Hi all!
I have my appointment on January 26 at the San Francisco Consulate and am struggling with two issues.
1. They are requiring proof of 6 months of accommodation. I have written to several people on idealista.pt to inquire about renting with a start date of April 1. None of them want (understandably) to keep their apartments vacant until my arrival; however, I don't want to pay rent for almost 3 months prior to my arrival. And, I don't even have visa approval yet. How have all of you handled this problem?
2. Proof of insurance. I actually have a special additional policy (an optional, paid-for add-on to our standard Medicare) that covers up to $50,000 in medical overseas with a $250 deductible); however, the consulate is requiring proof of zero deductible and $30,000 evacuation/repatriation coverage. So I need a cheap policy to show zero deductible even though I effectively have insurance in place.
Just as an addendum: An insurance agent in the States just told me a local Portuguese medical policy wouldn't cover "repatriation to your home country" because you are effectively already in your country of residence when you are in Portugal. And, most of all, he said a travel policy wouldn't cover you as you are not really traveling as a person on holiday, but are really a local, not a vacationer!
A bit confusing I thiink!!
Which type of policy has worked for any of you in this situation? I only have a very short time to get everything in place and would really appreciate your experiences and suggestions.
Thanks for your input!
Bonnie
