Many people, every year, find themselves applying for Portuguese citizenship; but it’s not as easy as it sounds. There are several legal and social requirements you need to fulfill before you start filling out a Portuguese citizenship form. While it’s important to hire an attorney for citizenship processes, it never hurts to learn and explore things beforehand on your own before officially investing in it.
One of the things that you should be extremely well versed in, if you plan on getting Portuguese citizenship, is the Immigration and Border services in Portugal.
They play a vital role in the immigration processes of Portugal, and therefore we have brought you a comprehensive guide to understanding what the SEF is for and how they can help you. Without delaying it any longer, let’s start exploring.
What is the Portuguese Immigration and Border Services (SEF)?
The Portuguese Immigration and Borders Service (SEF) is a security administration body inside the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI). The body is responsible for maintaining internal and external security at the immigration counters and borders of the country. They take full responsibility for keeping an eye on the people in line at immigration counters, irregularities in strategic planning, and more.
SEF and the Services They Provide
Foreigner Documentations
Once you initiate the process of getting Portuguese citizenship, the SEF will contact you because one of their basic services is taking care of all foreign documentation. They have a contact center where foreigners can get in touch with relevant authorities to ensure a smooth process. They overlook activities such as residence permit for investment activities, support programs, and the overall Portuguese immigration process.
Managing the Border Security
One of the biggest responsibilities when dealing with immigration and border services includes implementing border management strategies to ensure security and discipline procedures. Some of the major strategies implemented by the SEF over the years include advanced information passenger system, automatic recognition of passengers identified by documents, and entry and exit automatic and safe process.
Criminal Investigation
The Immigration and Border Services look over numerous things; one such important aspect is the criminal investigation for people obtaining Portugal citizenship. It’s always best to consult an attorney for citizenship if you fear that you might have some sort of criminal record that might intervene in your process of applying for Portuguese citizenship.
Asylum and Refugee Management
Portugal has been extremely welcoming to refugees from all over the world. Therefore, with a large number of refugees coming in regularly, the SEF has had an important active role to play. They actively manage the asylum and refugee programs and strategies to make sure there are no discrepancies in the procedures.
Learning about government policies can be extremely useful in the process of applying for Portuguese citizenship. However, if you’re looking for professional help for your procedures, take a look at our services. At Cohen & Cohen, we help make the Portuguese citizenship processes easier for you! Whether you’re a Sephardic Jew looking for a way to get Portuguese citizenship, or someone who wants to learn more about Portugal and its immigration laws, we can help you all.
