The process varies according to the family member being already in Portugal or abroad.
The request is analyzed by SEF that, whenever possible and within three months, notifies, in written, the applicant about the decision.
Nevertheless, in exceptional circumstances, the deadline of three months may be extender for more three months being the applicant informed of that same extension,
The absence of a decision in a deadline of 6 months means a tacit deferral of the request (positive answer). After that period if there is no answer the applicant must ask SEF to verify the tacit deferral.
In a deadline of 48 hours, SEF communicates the deferral of the request to the General Direction of Consular Matters and Portuguese Communities (Ministry of Foreign Business) in order to issue a visa of residence to the family member, which allows the entrance in Portugal
On the other hand, SEF notifies the applicant, who is informed that his family member must go to a diplomatic mission or consular post from the respective area of residence within a period of 90 days in order to formalize the request of issuance of a residence visa.
If the family member does not make the issuance of visa formalized, the decision of SEF expires, that has recognized the right to Family Reunification.
However, this is the normal procedure if your request of family reunification regarding a family member living abroad is deferral.
If the family member is in Portugal, whether he already holds a visa of residence to family reunification, temporary or permanent, or because the family reunification was already deferral here, a residence permit of identical length of the resident is granted.
If the residence permit is temporary it will be issued to your family member a renewable residence permit with the same length of yours. If the residence permit is permanent it will be issued to your family member a renewable residence permit, valid for two years.
After two years of attribution of first residence permit to your family member and if the family ties are maintained, the family members will have the right to an autonomous residence permit.
Yes, if the holder of the right to family reunification (resident citizen) has children underage residents in Portugal, the family members have the right to an autonomous residence permit.
It is also autonomous the first residence permit granted to the couple under family reunification whenever he is married for more than five years with the resident.
