Labour System
7.3. Long-Term Resident Status
Foreign nationals may secure long-term resident status, provided that they have resided legally and continuously in the country for five years immediately preceding their application, and they have stable, regular income sufficient for their own subsistence and that of their family, health insurance, housing, and demonstrated fluency in basic Portuguese.
This application should be filed at the SEF office in the applicant’s district. The applicant will be notified in writing of the decision within six months (in exceptional circumstances associated with the complexity of an application, the deadline may be extended for three months, with the applicant informed of said extension). Failure to notify within a 9-month period implies tacit acceptance of the request.
Long-term resident status is permanent and based on a title ("EC title") whose duration has a minimum validity of five years and is automatically renewable, upon application, while valid.
Recipients of long-term status enjoy equal treatment with nationals under the Constitution and the law.
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