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EU long-term resident status in Portugal — Article 125

PortugalLong-term residence

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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What exact status does accumulated residence lead to?

EU long-term resident status, which is permanent and is documented by an EU long-term residence permit.

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What qualifying residence period is required and when does the period begin?

Legal and uninterrupted residence in Portugal for the five years immediately before the application; for beneficiaries of international protection the period counts from the date of the application that led to protection being granted.

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Which types of residence count fully, partially or not at all where the official rules specify this?

Periods as a seasonal worker, posted worker or cross-border service provider (temporary-only reasons) do not count. Periods holding residence for study, unpaid training or volunteering count at half once the person obtains a residence permit that allows long-term status. Uninterrupted stay under a work visa or stay permit issued under previous legislation counts.

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What absence/continuity rules affect accumulation of the qualifying residence period?

Absences do not interrupt the period and count towards it if each is shorter than 6 consecutive months and together they do not exceed 10 months within the period. Absences due to posting for work reasons, such as cross-border service provision, are also counted.

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What other major conditions apply, how is the status obtained, and what renewal, document-validity, retention or loss rules matter?

Other conditions: stable and regular resources sufficient for oneself and family without using the solidarity subsystem, health insurance, accommodation and basic Portuguese fluency. The application goes to the AIMA office of the applicant's area of residence; the decision must be notified within six months. The EU long-term residence permit is valid at least five years and automatically renewable on request. Status is lost, among other cases, after 12 consecutive months outside the EU or six consecutive years outside Portugal; expiry of the residence document does not mean loss of the status.

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These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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