IGC Welcome pack

Visa Requirements 

If you are from a non-EU country, you could require a visa to travel to Portugal. The EU has a common list of countries whose citizens must have a visa when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement. You should apply for the visa at a Portuguese Embassy or Consulate of your area of residence around 3 months before your stay at the IGC or the beginning of your contract. The Scientific Events Management & Welcome Team will provide you with a letter stating that you will start working at the Institute (Letter in Portuguese and translation in English signed by the IGC Director).

Obtain a Portuguese Taxpayer number

This is mandatory as you will need a tax number for many purposes: opening a bank account, social security registration, renting an apartment, etc. A visit to the tax office in Oeiras will be set up for you by a member of the Scievents&Welcome team as soon as you arrive at the IGC.

Obtain a Social security number 

All individuals registered for social security coverage are also covered for healthcare in Portugal. As from March 2012, a special agreement has been created between the IGC and the Portuguese National Social Security for the Voluntary Social Security Scheme only. This agreement has been set up to facilitate the process of obtaining a social security number removing the need to commute to any social security office.

Obtain access to the Portuguese health system 

Legally in Portugal, every citizen, including foreigners have the right to benefit from the national health care system. Please go to the health center of your residency area and ask for your health service card.

Opening a bank account

Can be done onsite at the IGC at the Novo Banco. Please place your request on the Scievents&Welcome who will set up an appointment for you at the IGC with a bank representative. If you prefer another bank, we can help you with all the papers required.

School for children 

The IGC can give you a list of contacts of different schools in Lisbon area and around Oeiras.

Health insurance 

If you intend to acquire a health insurance, the IGC has agreement with an insurance company that can give better conditions.

Housing

Collaboration with Oeiras City Council to address possible housing issues.

 Life at IGC

Yoga, Pilates, Mind-fullness, Running and fight club

Come and exercise the body and the mind after your experiments.

(Con)Scientia (IGC social group)

Group of interest focused on taking us out of “our box”. Our main aim is to create greater awareness in several social causes, funnelling this amazing IGC energy towards a better world.

Environmental/sustainability group

Group that organizes and implements activities to promote sustainability, protect and restore the environment, and also to enjoy the environment.

BookClub

Shared library available for you to enjoy a good reading. You can find this BOOKshelf, together with the guidelines. Feel free to grab a book and just write it down in the requisition log. All the books were kindly donated, so please take good care of them. If you want to contribute and bring books, just leave them in the "Donation" shelf.

Culture

Access to tickets for cultural activities at the Gulbenkian Foundation for lower price/free

Scientific Improvement at the IGC

IGC annual retreat 

A moment to gather with all the other IGC members in a more relaxed way.

PostDoc and PhD committees

Career talk sessions with academic and non-academic personalities; Wednesday seminars with Invited PostDocs and PhD students; Portuguese classes to Learn Portuguese according to your present level of knowledge; PostDoc retreat; PhD retreat; Organisation of Beer hours; EU-Life - PostDoc Exchange Program; National PostDoc Exchange Program; Opportunity to organise seminars and symposia.

Training Office

Multiple courses for self-improvement (grant writing, improve your scientific cv, among others)
Safety seminars – responsibility of the biosafety unit

IGC Welcome pack

Visa Requirements 

If you are from a non-EU country, you could require a visa to travel to Portugal. The EU has a common list of countries whose citizens must have a visa when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement. You should apply for the visa at a Portuguese Embassy or Consulate of your area of residence around 3 months before your stay at the IGC or the beginning of your contract. The Scientific Events Management & Welcome Team will provide you with a letter stating that you will start working at the Institute (Letter in Portuguese and translation in English signed by the IGC Director).

Obtain a Portuguese Taxpayer number

This is mandatory as you will need a tax number for many purposes: opening a bank account, social security registration, renting an apartment, etc. A visit to the tax office in Oeiras will be set up for you by a member of the Scievents&Welcome team as soon as you arrive at the IGC.

Obtain a Social security number 

All individuals registered for social security coverage are also covered for healthcare in Portugal. As from March 2012, a special agreement has been created between the IGC and the Portuguese National Social Security for the Voluntary Social Security Scheme only. This agreement has been set up to facilitate the process of obtaining a social security number removing the need to commute to any social security office.

