The notification for scheduling the collection starts today (15 February) and the service starts from Monday, 21 February.
The measure is implemented under the United Kingdom's Withdrawal Agreement from the European Union, according to a statement from the SEF, which also informs that British citizens who have not yet registered on the Brexit Portal "should do so as soon as possible" through the https://brexit.sef.pt/
As for Britons who are already registered, SEF clarified that these citizens will receive a notification by email in the chronological order in which they submitted their documentation.
Mainland Portugal
As for Britons residing in mainland Portugal who are registered on the Brexit Portal, SEF ensures that they do not need to contact its services and that they will be contacted after the official start of this phase.
Britons residing in the autonomous regions will be assisted at the SEF service desk at the Citizen's Shop in Funchal (Madeira) and at the entity's delegations in Angra do Heroísmo and Ponta Delgada (Azores), where, in addition to providing their data for the new card, they can also update it.
“The certificate with the QR code, which can be downloaded from the Portal, remains an official document of residence in Portugal under the Withdrawal Agreement and is valid until the new card is issued. Current European Union residence documents also continue to be accepted for travel purposes, as long as they are within their validity period, until the new residence card is issued.
The problem is the temporary QR code is not recognised in other EU countries. So effectively until issued, if you have 90 days in Portugal, your ain't going anywhere else in europa.
By Stephen from Algarve on 15 Feb 2022, 15:20
Very glad to hear that this will be happening at long last! I had an email from SEF last March saying I would be contacted again soon but I waited in vain.
By Steve Andrews from Other on 16 Feb 2022, 12:25
@Stephen from Algarve. That is a ridiculous statement. Anyone in Portugal with a passport can go anywhere they want in Europe.
By Martyn Williams from Beiras on 17 Feb 2022, 01:38
I just travelled from Mexico to Lisbon on a British passport. My son had not taken his resident card with him - got a stamp in his passport. I had, so no stamp. THERE ARE NO RESTRICTIONS ON TRAVEL.
By Peter Kirby Higgs from Lisbon on 19 Feb 2022, 12:47