Permanent Residency and Language Skills
 

I'm a few years into my temporary Portuguese residency so don't have to worry about exchanging it for permanent residency for a while yet. However I have read in a few places that to get permanent residency you need to be able to demonstrate basic Portuguese language skills. I was under the impression that language skills were only needed when applying for citizenship.

Can anyone who has permanent residency throw any light on this?

Re: Permanent Residency and Language Skills
 

The SEF page makes no mention of it
https://www.sef.pt/en/Pages/conteudo...he.aspx?nID=22

If you click on the link the form is there in Portuguese - again no reference to language skills.
As you state the language test comes with the citizenship application.

Re: Permanent Residency and Language Skills
 

Thanks for the link. That's really helpful.

After a bit of googling for something unrelated I came across https://www.belionpartners.com/portuguese-language-test which starts off: "Passing a Portuguese test of "basic knowledge" is required for all applicants applying for permanent residency or citizenship."

I then landed on https://imigrante.sef.pt/en/solicitar/residir/art80/, which appears to be an official SEF site, where it says under Article 80 – Permanent Residence Permit, Documents Required: "Evidence of basic command of the Portuguese language, by presenting:

• A certificate issued by a Portuguese official or officially recognized teaching establishment, or
• Where the applicant attended an official or officially recognized teaching establishment in a Portuguese speaking country, an attestation of successful completion of studies issued by that teaching establishment, or
• Attestation of successful completion of elementary Portuguese studies issued by the Institute for Employment and Professional Training (IEFP) or by any other official or officially recognized teaching establishment, or
• Certificate of knowledge of basic Portuguese, through a test in Teaching Portuguese as a Foreign Language (CAPLE), recognized by the Ministry of Education and Science.

So you can understand my confusion.

Re: Permanent Residency and Language Skills
 

Just looked at the SEF site again - yes confusing as Article 78 different set of requirements.

Re: Permanent Residency and Language Skills
 

It's the pesky "benefits" of being in the EU, again!

You're denied the opportunity of having to sit a language test if you're an EU citizen applying for your permanent residence document. They just hand them out like confetti.

Everybody else gets to do it properly.

Re: Permanent Residency and Language Skills
 

https://www.instituto-camoes.pt/en/a...-a2-self-study
Anyone has tried this and any feedback. Still few year for me to go but I'd like to look into it now.

Re: Permanent Residency and Language Skills
 

Distance learning is a lovely concept but cannot replace physical presence in the country. When I first moved to Spain , before coming to Portugal, I learnt numbers by watching basketball matches on the TV ( the Spanish are basketball fanatics ) as the numbers showed up on the screen and the the commentator shouted them out. Here in Portugal no substitute for TV , several channels english original language with Portuguese subtitles.
What you will get from online learning, which is worth having, is some grammatical structure so worth it but make sure it is not Brazilian Portuguese - it's as different as Oxford English from "American"

Re: Permanent Residency and Language Skills
 

I’m sure I read something ‘official’ earlier this year that said that if a British person gains residency prior to the end of the transition period, then when they come to apply for their permanent residency, they would be treated as when they were a EU citizen I.e. no language test.

Re: Permanent Residency and Language Skills
 

I think this only applies if you are married to a Portuguese national.

Re: Permanent Residency and Language Skills
 

Correct - no conditions beyond those which currently exist.

I think you may be thinking of applications for citizenship, as opposed to permanent residency for EU citizens or those of us covered, post Brexit, by the Withdrawal Agreement.