The Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) and the United Kingdom Embassy in Lisbon today launched the second phase of their joint information campaign, which aims to inform all British nationals living in Portugal on the new exchange procedure for their current residence permit under the Resident Status Withdrawal Agreement.
The exchange of the current residence document (EU Citizen Registration Certificate issued by the City Council or EU Citizen Permanent Residence Certificate issued by SEF) will be carried out through the new Brexit Portal (brexit.sef.pt), which can be accessed from today, allowing British nationals to register online. The new card will be issued from the 1st of January 2021, the date from which British nationals will no longer be covered by European Union rules. The new card will thus demonstrate that they are covered by the Withdrawal Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom, with their rights protected after the end of the transition period.
After submitting the registration form on the new Portal, UK nationals will be able to download a proof of that request in digital format – a supporting document with a QR Code – which can be printed and used whenever they travel, as proof of their residence in Portugal.
Subsequently, as of the 1st of January, SEF will notify British nationals who registered their request on the Portal to schedule a further visit in order to provide additional information which will be included in their new biometric residence permit.
British nationals will also have, as of today, a telephone number and an email address dedicated to providing support on issues related to the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, including the document exchange process, which is available on the SEF Brexit portal.
Current European Union residence documents will continue to be accepted after the 31st of December 2020 and until the new residence permit is issued.
The UK Ambassador to Portugal, Chris Sainty, welcomed this initiative, saying: “We are very grateful to the Portuguese authorities who worked to make Portal ready before the end of the transition period. I am sure it will be very well received by the British community in Portugal. This is a very important step that will reassure the British residents here about their rights under the Withdrawal Agreement. I am also very happy that the British Embassy and SEF have worked so well together. This collaboration is a great help in ensuring that UK nationals in Portugal have access to the information they need in the last days of the transition period.”
The interim national director of the Foreigners and Borders Service, José Barão, also praised the excellent collaboration between the two organisations in providing a first class public service: “SEF’s work on this Brexit Portal is part of the broader service digitisation strategy we have embarked on. We were one of the first countries in the European Union to offer a portal that allows the exchange of titles under the Withdrawal Agreement. The fulfillment of the Portuguese State’s commitment is fundamental to the SEF, as well as providing confidence to the British community and their families who live in national territory. We are grateful for the UK Embassy’s continued support and collaboration in this joint effort that has achieved such a high level of cooperation.”
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
