up my bank account in person. Now you need to have that set up ahead of time and since you’re usually doing it from the US, it’s a bit more difficult. (You can also take care of it on a scouting trip.)
The paperwork you need to prepare for your visa and the hoops you have to jump through should be a major clue: You will need patience not just for the transition process, but for the rest of your time in Portugal. Things work differently here, nothing happens fast, and nobody cares how they did it back in the States.
Also know that if you don’t speak the language, everything is going to be harder and take that much longer. The first time I figured out which buttons to push to get money out of an ATM, I felt like a rock star. Grocery shopping involved learning new brands, figuring out the Portuguese names of things, and getting used to the way grocery stores are organized. I now zip through the aisles of my local stores, but when I first got here, something as mundane as grocery shopping took twice as long as it should have.
Back Up at AIMA
There’s bureaucracy in every country. Ask people who have immigrated to the States what kind of hoops they have jumped through to get their Green Card (Permanent Residency) and what they have to do to renew it. I just checked a random application processing time for Form I-485—Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. The Ft. Myers, Florida office proudly announces that 80% of cases are processed within 29.5 months. That’s two and a half years.
People are quick to denounce the lack of speed as “third world bureaucracy,” but the fact of the matter is governments are slow EVERYWHERE. Well, maybe not everywhere, but most places and Portugal is no slower than most. It’s just that we have never experienced the process of moving to a new country and our expectations are not in line with reality.
The Portuguese immigration service (SEF) has changed over to AIMA: Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum. There’s been a restructuring of the border control system; the changeover took place in October of 2023. Needless to say, it did not go smoothly. New processes, new computer system, confusion about the new policies added to the large backup that created the need for the restructuring in the first place. Some of the online residency renewals went through as smoothly as they were supposed to. (Mine was one of them.) Many did not. More backups while that got straightened out. More than six months later, people are having trouble getting appointments for their initial residency appointments and renewals. Americans, of course, immediately decide to sue because they are not getting fast service. (Yes, my eyes are rolling back in my head.) So now AIMA has to deal with that.
In 2022, over 110,000 people immigrated to Portugal, a 21% increase over 2021. There are around two dozen AIMA/SEF offices in the country (they’re adding ten more). Most of these offices are small. My initial appointment went incredibly smoothly. It still took about forty-five minutes of the agent’s time.
Yes, it’s frustrating. Yes, you will have anxiety about your appointment and getting the paperwork settled and making sure you’re legal. You will worry about traveling outside the country and getting back in. You will worry even more because your visa is expiring and you won’t know if the online renewal will work and you can’t get an appointment or a straight answer. All of these things. It’s part of the deal. Moving to a new country is full of anxiety and frustration and fear. You have to work through it—it’s the only way. And you have to accept that things will happen in their own time, not yours.
For example…
My Driver’s License Story
When I first arrived, I had no idea of how the whole immigration process worked. I knew I had to check in with SEF (now AIMA) so they knew I was in the country. What I didn’t understand was that an appointment had been made for me when I applied for my visa, about three months after arrival, to finalize my temporary residency. Thanks to COVID lockdowns, my appointment was rescheduled for almost six months after that, which gave me scramble time to get all my ducks in a row for the appointment. Then I learned that I had to initiate changing over my driver’s license to Portugal within 90 days of getting my residency card. I learned this approximately 70 days after getting my residency card. Another scramble.
I started the drivers’ license exchange process in December of 2021 with the necessary doctor’s appointment. He asked me a few questions, made sure I wasn’t blind or crazy, and sent a document to IMT, the Portuguese DMV. The process was officially started. In March of 2022, armed with the proper paperwork, I went to the IMT, turned in my Florida license, was issued a temporary paper Portuguese license, told I was “all set and my permanent license should arrive in 30 days.”
And somewhere in those 30 days, the requirements for the drivers’ license transfer process changed. I had to get new paperwork from the State of Florida (apostilled) and resubmit. I emailed the docs. When I went for my six-month renewal, I was asked to produce the originals. I had anticipated this and I submitted them. (Pro Tip: Every time you deal with a government entity, take every piece of paper you have ever needed for that entity with you.) Every six months I would go to the IMT and renew my temporary license. Each time I was assured the license was “in process.”
I got VERY GOOD with not worrying about it. I was VERY SURE they had lost the paperwork and I would end up doing everything all over again. I couldn’t rent a car outside of Portugal, but hot rumor had it that I could drive with that flimsy piece of paper. I never tested it. I didn’t have a car, but others have said that they have both rented and bought cars in Portugal with only a temporary license.
Time passed. The gentleman at the front desk of Faro IMT got to recognizing me. In February of 2024, I renewed my temporary license again. I was reassured the paperwork was still “in process.” Smiles all around.
And about six weeks later, my permanent license showed up in my mailbox. All good. A little short of two and a half years start to finish.
For the record, I heard plenty of people complaining about wait time at the IMTs. My first visit was by appointment and I waited about ten minutes. Every renewal after that, I just walked in. I never waited more than forty-five minutes. I have spent much more time in DMV wait queues. Just as in the States, wait times vary with offices. In the States, I learned to go to the smaller towns or out of the way offices to avoid huge lines. Faro is a fair-sized city. I’m sure the wait times at the main Lisboa office are longer. Other expats report quick service at various offices in smaller cities. Often, it’s luck of the draw. Same as the States.
And Some Things Go Smoothly
That being said, almost EVERYTHING else I have done here has gone smoothly, from applying through VFS Global during COVID, to my initial SEF appointment, getting my NIF and bank account set up, finding a long-term apartment (truly a challenge), and even getting a Portuguese Social Security number.
Taxes are a crapshoot. I don’t understand them. I can barely do my US taxes. The Portuguese taxes go to an accountant. I have no idea if she is doing a good job or not. Once everything is settled for the year with the Portuguese Finances people, I will have the last two years of taxes reviewed by yet a third accountant. But, in keeping with the theme of this post, some things you just have to let go of and trust that things will all get sorted.
My biggest challenge is learning the language. I have completed my A1/A2 training so I can become a citizen when the time comes. BUT… I still can’t speak the language. More than anything, we expats need patience with ourselves.
And Yes, Overall, It’s a Slower Pace
One of the reasons people love Portugal is that it runs on a slower pace. You are out of the rush-rush-rush mentality of the US. People sit and enjoy coffee with friends—they don’t go about their day holding a to-go cup. There are ticket machines for just about everything here—doctors’ offices, pharmacies, the post office, banks. You go to the machine, choose the type of service you need (yeah—that takes some figuring out), get your ticket, and wait until your number is called. Orderly. Not always fast.
Restaurant service in most places is slow, too. (Snapping your fingers at waiters in any country is not going to speed up service nor win you friends.) That being said, I have NEVER been rushed out of a restaurant after a meal so they could “turn the table.”
US expats have to get really good with being patient. We are used to a fast-paced environment. Portugal is not that. It’s progressive politically. It has first world health care and fabulous food and a rich culture. But it’s not fast. It is not the United States. Half the US Americans who move here end up leaving. Now, there are many reasons for this, but a lot of them directly relate back to not assimilating into the culture. If you want to be happy here, you need to adjust your expectations and slow your little butt down. Breathe. On the plus side, slower is a healthier way to live.
