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In November, Portugal registered 2,407 requests for British citizens to register in the country, at a time approaching December 31, the period until which Portugal, as well as 14 other European Union (EU) countries, grants Citizens of the United Kingdom have the right to five years of residence, reports the Reuters Agency this Monday, November 21.
These data are still provisional, but show an increase compared to March 2019, when the UK should have left the European Union and where the number of registrants was 1,453. “Reuters” spoke with some British citizens who recently arrived in Portugal.
“Last summer I was in Europe for six months and I enjoyed it so much that I planned to do it every year, but now it is no longer possible. As soon as Brexit happened, I googled all the ways to get European citizenship, ”says Beth Sands, a 35-year-old nutritionist who moved to Portugal in September.
Those who also decided to choose to live in Portugal were older citizens who presented their retirement plan, while others took the opportunity to work from home to move. “It all worked out like a perfect storm,” says Samantha Harding, 49, who moved to Cascais in September after learning she could stay on the job.
Although some Britons are long-term residents and not yet registered in the country, the British embassy in Portugal says many are newcomers.
“I have the feeling that many of them came to register an address and get the certificate. They just want a ticket to Europe ”, María Ricardo refers to“ Reuters ”, which analyzes residency applications in the municipality of Loulé, in the Algarve.
To obtain residency, citizens must have a registered address and be able to support themselves financially and have access to medical care. For Brits who miss the December 31 deadline, moving to a European country will mean complying with the rules for immigrants outside the European Union.
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