News from afpop

Good morning to you all and here it is, my final News from afpop message to you. I will step down next Friday and hand over the keyboard to Daisy, our new CEO. For this last Member Briefing I have a couple of messages I’d like to share. 

Over the last couple of years, the issue of non-EU residents using the EU booths for entry and exit into Portugal has been an ongoing saga. Some have suggested that this is about Brexit and dismissed it as ‘Brits moaning’, but it isn’t that, certainly not from my point of view. It’s about people who have decided to make Portugal their home and invest their time and lives here, being acknowledged and treated slightly differently from tourists. This obviously includes more than just UK citizens, with all those visitors from outside the EU having to use the ‘all passport’ lanes at airports and queueing with tourists, while the EU booths are available. At Better Living in Portugal Expo last October, the PSP contingent was there to explain the rules and gave out their leaflets, clearly stating that non-EU citizens resident in Portugal, provided they showed a valid Residência card, can use the EU booths for entry and exit. Many have tried, with varying degrees of success and I have again contacted the PSP commander for clarification, specifically regarding a recent incident with an extremely aggressive officer. The reply was unequivocal: “That situation involved a Border Guard from the Judicial Police. Despite the instructions having been communicated to everyone, this border guard claims to have been unaware of them. We have already reinforced the given instructions, and what was agreed upon remains in effect; residents can use the EU queues.”  

Of course you might decide that having an argument with a police officer in a busy airport is not in your best interests, but I wanted you all to know that these are the rules and residents should continue to present their residency cards before their passports and use the EU booths.

The other thing I wanted to mention is something that has bothered me for all my time as your CEO and that is people deciding not to renew their Membership but still claiming the Benefits of being an afpop Member, most obviously with access to the insurance Benefits negotiated for the afpop group. It simply is not right for people to take advantage of the Benefits of Membership while not paying their afpop fees. We have kept the renewal fees as low as we can and have not raised them since 2017 to make sure that the cost of Membership is not the deciding factor when people are deciding to renew. I know of no other service or business that can say the same. I feel that I have to mention this as I leave, because my team here work so hard to bring all Members the peace of mind that having access to the excellent service they provide brings, for such little cost. If you know people, and I’ve heard people brag about this in the past, who simply choose not to renew but still claim the Benefits, please take a moment to suggest that they might rethink that and when your own renewal comes due, reflect on the fact that for the price of a coffee a week, you have unfettered access to a team with years of experience and an interest only in helping you to find answers to your questions. The only ‘AI’ you need to consider for getting your answers is Afpop Information.

The reason that I raise it now is that I truly believe that afpop Membership is fantastic value for money and gets better every year. I witness every day the excellent work that the team does on behalf of all Members and I implore you to make use of the service that you are paying for. You have one of the best resources available in Portugal and it’s simply an e-mail or a phone call away, or even a visit to the afpop office or one of the monthly satellites and it costs less for a year’s Membership than many people pay for an evening meal. A meal will nourish you for the day and afpop Membership will feed your peace of mind for the whole year. 

With that plea it’s time to say goodbye. Thank you to all those who have been so kind with their comments and thank you to all of you who support the Association and make it what it is, the biggest (and best) Association for foreign residents in Portugal. 

To my colleagues on the councils and to the Area Event Organisers, thank you for the excellent work that you do and for giving your time so generously to help make the lives of your fellow Members so much better and to my team, as I’ve said many times now and will never tire of saying, you are superb and I will miss you more than you can know. Thank you for all you have been to me over the years and for the fantastic work that you do for our Members, but most of all, thank you for being my friends.

That said, here is this week’s information for you:

UK Electronic Travel Authorisation
Launched in October 2023, the measure has not been strictly applied to give travellers time to adapt to the new rules. This is expected to change this year, according to the British government.

ETA is a digital authorisation for short-term stays in the UK; It is not a visa or a tax. It only applies to travellers who do not need a visa, such as those from the EU, Canada, and the USA. It allows you to stay in the UK for up to six months to visit family or for tourism.

Starting February 2026, most international visitors to the UK will need an ETA or eVisa, with only British and Irish citizens exempt or people with permission to live, work or study in the UK. 

Transitional advice is in place for dual nationals, and transit-only passengers at certain airports won’t need one. However, dual nationals are advised to carry a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement from 25 February 2026, to avoid boarding issues.

More information: https://www.gov.uk/eta
Where to apply: https://www.gov.uk/eta/apply

ETIAS delayed
Recent announcements from the EU suggest that ETIAS should start operating in the final few months of 2026, although it won’t be compulsory straight away. For the first six months after ETIAS begins, travellers will still be allowed to enter without an ETIAS approval while the system is phased in. ETIAS authorisation won’t be required for boarding flights until at least April 2027. 

British travellers - along with visitors from other countries that don’t need a visa - can keep using the usual passport‑only rules until the transition period ends. All the current entry requirements still apply, including the 90‑days‑in‑any‑180‑day limit.

