I am getting all my documents sorted for my visa interview and just want to double check a couple of things on the application form…

Question 27 asks for the arrival and departure dates, I am asking for the visa to start in September, so if they approve and issue, am I able to travel to Portugal (when they return my passport to me) prior to the visa start date without that being counted in the rules about not leaving the country more than twice once I have moved there?

in terms of a departure date in q27, prob a stupid question, but is that four months from the date I have asked it to start from, so start Sept end Jan?

For question 32, am I ok to tick both the boxes to say I am supporting myself in cash ( ie the funds I have in the PT bank account) and also tick the box to say a host is supporting me ( my son has completed the Term of Responsibility form to say he will house and support me for 12 months), or do I leave it blank and fill in under their advice at the appointment?

Finally, health insurance…

The Visto website says I need “health insurance for the duration of the stay or transit of the visa applicant and not the duration of the visa”. I am looking at the Axa Schengen low cost insurance for 6 months, as I am assuming that statement means I need cover until I have been approved at my SEF interview, or have I misinterpreted it?

Thank you!

Re the insurance, we used axa. I took the insurance out for four months which took us to when our visa ran out.
I worked on the assumption at the end of four months we would have residency and in the Portuguese health system or have residency rejected and have to head home, so why bother paying for longer.
However, extending to 6 months is not going to break the bank. Having insurance up to your SEF meeting is how I interpreted it.

we where told by our case handler that the GHIC card was sufficient, so we came here with that, and then sorted some insurance out once we knew we where going to be able to stay.

Did you get your Residency

Not yet, I had my appointment with Manchester VFS, about a month ago, which was not what I was expecting, i thought it was an interview but all that happened was my documents were taken off me, my biometrics and money were taken and I was told it would all be passed to the embassy for checking. They didn’t take my passport, just a photocopy. No opportunity to explain what I had submitted and no answer to whether I had provided the right info.

I am waiting til the end of this week and will then chase.

Just had an email to say my visa has been granted, I have to send my passport for it to be updated. It starts from the 4th September and my SEF is on the 20th October. The appointment is at Aveiro, which is a pain as I am staying in Sintra with my son til i buy a house, anyone know if it’s possible to change the location?

I know you did well you are just nervous.. I will go through that too..

Very happy for you...