This checklist takes you through moving to Portugal from the UK in 2026, step by step, from choosing a visa to healthcare, driving and tax.
What changed for UK movers in 2025 and 2026
For British movers, the biggest changes are digital border checks, a longer road to citizenship, a higher D8 income threshold and clearer guidance on UK driving licences.
| Change | Date in force | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Decree-Law 85-B/2025 on residence document validity | 30 June 2025 | Certain residence permits stayed valid until 15 October 2025; AIMA runs a renewals portal for permits that expired after 30 June 2025. |
| Portuguese minimum wage raised to €920 a month | 1 January 2026 | The D8 remote worker residence threshold, four times the minimum wage, is now €3,680 a month (about £3,080, approximate). |
| Entry/Exit System (EES) fully operational | 10 April 2026 | Visitors are registered with fingerprints and a photo. Residents with a biometric Portuguese residence card do not need to register. |
| Nationality law revision (Lei Orgânica 1/2026) | 19 May 2026 | Citizenship now needs 10 years of legal residence for British citizens, counted from the date AIMA issues the residence permit. |
| GOV.UK Living in Portugal updated on residence cards and driving | 10 July 2026 | Registered residents can drive on a valid UK licence until it expires, and can exchange it through IMT using a DVLA or DVA check code. |
| ETIAS travel authorisation postponed | Not before 2027; no start date set as of October 2026 | Visitors will eventually pay €20, but nothing is payable yet. |
Correcting an outdated assumption. Many older checklists tell British residents to exchange their UK licence within a fixed deadline or stop driving. GOV.UK’s current guidance, updated on 10 July 2026, says registered residents can drive on a UK or Gibraltar licence until it expires, and that an exchange is still possible up to two years after expiry. Licences from Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man should be exchanged.
Before Brexit and after: which rules apply to you
If you were living in Portugal before 1 January 2021, the Withdrawal Agreement protects your rights; if you are moving now, you follow the same visa rules as other non-EU citizens.
| Your situation | Rules that apply | Document to hold |
|---|---|---|
| Lived legally in Portugal before 1 January 2021 | Withdrawal Agreement | Withdrawal Agreement residence card; permanent card valid for 10 years after five years of residence |
| Pre-2021 resident with no card | Withdrawal Agreement, but you must prove it | Email brexit@aima.gov.pt with proof of residence before 2021 |
| Moving now | Portuguese immigration law for non-EU citizens | Residence visa, then an AIMA residence card |
| Visiting or owning a holiday home | Schengen rules | None; up to 90 days in any 180 |
Pre-2021 residents applying now should reply within 10 working days if AIMA asks for more information, then attend an AIMA appointment with a valid passport, proof of address, any original EU residency documents, their NIF, their health number (NNU) and, if they have one, their social security number (NISS).
Warning: A holiday home is not a residence right. Owning property in Portugal gives no right to stay beyond 90 days in any 180. Since 10 April 2026 the EES counts your days automatically, and overstaying can lead to a ban of up to three years.
The checklist at a glance
Work backwards from your moving date: the visa takes longest, so it comes first.
| When | Task | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 6 to 12 months before | Choose your visa route and check the consulate’s document list | Everything else depends on the route |
| 6 to 12 months before | Check your passport | Schengen rules need it issued within the last 10 years and valid for three months after you leave |
| 3 to 6 months before | Get a NIF and, usually, a Portuguese bank account | Needed for the visa, a lease and later registrations |
| 3 to 6 months before | Order criminal record certificates, apostilles and translations | Consulates and AIMA ask for them |
| 3 to 6 months before | Arrange accommodation and health cover | Both are visa requirements |
| 1 to 3 months before | Book removals, prepare pets, decide on the car | Lead times and paperwork |
| On arrival | Attend AIMA, register with a health centre, register an S1 | Your legal status and healthcare |
| First year | Tax registration, licence, first Portuguese tax return | Avoid penalties and double tax |
Six to twelve months before: choose your visa route
Most British movers use the D7 for pensions and passive income or the D8 for remote work; investors use the Golden Visa and employees a work visa. Our guide on how to get residency in Portugal compares every route.
| Route | Best for | Key requirement in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| D7 | Retirees and people living on pensions, rents or investments | Regular income assessed against the €920 monthly minimum wage, with more for family members |
| D8 residence | Remote employees and freelancers with clients abroad | At least four times the minimum wage: €3,680 a month |
| Golden Visa | Investors | From €250,000 (cultural heritage) or €500,000 (funds, research, a company); property no longer qualifies |
| Work visa or EU Blue Card | People with a Portuguese job offer | Contract or qualifying offer |
For the detail, read the Portugal D7 visa requirements and application guide or the Portugal digital nomad visa (D8) guide. The British Embassy in Lisbon cannot help with visa or residency applications; the Portuguese consulates in London and Manchester can advise.
Three to six months before: documents, money and UK admin
Use this window for the paperwork that takes weeks: tax numbers, certificates, apostilles, translations, health cover and somewhere to live.
- Get a NIF. Your Portuguese tax number is needed to work, pay tax and register for healthcare, and in practice for a lease and a bank account.
- Open a Portuguese bank account. Many visa applicants show funds in Portugal; our guide on how to open a bank account in Portugal lists what banks ask for.
