Before anything else: visa and tax sequencing
The two things that should sit at the top of the planning are: which residency visa pathway applies to you, and what tax sequencing makes sense across the UK exit and the Portuguese arrival. Both are specialist decisions and worth scoped advice before the practical moving work begins.
Once those two are framed, everything else follows the framework below.
Six months out
The aim at six months out is to have the foundational paperwork in motion and a sense of which Portuguese region you are moving to.
- Residency-visa application underway at the Portuguese consulate in the UK.
- NIF obtained via a Portuguese fiscal representative.
- Portuguese property search (rental or purchase) substantially advanced.
- Tax-adviser conversation completed; sequencing of move date and tax residency mapped.
- Initial survey with us booked — the volume estimate at six months out helps with everything downstream.
- Pet planning under way if relevant (microchip up to date, rabies vaccination booked, AHC veterinarian identified).
Three months out
At three months out, the move starts shifting from planning into execution.
- Residency-visa stamped or progressing — interview, biometrics, and document submission complete.
- Portuguese property contract signed (rental) or purchase progressing (offer accepted, lawyer instructed, completion scheduled).
- Written quote with us confirmed and move date in the diary.
- UK utility cancellation dates worked out and noted.
- School registration for the Portuguese side (state or international) under way if children are part of the move.
- UK and Portuguese banking arranged or scheduled — at least the accounts that will receive the post-move salary, pension, or remote-work income.
One month out
One month out is when the move stops being abstract.
- Final inventory walked through and signed off — last chance for major scope changes without a requote.
- Vehicle shipping paperwork (if applicable) finalised, V5 ready, Portuguese matrícula plan in place.
- Pet AHC veterinarian appointment booked for the appropriate pre-travel window.
- UK utilities given their cancellation dates; council tax notified of the move-out date.
- Mail-forwarding arranged for UK-side correspondence that needs to keep reaching you.
- Portuguese-side practical contacts collated — fiscal representative, lawyer, property contact, removals firm (us), pet transporter (if relevant).
Move week
Move week is best treated as a fixed sequence: packing day, load-out day, travel day for you, vehicle in transit, delivery at the other end.
- Final personal-effects sort — what travels with you in cabin or car, what travels in the consignment.
- Documents wallet ready: passports, residency-visa documentation, NIF, property contracts, AT inventory copy, ToR1 copy.
- Pet AHC issued within the pre-travel window; transport confirmed.
- UK property final clean and handover scheduled for the day after load-out.
- Portuguese property key handover confirmed for the day of vehicle delivery.
After the move
The post-move administrative tasks tend to cluster in the first six weeks.
- AIMA appointment to complete the residency permit (if not already stamped).
- Local health-centre registration (centro de saúde) for SNS access.
- Junta de freguesia (council) registration for the local-residency proof.
- Utility contracts in your name (electricity, water, broadband).
- Vehicle matrícula re-registration started if you brought a UK car.
- Portuguese tax-resident status confirmed with your fiscal representative for the relevant tax year.