Atlantic Circuit, Portugal……extending a visa?

Fascadale

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Is it possible, and if so how easy is it, to get a visa extension in Portugal?

We are planning an “Atlantic Circuit” this year with the intention of crossing Biscay in June, thereby entering Schengen and then hoping to depart the Canaries, and Schengen, in October. So more than 90 days in Schengen.

Morocco might have been an option but at present it’s ports are shut to visiting yachts.

It seems that Gibraltar has not become part of Schengen as was the original plan but that would be a very expensive and somewhat unexciting place to stay.

Is there an answer to this problem? Solutions please……
 
I think only Sweden and France have long stay visas for tourism - so the only real option is to go the residency route.
 
We tried very hard to get residency under the current visa arrangement. The one you have to use is the D7. It's not designed for yachties wanting to stay a bit longer. It's set up for somebody looking to move home to Portugal. It's a complete nightmare. You need a lease on a property, €7000 each in a Portuguese bank and a monthly income equal or more than the Portuguese minimum wage. We employed an immigration consultant who was very helpful.
We didn't want to go through all that pain.
We actually got our residency through a different route as we could prove we were in Portugal in 2020 during covid when all their government buildings were closed. They gave us residency on the assumption that we wanted to apply but were unable due to the closures ?
That option closed in Autumn last year. I think we were one of the last to get it
 
Unfortunately, I suspect the opportunity for cruising yachts to get temporary residency in Portugal no longer exists.☹️

Friends advised that prior to Brexit, mobile home owners could get residency by quoting their municipal camp site as a place of residence but this is no longer allowed.?

Will cruisers who already have residency be permitted to renew their residency❓ Rather suspect it will be who they know.?

Only time will tell.
 
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Unfortunately, I suspect the opportunity for cruising yachts to get temporary residency in Portugal no longer exists.☹

Friends advised that prior to Brexit, mobile home owners could get residency by quoting their municipal camp site as a place of residence but this is no longer allowed.?

Will cruisers who already have residency be permitted to renew their residency❓ Rather suspect it will be who they know.?

Only time will tell.

We have had residency since November 2020 so we still have three and a half years to go before having to apply again. With the way the world is I have no idea what the response will be, but if Portuguese bureaucracy remains as it is then I suspect it may depend on the person behind the desk on the day.

Getting legally hitched to my partner next week - she has an Irish passport, so that is our backup plan.

- W
 
Unfortunately, I suspect the opportunity for cruising yachts to get temporary residency in Portugal no longer exists.☹
Friends advised that prior to Brexit, mobile home owners could get residency by quoting their municipal camp site as a place of residence but this is no longer allowed.?

Will cruisers who already have residency be permitted to renew their residency❓ Rather suspect it will be who they know.? Only time will tell.

I suspect many will be refused. Under the EU citizen rules, we all had the right to reside anywhere, provided we notified authorities we had become resident in their country so, a residence certificate was just a formality. Normally, temporary residence is followed by application for permanent status and at that point they expect to see applicants are settled with property either rented or purchased, the process is also more involved. Add to that, we are now third country citizens, with no automatic right of residence.
 
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Thanks. It is a Civil Partnership in Scotland. Same rights, obligations etc as marriage, but a partnership instead of an institution,

- W

As your civil partnership forms the basis for your free travel, in may be sensible to have it legalised and translated. We have a certified translation of our marriage certificate for the same purpose.
 
Why not sail to the Canaries directly?

I want to cross Biscay in early summer and to enjoy the Rias and Portugal. The Canaries are part of Schengen and I don’t want to leave there until October/November

I’m an Irish citizen so Schengen is not a problem for me, but it is for my sadly still British crew
 
I want to cross Biscay in early summer and to enjoy the Rias and Portugal. The Canaries are part of Schengen and I don’t want to leave there until October/November

I’m an Irish citizen so Schengen is not a problem for me, but it is for my sadly still British crew
Not going to happen then unless you can swap crew
 
As your civil partnership forms the basis for your free travel, in may be sensible to have it legalised and translated. We have a certified translation of our marriage certificate for the same purpose.

Translated I understand, but what is 'legalised' ??

I presume any Avogada can do this? Though our residency covers us for Portugal, this would be for Spain . . . if we wish to spend more than 90/180 she wojld enter Spain on her Irish passport. So it is probably a Spanish tranaslation/legalisation we most need.


- W
 
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