Obtain access to the Portuguese health system 

Legally in Portugal, every citizen, including foreigners have the right to benefit from the national health care system. Please go to the health center of your residency area and ask for your health service card.

Opening a bank account

Can be done onsite at the IGC at the Novo Banco. Please place your request on the Scievents&Welcome who will set up an appointment for you at the IGC with a bank representative. If you prefer another bank, we can help you with all the papers required.

School for children 

The IGC can give you a list of contacts of different schools in Lisbon area and around Oeiras.

Health insurance 

If you intend to acquire a health insurance, the IGC has agreement with an insurance company that can give better conditions.

Housing

Collaboration with Oeiras City Council to address possible housing issues.

 Life at IGC

Yoga, Pilates, Mind-fullness, Running and fight club

Come and exercise the body and the mind after your experiments.

(Con)Scientia (IGC social group)

Group of interest focused on taking us out of “our box”. Our main aim is to create greater awareness in several social causes, funnelling this amazing IGC energy towards a better world.

Environmental/sustainability group

Group that organizes and implements activities to promote sustainability, protect and restore the environment, and also to enjoy the environment.

BookClub

Shared library available for you to enjoy a good reading. You can find this BOOKshelf, together with the guidelines. Feel free to grab a book and just write it down in the requisition log. All the books were kindly donated, so please take good care of them. If you want to contribute and bring books, just leave them in the "Donation" shelf.

Culture

Access to tickets for cultural activities at the Gulbenkian Foundation for lower price/free

Scientific Improvement at the IGC

IGC annual retreat 

A moment to gather with all the other IGC members in a more relaxed way.

PostDoc and PhD committees

Career talk sessions with academic and non-academic personalities; Wednesday seminars with Invited PostDocs and PhD students; Portuguese classes to Learn Portuguese according to your present level of knowledge; PostDoc retreat; PhD retreat; Organisation of Beer hours; EU-Life - PostDoc Exchange Program; National PostDoc Exchange Program; Opportunity to organise seminars and symposia.

Training Office

Multiple courses for self-improvement (grant writing, improve your scientific cv, among others)
Safety seminars – responsibility of the biosafety unit

Living in Oeiras

Oeiras was founded 260 years ago and it is full of history.
Nowadays it is a municipality located in the western part of Lisbon metropolitan area. It distances around 19 km from the capital, between Cascais and Lisbon. Oeiras has a little more than 172.000 habitants in an area of 45,8 Km2.
Oeiras is located on the north bank of the River Tagus, at the location where the river merges with the sea.

Climate
In Oeiras, the summer is warm, dry and the sky is almost cloudless; the winter is mild, with some showers and partly cloudy skies. Throughout the year, the wind is tendentially strong. Temperatures generally range from 10°C to 27°C and are rarely below 6°C or above 33°C.

Economic activity
Oeiras has a large concentration of companies and other important economic activities. It has attracted many technological companies and startups.
Two main business parks (Lagoas Parque and Tagus Parque) and other industrial spaces (in the areas of Queluz de Baixo and Carnaxide) accommodate large companies making Oeiras the second municipality of Lisbon area with the higher percentage of establishments employing more than 250 workers.
Oerias is one of the municipalities in Portugal that mostly attracts companies and has made this one of its priorities, with special dedication in the areas of science and research.

Education
The amount of services to families (education, health and culture) is clearly greater than that evidenced in other territorial typologies.
There are 4 International Schools based in Oeiras municipality, and more than 24 in the district of Lisbon.
The New School of Business and Economics, in Carcavelos, borders Oeiras.

Quality of life
Oeiras combines the quality of life of leisure, sport and culture, with good education offer, investment in the social sector, and the strength of business.
Being very close to Lisbon, those who live in Oeiras easily have access to all the culture in the capital.

Oeiras has parks and places of leisure, great for families, and it is a municipality that is always providing programs open to all, included at the cultural, environmental or educational level.

Access to essential and quality shopping as well as other services is also ensured in Oeiras. Also, for more cosmopolitan shopping Lisbon is only 20 minutes away by car.

For sports lovers Oerias is close to the beaches that go from Santo Amaro to Guincho (Cascais) and is also close to the beaches of Sintra Municipality. Surfing, bodyboarding, windsurfing, sailing, and other water sports can easily be practiced when you live here.

Between Lisbon, Sintra and Oeiras there are more than 12 golf fields as well as many other sports equipment.