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Your first 30 days in Portugal

Your first month in Portugal is a chain of steps where each one unlocks the next. Your tax number (NIF) and an address come first, then your AIMA residence appointment, social security number, health number and bank account.

Last checked 9 Oct 2026·Information, not advice

In 30 seconds

  • Before or on arrival: have your NIF and a Portuguese phone number. Almost everything asks for one or both
  • Week one: make sure your AIMA appointment is booked, apply for your NISS, and register at your local health centre for a health user number
  • Then: a bank account, your lease registered with the tax office, school places, the Chave Móvel Digital and changing your tax address to Portugal

The order of things

WhenTaskWhy now
Before you flyGet your NIF (How much tax will I pay in Portugal?)Banks, landlords, employers and the health service ask for it
Day 1Get a Portuguese SIM (phones and internet)Banks, MB WAY and government logins send codes to your mobile
Days 1 to 7Check your AIMA appointment is booked, or book itYour residence visa lets you stay four months while you apply for your residence permit, and appointments can be slow
Week 1Apply for your NISS (social security number)Needed to work and to pay contributions. Your employer can apply for you
Week 1 to 2Go to your local health centre (centro de saúde) for your health user number (número de utente), or check your private cover is active (healthcare)So you are covered if you need a doctor
Week 1 to 2Open or upgrade your bank account (bank accounts)Rent, bills and payroll go through it
By the end of the month after your lease startsCheck your landlord has registered your lease with the tax officeYou need a registered lease for some benefits and tax deductions
As soon as you have an addressApply for school places (schools)All children aged 6 to 18 must attend school
Once you live hereChange your tax address to Portugal and set up the Chave Móvel DigitalYou become a tax resident, and you’ll need the login for tax and public services

Why the order matters

Many steps depend on others. The bank wants your NIF. The health service wants your NIF, address and residence permit before it covers your care. The tax office wants your AIMA permit or proof of your AIMA appointment before it records you as resident. Your employer needs your NIF, NISS and bank details to pay you. Doing them in order saves repeat visits.

Keep a folder Keep your passport, visa, NIF letter, AIMA appointment and receipts, lease, UK driving licence, marriage and birth certificates and recent payslips together, on paper and as scans. Some offices may ask for certified translations of UK documents.

Your AIMA residence permit

AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo) replaced the old border agency, SEF, in October 2023. You give your fingerprints at an AIMA office and the card is posted to you. A first temporary residence permit lasts 2 years; renewals last 3. GOV.UK says it is a legal requirement to carry a valid residence document and you can be fined without one. Waits have been long: AIMA has said some first cards, such as for family reunification, can take up to nine months. Keep your appointment receipts: the tax office and others accept them while you wait.

Your lease and the tax office

Landlords must register a lease with the tax office on form Modelo 2 by the end of the month after it starts, and pay stamp duty of 10% of one month’s rent. Since 1 August 2025, if the landlord misses that deadline you can report it yourself through the Portal das Finanças (Comunicação do Locatário), with a copy of the signed lease. The deposit (caução) is capped at 2 months’ rent: see How do deposits and rental contracts work?

Chave Móvel Digital

The Chave Móvel Digital (CMD) is the state’s digital login and signature. It links your mobile number to your ID: for a foreign citizen, your passport or residence card. You use it to log in to public portals, including tax and social security, and to sign documents.

Your driving licence

GOV.UK says that if you are a registered resident with a UK licence, a UK–Portugal agreement lets you drive on it until it expires. IMT, the transport authority, also lists conditions for using a UK licence: it must be valid, issued or renewed in the last 15 years, and you must be under 60. If you don’t meet them, or prefer a Portuguese licence, exchange it with IMT: you need a medical certificate and a check code from the DVLA (or the DVA in Northern Ireland), it costs €30 (about £25) and there is no test. Licences from Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man must be exchanged. See Can I drive on my UK licence?

Staying in touch with the UK

Read the FCDO’s Portugal travel advice, which covers entry rules, laws and safety, and register as an overseas voter if you want to keep voting in UK elections. GOV.UK says you may be able to vote in Portuguese local elections, but not in national elections unless you are a citizen.

What the first month costs

  • Temporary accommodation while you look for a home
  • A deposit of up to 2 months’ rent, plus up to 2 months in advance
  • Furniture, if you rent unfurnished or your shipment is on the way
  • Transport passes or a car
  • Phone and internet set-up, plus AIMA fees and any translations

The moving fund calculator adds these up for your city and household. See also How do I move money from the UK?

What to do next

  1. Get your NIF before you fly
  2. Confirm your AIMA appointment and apply for your NISS in your first week
  3. Register at your health centre and check your lease is registered with Finanças

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