serchar

Hi everyone! I finally have my Portuguese residency card and have been getting back into Portugal from the UK with no problems.
What I am wondering is how things will go when we go on holiday this month to Italy. Will I be able to enter OK with my Portuguese residency card? Also what lane should I go in, the EU or non-EU?

Thanks for your replies!!

Red Eric

Your Portuguese residency card only serves to identify you in Portugal. When travelling outside PT elsewhere in the EU, you should carry both passport and residency card with you.

Assuming you're travelling direct to Italy, as both countries are within the Schengen area you won't go through passport control, so no lanes to worry about, but you will need to id yourself to board a plane or if requested to do so by the authorities / accommodation providers etc once within the country you're travelling to (hence the need to carry your passport).

If you've not got direct flights and you're going via a non-Schengen country you'll go through passport control here and in that country and again on arrival in Italy. Under those circs, you go in the non EU lane but show both passport and PT residence doc each time you enter or leave the Schengen zone.