Interview of Elena Bykovets with Oksana Balaban. Part 1

Recently, the founder of RelyOn Relocation, Elena Bykovets, was a guest on Family Budget Ukraine, hosted by Oksana Balaban. During their conversation, they discussed important topics related to moving to Portugal, including obtaining residency and citizenship, taxes, and what life in Portugal is really like.

You can find the full video here. Below, we present the first part of the interview:

— Could you please tell us a little about yourself? How old are you? How long have you been living in Portugal and what do you do?

— Hello everyone! My name is Elena, and I’m originally from Kharkiv. I’ve been living abroad since 2011, traveled to over 30 countries, and lived in several of them.

RelyOn Relocation, our relocation company in Portugal, is actually the third business I’ve built from scratch. I successfully sold my previous two businesses. My main expertise is building businesses from the ground up — both my own and for others. For the past few years, I’ve been growing RelyOn Relocation, which handles everything related to moving to Portugal. Our team includes immigration lawyers, relocation experts, and assistants. Last year, for example, we had 12 employees and hired freelancers for various tasks. The company has grown significantly, and we now serve many clients. I know we even share some clients with you — people we’ve helped obtain residency in Portugal.

— Today, Portugal remains one of the most popular destinations thanks to its climate, friendly people, and many other factors. Could you tell us what legal options Ukrainians currently have for relocating and living in Portugal?

— Absolutely. Portugal is a very welcoming country, and it has a warm relationship with Ukraine. Ukrainians can enter legally without a visa and stay freely.

The next step is figuring out what to do once you’re here. Since 2022, most Ukrainians have been applying for temporary protection. However, as we know, temporary protection does not lead directly to residency or citizenship. While there are many rumors, we strongly advise our clients to apply for proper residency (residence permits). Temporary protection, while extremely helpful — and we’re very grateful to the Portuguese government for it — is essentially just a temporary document. It provides an immediate tax number, social security number, and access to healthcare.

By the way, those who arrived in December 2024 received temporary protection in just two weeks. Processing times vary: some get it in two weeks, others wait months, and a few wait even a year. But temporary protection is still being issued.

However, depending on your situation, we recommend applying for a proper residence permit. Especially since a law was passed last year (though the final details are yet to be officially published) stating that the countdown to citizenship might start from the date you apply for a residence permit.

So our advice is: don’t wait. It’s already 2025, and the sooner you apply for residency, the sooner you start the five-year clock toward Portuguese citizenship.

— Roughly how long does the visa process take?

— Generally speaking, for D-type visas — the ones applied for from abroad, like from Ukraine, Poland, or wherever the applicant currently lives — it takes about 1 to 2 months to prepare documents. Then comes the submission phase. Depending on the country, waiting for a submission appointment can take up to 6 months, although sometimes it’s only 1–2 months.

Once submitted, the consulate usually takes another couple of months to review the application. After the visa is approved, you have four months to move to Portugal — you can come the very next day, or you can take a few months to prepare.

Once in Portugal, you’ll need to gather a separate set of documents and book an appointment with immigration services. Appointment wait times vary, but currently, it takes about 3–4 months. After your appointment, the residence permit request itself is usually processed in another 3–4 months.

If we add everything up:

• 2 months to prepare documents,
• 2 months waiting for a submission appointment,
• 2 months for visa review,
• Up to 4 months to move (but most move sooner),
• 3–4 months waiting for an immigration appointment,
• 3–4 months for the final decision.

So, if you take the maximum timeframes, the full process could take up to a year. In reality, most people complete it in about 7–8 months.

Typically, for all types of residence permits, the average timeline is 6–8 months if you’re already in Portugal. If applying from abroad, you should add about 4 more months, totaling 10–12 months.

Of course, we always try to speed things up — right now, some of our clients have already shaved a month off the usual timelines. We always aim to deliver that extra “cherry on top.” Still, we prefer to set realistic expectations so our clients are fully prepared.