AFPOP Advances More than 37,000 people have benefitted from afpop membership discounts, information, and services over the past 35 years.

AFPOP: Your Helping Hand

Story and photos by Michael Reeve

One of the pitfalls of living in—or moving—another country is finding accurate and up-to-date information about the obligations you face as a resident or citizen, and keeping current with the changes to the laws and regulations that affect you. Many people ask their friends or listen to advice from people whose opinions they value, and then trust that the answer they get is correct and appropriate for them. Sadly, this is often not the case and many find that they are not complying with the law only after it is too late and they are fined–or perhaps worse. Too often, misinformation and rumour are taken as fact, resulting in penalties for the unfortunate. So, where do you look for the correct information that affects you? It should come as no surprise that a lot of your questions have been asked many times before. The problem is that the answers are not always straightforward … easy to find … and just because one person had a particular experience, it does not mean that it will be the same for you. Laws change and practices vary from one local authority (cámara), to another. In 1987, a group of foreign property owners who lived or owned property in the Algarve created a non-profit Association with the aim of finding and providing accurate answers to essential questions. The name in Portuguese was Associação de Proprietários Estrangeiros em Portugal, or the Association of Foreign Property Owners in Portugal— known by its afpop acronym. Access to the vast quantity of information that afpop has collated is available to people who become members of the Association.* From its humble beginnings, the Association grew steadily. It soon had to find office space and an administrator to handle the enquiries … to keep the information system updated … and, as its chairman at that time lived in Portimão in the Algarve, that is where the base was located and afpop’s headquarters established. Over the years, we considered relocating; but, as the Internet and social media brought everything and everyone closer, email exploded and WiFi became standard, afpop members used these communication media to contact the office when the telephone or a personal visit were not options. Ultimately, the physical location of our office became less important. From the office in Portimão, afpop’s eight staff members handle enquiries from our members—with Portuguese, English, German, Dutch, Scandinavian, French, and Spanish language capabilities amongst them. Our information database is extensive, continuously updated, and—where an answer is not readily to hand or needs further research—staff know where and how to find it. Assisting members is the number one priority for afpop staff, who do everything they can to help resolve member concerns. Two of the biggest changes for the Association have been the shift in nationalities of its membership, along with a change in its geography. In afpop’s early years, more than 95% of members lived in southern Portugal and over 70% were British citizens, with German and Dutch nationals comprising the majority of the remainder. Over the years, this has altered and there now is a much broader nationality mix spread across many parts of Portugal. Whilst UK citizens still represent afpop’s largest number, Americans, Scandinavians, Irish, Australian, French citizens, and others have added to afpop’s cultural blend.

AFPOP Member Services Team (L to R): Ellen, Karina, Marisa, Cátia) Similarly, the geographical change in members’ choice of location over recent years has been noticeable … as Cascais, the Silver Coast, Porto, the Islands, and the interior regions have all seen foreign residents moving to live and enjoy life in one of the safest countries in Europe—perhaps even the world. Moving to remote places brings new challenges, particularly if those areas are not geared towards foreigners and the new arrivals don’t speak Portuguese, leading to an even greater need for a reliable source of support and information. Our Update magazine is mailed six times a year to members and we’ve been sending News from afpop emails weekly, keeping members informed about the latest legislative changes and other aspects of life in Portugal. Accessible day and night, the Members section of our website holds all of our Information Bulletins and Facts Sheets, along with back-copies of our Update magazine and Advantage Directory, which gives access to over 400 financial benefits for afpop members. Aside from access to the wealth of information and advice available to members, many find that the exclusive special terms available to them on health, household, motor, and travel insurance more than compensate for their membership *investment. As the last two years has shown, we never can know when turmoil is going to strike. Sometimes this only affects a segment of members—for example, with Brexit for UK citizens four years ago—other times, it affects everyone, as is the case more recently with the Covid crisis. When trouble does arise, however, and trustworthy information is needed, belonging to afpop is a tried-and-true way to ensure you are properly and reliably informed. More than 37,000 people have benefited from afpop membership over the past 35 years. Afpop saw its greatest sustained rise in membership applications during the last two years, as members told their friends about the excellent support they receive from their Association. Discover how you can have more peace of mind by joining us! Simply visit our website, contact afpop by email, or call us during normal office hours at 00351 282 458 509. *Cost of membership is €50 per year for a single member, €65 for joint membership. A one-time €35 joining fee is payable in the first year only.

Michael R Reeve is afpop’s Chief Executive Officer.