CRUE Support · for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens
Walk into the Câmara with your CRUE file already checked.
No visa needed. But after three months in Portugal you have to register your residence. A partner lawyer checks your documents first, then preps you the week before your appointment.
You don’t need your documents ready to order.
€349
per person. €100 for each family member registering with you.
5 business days
for a partner lawyer to review your file and write back.
45 minutes
on a call with the lawyer, the week before your appointment.
The part nobody mentions
“I'm EU. Do I really have to do anything?”
Yes. One thing.
After three months in Portugal, EU, EEA and Swiss citizens have to register their residence at the local Câmara Municipal. You leave with the CRUE, the Certificado de Registo de Cidadão da União Europeia.
It’s a small piece of paper that later steps keep asking for. Registering for social security (NISS). Moving your NIF to your Portuguese address. Plenty of everyday admin after that.
The appointment itself is short. The documents are where people get stuck.
Four categories. Four different sets of documents.
The Câmara registers you under one of four statuses. What you bring depends on which one you are.
Worker. You have a Portuguese employment contract.
Self-employed. You’re registered for recibos verdes in Portugal.
Student. You’re enrolled at a Portuguese school or university.
Sufficient resources. You live on savings, a pension, investments, or income earned outside Portugal. Retirees and people paid from abroad usually land here.
Bring the wrong set and you leave without a certificate and come back another day. Working out your category is the first thing we do.
Requirements also vary by town. Lisbon and Porto are predictable. Smaller Câmaras less so. The partner lawyer covers yours on the call.
How it works
From order to certificate.
- You order and fill in a short form about your situation. No documents needed yet.
- We send you a checklist built around your category. You upload the documents to your order.
- A partner lawyer reviews the file within 5 business days and writes back if anything needs fixing.
- You book your Câmara appointment. Most Câmaras are walk-in. Lisbon and Porto usually want one booked in advance.
- The week before, you have a 45-minute call with the lawyer. Your file, and what to expect on the day.
- You go to the appointment. The Câmara issues the certificate to you.
Honest scope
What we do, and what we don't.
What's included
- A document checklist matched to your status
- A partner lawyer's review of your file within 5 business days
- Written feedback in your order thread
- A 45-minute call with the lawyer the week before your appointment
What isn't
- Your NIF. You need one before you can register. If you don't have one, add it at checkout.
- Booking the appointment. You book it with your Câmara.
- Coming with you. You go to the appointment yourself.
- Translations. Documents not in Portuguese, English, Spanish or French need a certified Portuguese translation before you upload them.
We prepare the file and brief you. The decision is the Câmara’s, and so is the wait for a slot. We can’t promise either.
Price
€349. Plus €100 for each family member.
Each person registers separately and needs their own documents, so every family member gets their own short form after you order.
No NIF yet? You can add it on the same order page.
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FAQ
CRUE questions we get asked.
When do I have to register?
The rule is three months in Portugal, then register within the following 30 days. The certificate isn’t issued before the three months are up.
Register as soon as you can. The six-month wait before you can move your NIF to a Portuguese address starts from the day your CRUE is issued.
Do I need a NIF first?
Yes. You need a Portuguese NIF before you can register. It isn’t part of CRUE Support, but you can add it at checkout so it’s one order.
How do I get a Câmara appointment?
Most Câmaras are walk-in. You take a ticket for “Cidadão Europeu” and wait to be called. Some, including Lisbon and Porto, want an appointment booked online or by phone first.
You book it yourself. We get your file ready and brief you on the call before.
Which category am I?
Worker if you have a Portuguese employment contract. Self-employed if you’re registered for recibos verdes. Student if you’re enrolled at a Portuguese institution. Sufficient resources if you live on savings, a pension, investments, or income from outside Portugal.
If you don’t fit neatly, say so on the form. The partner lawyer will tell you which one to use.
I don't have a long-term address yet. Can I still register?
You need some proof of address. The ones most Câmaras accept are a rental contract in your name registered at Finanças, a sublease registered by the main tenant, an Atestado de Residência from your Junta de Freguesia, or the deed if you own the home.
If none of those fits, flag it on the form and the lawyer will tell you what your Câmara is likely to accept.
What if the Câmara rejects a document on the day?
Catching that beforehand is the point of the review. If something still gets rejected, message us in your order thread and we’ll tell you what to bring next time.
Can I move my NIF to my Portuguese address straight after?
No. Your CRUE has to be at least six months old first.
Worth knowing early: moving your NIF to a Portuguese address is what makes you a Portuguese tax resident. Most people want to understand that before they do it. You can add a 45-minute tax consultation with an accredited Portuguese accountant at checkout.
Is the CRUE the same as an AIMA residence permit?
No. The CRUE is for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, who register at the Câmara. AIMA residence permits are for non-EU nationals who came in on a visa. Different offices, different processes.
My partner isn't an EU citizen. What happens for them?
You register first. Once your CRUE is issued, your non-EU spouse can apply to AIMA for residence as the family member of an EU citizen. That’s a separate step, and we help with it through AIMA appointment support.
Does Novomove come with me to the appointment?
No. You go on your own. With the file in order, the appointment itself is usually quick.
Register once, with the right documents.
The forms are the easy part. We’ll help you with them.
€349 · Lawyer review within 5 business days · You don’t need your documents ready to order
Novomove is a relocation technology platform that coordinates access to licensed Portuguese partners. It is not a law firm. Document review and the pre-appointment call are delivered by a partner Portuguese lawyer. Novomove does not book or attend Câmara appointments and cannot guarantee appointment availability, waiting times or the outcome of a registration. Registration decisions rest with the Câmara Municipal.