“Some people will just go with the flow of things and sway in life, while others will fight against the currents and go upstream to reach their destiny.” – Anthony Liccione
From the beginning we decided when it comes to official matters we will take the ‘flow with it’ approach. Our very first encounter with Portuguese officialdom came in July 2017 when we gave our solicitor power of attorney to purchase the land on our behalf. In order to purchase property one has to get a NIF or tax number. The Solicitor walked us over to the offices around the corner, and essentially did all the talking for us. Once it was established that we don’t live in Portugal the lady who helped us asked for proof of address, at which point we thought she would send us home to fetch such paperwork. She just continued typing on her computer, though, and after a while handed us our official papers. In addition she wrote her email addres on a scrap of paper and asked us to just email her the required document. We were flabbergasted. And so, our very first experience of Portuguese officialdom was completely painless.
Our most recent encounter, still painless, was a bit baffling. The Architect sent Michael an email when he was in Portugal in January, requesting an updated version of the cadernetta (land deed). He gave very clear instructions and even provided links to the official website where we could access it. Michael forwarded me the email. I followed the instructions, and as we don’t have an account yet, proceeded to register, all the while copying and pasting sentences and paragraphs into Google Translate. The final instruction when I completed the process told me that the account was created and that the password would be mailed to me. I had to read the message twice to make sure that what I read was actually what was meant.
And then I started to laugh. I was born in a country where sending anything via snail mail is a bit like buying a lottery ticket hoping you will be the next millionaire, so for an official government entity to send a password that way appeared rather ludicrous.
Anyway, option B simply meant Michael had to go to the local tax office in town to request the document, which he did and received without any trouble.
A good thing he was in Portugal at the time as the Architect needed the document to request a letter from the municipality to say that we are not on a municipal grid, and have to have a septic tank. The passing of a recent law making this a requirement has unfortunately added another step in the lengthy paperwork trail. Now it is fingers crossed that the environmental agency won’t live up to their reputation for being slow.
Written by: Jolandi
I’m crossing my fingers for you, too!
Good luck,
Tanja
Thank you, Tanja. We’ll take all the luck we can find.
Good luck! I hope everything goes smoothly and quickly!
Thank you, Clare. This is the first of a long series of hoops we will have to jump through this year, but we feel optimistic.
Hoping it all goes smoothly for you guys. I can’t imagine the process, paperwork and patience when trying to accomplish your goals when you aren’t living in the country. Can’t wait to hear that it is all done and in a timely manner.
Thank you, Terri. It definitely complicates things when one isn’t in country. Once the habitation licence is done, the paperwork will start for me to get my residence visa, which is a whole different set of paperwork. We are speeding up our plodding, as we want to get all that paperwork done before the end of the year. Fingers crossed. – Jolandi
The relaxed attitudes of the Portuguese bureaucracy is rather refreshing, but also a bit horrifying if you think about cybersecurity, identity theft and all the other woes we in modern life must face. (My goodness, you were brave to trust the attorney with your money and your long distance legal doings. I’m probably too cynical, but then I’ve been burned by unscrupulous lawyers in the past.) I’m glad it’s worked out for you so far, and hope it continues to work in your favor!
It is rather refreshing, isn’t it? We have consciously decided to enjoy the quirks of any cultural challenges. Our attorney came highly recommended, and she was an absolute star throughout the process, especially when we realised that part of the land actually belonged to someone else despite that piece being on the official deed. Not sure you know about that glitch, so if not, you can read it here: https://www.atasteoffreedom.pt/2018/01/16/realizing-a-dream-step-2-have-a-land-dispute/
We also hope that it will continue to work in our favour, Hangaku. Especially as this year will be filled with paperwork. Fingers crossed.
It’s hard enough dealing with officialdom in one’s own country, let alone a foreign country, different culture and a different language. I’m not surprised everything seems a bit more relaxed and slower in Portugal. I hope that continues to work to your advantage.
PS Are you taking Portuguese lessons?
We like the more relaxed attitude, especially as you say, no matter where one lives, official matters can become a huge challenge. So it is refreshing to encounter people who is trying to make it easier instead of even more difficult simply by the attitude they have towards it.
I did an introductory course in Lisbon two years ago, which was very helpful in understanding the basic workings of the grammar and pronunciation, which is a major hurdle I have to overcome in learning Portuguese. Since then I’ve attempted to memorise some vocabulary at least. So no official lessons at this point, as it is really difficult to learn a language when one is not exposed to it on a daily basis. I’ve given up for now, and decided it will be better to save that energy for when I start to live in Portugal, as it should be ‘easier’ when one gets to practise on a daily basis. With my brain older and set in its ways I definitely need a LOT of repetition to retain anything at this point in my life. 🙂
We are very lucky that there are many Portuguese who speak excellent English in the area, which makes official things a bit easier. Our solicitor and architect for example speak perfect English.
– Jolandi
Hello again Jolandi,
I too, am keeping fingers crossed that the process goes smoothly!
Hope both of you are doing well.
Best,
Takami
Thank you, Takami.
We will be back on the land on Friday for a week.
As always we have a lot on our plate, and apart from trying to finish the kitchen and bathroom, it will also include a meeting with the architect so that we can understand where we are in the paper trail at the moment.
Such exciting news! I’m hoping for the best for the two of you. Paperwork is always the hardest part of settling in a new place. I love the name of your new blog. It’s so uplifting. Take care and dream on. xo
Thanks, Cheryl. It was Michael who came up with the name, and I loved it immediately. It really described exactly what we felt like then and still do.
Yip, it is the paperwork that is the hardest part of any move, like I’m sure you know all too well. There is quite a bit of that still ahead, but we trust that it will all fall nicely into place for us in a timely manner. I can’t wait! Stuck in the apartment in Abu Dhabi I dream of walking among our olive trees every day. Take care! – Jolandi