- Order your ACRO police certificate and birth and marriage certificates, and have them apostilled by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office where the consulate requires it.
- Arrange certified translations of anything the consulate or AIMA wants in Portuguese.
- Secure accommodation, such as a lease or a deed, as visa applications ask where you will live.
- Arrange health cover that is valid in Portugal until you can register with the SNS. Our guide to health insurance for expats in Portugal explains what consulates accept.
- Get Portuguese tax advice before you sell assets or draw pensions, because the timing of your arrival affects when you become tax resident.
Tip: Act before the tax year in which you arrive. You become Portuguese tax resident by spending more than 183 days in Portugal in any 12-month period or by having a home there you intend to keep as your habitual residence. If you may qualify for IFICI, the 20% regime for qualifying professionals, the application deadline is 15 January of the year after you become resident.
Plan your UK and Portuguese tax before you move
Compare tax advisers in the ExpatListing directory who handle UK exit planning, Portuguese residency and the double taxation agreement
One to three months before: removals, pets and the car
Book removals early, follow GOV.UK’s pet travel guidance and decide whether your car comes with you.
| Item | What to do |
|---|---|
| Household goods | Get at least three written quotes and ask what customs paperwork is needed for a change of residence |
| Pets | Follow GOV.UK guidance on taking a pet dog, cat or ferret abroad; allow time for the microchip, rabies vaccination and health certificate from an official vet |
| Car | Ask whether importing and re-registering a UK car in Portugal is worth the cost compared with buying locally |
| Blue Badge | GOV.UK says holders living in Portugal must return it to the UK issuing authority |
| Children travelling alone | Under-18s travelling without a parent or guardian need a letter of authority |
Compare quotes from international moving companies for Portugal, and budget the whole move with our guide to how much it costs to move to Portugal.
Arrival and the first three months: AIMA, NIF and healthcare
Your first priorities are the AIMA appointment for your residence card, then registration with your local health centre and the tax authority.
| Task | Where | What to bring |
|---|---|---|
| AIMA appointment for biometrics | AIMA office | Passport with residence visa, supporting documents, NIF |
| Health number (número de utente) | Local health centre (centro de saúde) | Residence certificate, passport and NIF |
| Register an S1 (UK State Pensioners and some others) | Portuguese social security and health centre | Your S1 form from the NHS Overseas Healthcare Team |
| Update your address with the tax authority | Tax and Customs Authority (Autoridade Tributária) | NIF and proof of address |
| Enrol children in school | Local school | Children aged 6 to 18 must attend school |
Registered residents have the same treatment rights in the SNS as Portuguese citizens. GOV.UK says private insurance is optional for residents but that you must still register for state healthcare. Our guide on how to register for healthcare in Portugal covers each step.
Callout: Your UK GHIC stops working when you move. GOV.UK says that once you live in Portugal, you cannot use or renew a UK GHIC or EHIC unless you are a UK student, or a UK State Pensioner or frontier worker with an S1 registered in Portugal. Arrange other cover for trips until your SNS registration is complete.
Find health cover for the gap before SNS registration
Compare insurance providers in the ExpatListing directory whose policies meet Portuguese visa requirements
The first year: driving, tax and pensions
In your first year, decide when to exchange your UK licence, file your first Portuguese tax return and make sure HMRC and the Department for Work and Pensions know you have moved.
| Area | What to do |
|---|---|
| UK driving licence | Registered residents can drive on it until it expires; to exchange, get a check code from the DVLA (or DVA in Northern Ireland), apply through IMT, then attend an IMT office for biometrics and hand in your licence |
| Temporary licence (guia) | IMT issues a guia while the exchange is processed; if it expires, email aminhacarta@imt-ip.pt |
| Portuguese tax | File your first return as a resident; worldwide income is taxable, with 2026 rates from 12.5% to 48% |
| Double taxation | The UK-Portugal agreement prevents the same income being taxed twice; tell HMRC you have left |
| UK State Pension | GOV.UK says it is increased each year for pensioners living in the European Economic Area, which includes Portugal |
| Portuguese pensions | Contact the Portuguese Social Security Institute about old-age pensions if you will work in Portugal |
Read the step-by-step guide to exchange a UK driving licence in Portugal and our guide to taxes for expats living in Portugal.
Where sources conflict. Many relocation checklists still say British citizens can apply for Portuguese citizenship after five years, and the Ministry of Justice’s own nationality page (updated 18 May 2026) still shows five years. Lei Orgânica 1/2026, in force from 19 May 2026, requires 10 years for British citizens, counted from when AIMA issues your residence permit. Plan on ten.
UK ties to keep or close
Keep a UK bank account and a UK mobile number for security codes, but tell each provider that you now live abroad, and close or transfer what you no longer need.
| UK tie | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| UK bank account | Keep it open if your bank allows customers living abroad; check its policy before you move |
| UK mobile number | Useful for bank security codes; check roaming charges |
| GP and NHS | Deregister with your GP once you have left; S1 holders keep UK-funded cover in Portugal |
| Electoral register | Register as an overseas voter if you want to vote in UK elections |
| Council tax and utilities | Close or transfer accounts with final readings |
| Post | Arrange redirection, then move correspondence to your Portuguese address |
For the full move, from housing to schools, start with how to move to Portugal, and browse British-friendly providers on the Portugal country hub.
Frequently asked questions
