A message from the British Embassy regarding the new biometric residency card

Now that we are getting closer to the end of the Brexit transition period, we are re-focusing on encouraging UK nationals to register for residency before the end of the year. We are working closely with SEF on this, and we will launch a joint campaign very soon. We will send more information about the campaign later on.

We understand that many UK nationals here are asking about the need to exchange their current documents eventually. We now know that the process for exchanging current residence documents to the Withdrawal Agreement residence documents will open towards the end of the year.  

• UK residents in Portugal will be asked to complete an online pre-registration form that will identify them, and their family members, as residents under the Withdrawal Agreement. This registration will be done on a dedicated platform. 
• This will allow SEF to contact UK nationals after 1 January 2021, providing them with an appointment in order to collect biometric data for the new residency card.
• The new card can only be issued to those who are already registered for residency in Portugal. So if UK nationals are not yet registered as residents in Portugal, they will need to go to their Town Hall and register first before pre-registering online. Their current documents remain valid after the end of the transition period. 

Together with SEF, we will have a joint campaign providing information on what UK nationals need to do. We will let you know when we are about to launch this.

Be assured that your documents will still be valid after the end of the transition period and that there will be information coming soon, on what you will need to do.