Criminal background checks for US & Canadian citizens
We are pleased to announce a collaboration which will help those North American Members who require criminal background checks as part of the immigration process in Portugal, including applications for visas, temporary residency and renewals, permanent residency, and citizenship, who are struggling to obtaining reliable fingerprint service accepted by the FBI or RCMP.  

Founded by an afpop Member, Identity Abroad is based in Porto and provides digital fingerprinting and full-service FBI and RCMP criminal background checks for U.S. and Canadian citizens. They are currently the only provider in Portugal using fully FBI-certified hardware, software, and workflows for livescan fingerprint capture, with real-time quality checks and a quality guarantee. If fingerprints are rejected due to insufficient quality, clients are re-fingerprinted and re-processed at no additional cost. 

Appointments are available in Porto, with Lisbon and Algarve services planned for the first quarter of 2026. afpop Members receive €10 off fingerprinting or €20 off full-service background checks by presenting proof of active Membership at the time of appointment. (See the CONNECT section of the afpop website for more details). There will be a fuller article in the February edition of UPDATE magazine, but more information can be found on the website  https://identityabroad.com/ 

IUC tax clarification - reminder
There will be no changes to the way IUC is paid in 2026. 

As we have informed Members in previous mailings, the government has proposed a set of changes relating to the payment of the Imposto Único de Circulação (IUC) and these have been reportedly widely, however the proposed change for this year will not happen and you should make your IUC payments as usual, before the end of the month of first registration of the vehicle.

The new proposal stipulates that from 2028 the IUC (Vehicle Tax) will be due from whomever owns the vehicle on the 1^st of January of each year, and must be paid in April, with the possibility of payment in instalments and we will of course have more information on this next year, including about the proposed ‘transitional period’. Until then, to reiterate, nothing changes for 2026.

Citroën recall
The Directorate-General for Consumer Affairs (DGC), as the national contact point for Safety Gate, informs citizens that a recall campaign is underway for various models of Citroën brand passenger/commercial vehicles (Citroën Berlingo, C4 III, C4X, Spacetourer, Jumpy) due to a risk of injury. More specific information can be found HERE.

Volta ao Algarve
The 52nd Volta ao Algarve, from 18^th to 22^nd of February 2026, has the start and finish of all five stages confirmed, along with the announcement that UAE Team Emirates-XRG, the best team in the world in 2025, will be in Algarve. The full route of the Volta is:

18 Feb | Vila Real de Santo António 

19 Feb | Portimão – Fóia (Monchique)

20 Feb | Vilamoura – Vilamoura (individual time trial) 

21 Feb | Albufeira – Lagos

22 Feb | Faro – Malhão (Loulé)

More information on the website:
https://voltaaoalgarve.com/en/from-vila-real-de-santo-antonio-to-alto-do-malhao-the-route-for-the-2026-volta-ao-algarve

European Border Control System suspended in Lisbon - reminder
Portugal has suspended the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) at Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport for three months due to severe chaos at border control. This suspension applies specifically to non‑EU citizens arriving in Lisbon. The government has approved extra funding for the PSP to buy new e‑gates, software and maintenance services between 2026 and 2028. This is part of the Schengen “Smart Borders” project to improve security and manage passenger flows at Lisbon Airport. 

AIMA Renewals Portal (non-EU): January and February 2026 - reminder
The Renewals Portal is now also available for Residency Permit renewals expiring in January and February 2026. See further details on the renewal process in our previous briefings.

Residency renewal for EU citizens and family members – reminder
AIMA has added an option on their contact form for Residency renewal applications for EU citizens and their family members’ Residency cards and Certificates (CRUE). This option is for cards and certificates that have already expired or are due to expire in the very near future. 

You can find the contact form here: https://contactenos.aima.gov.pt/contact-form 

Choose: “Topic Type” Community Residence Card and then the “Subtopic Type” that suits your specific request. If the English version gives you issues, please try the Portuguese version.

Choose: “Tipo de Assunto” Cartão de Residência UE and then the “Subtipo de Assunto” that suits your specific request.

Annual General Meeting (AGM) - reminder
A reminder the 38^th Annual General Meeting will take place on Saturday 21^st of March 2026. Members will be able to download the AGM paperwork and voting forms at the afpop website www.afpop.com or request them from the afpop office from the first week of February. Postal votes and proxy nominations are to be received in the afpop office by the last postal delivery on Thursday 19^th of March 2026. There will be more information in the February edition of UPDATE magazine.

Satellite offices
If you need advice or assistance, wish to introduce a new Member to the Association, if you need to renew your subscription or just have a general query, please pass by and see us. We ask you to make an appointment and to inform us about your enquiry, so staff can come prepared to assist you. Please contact the afpop office to make an appointment on 282 458 509 or info@afpop.com.   

The next dates of the Satellites are: 

• Almancil - Tuesday 24^th of February between 10h00 and 12h30 (premises of MEDAL Seguros)
• Lagos - Wednesday 25^th of February between 10h00 and 12h30 (premises of MediLagos on R. José Ferreira Canelas, which is behind the Câmara building)