AIMA Confused
A play on words...
Our 3-year Temporary Residency cards expire in August. So I am tracking the progress of friends as they work their way through the system. To say I am confused would be an understatement.
First Things First
As expected, we are going to a second round of voting for the President of Portugal. As I am not an expert on this subject, I would encourage you to read Politico for more analysis.
The good news is that while only 60% of the Portuguese voted, this was an improvement over the last 20 years. One hopes and expects, the majority of the non-Chega voters will coalesce around Seguro in next month’s vote.
A Couple of Friends
I asked a few friends who I knew had expired cards about their experience. Their experiences are a bit all over the place.
We have 2 friends whose cards expired in September 2024. They received emails in March 2025 telling them they had appointments scheduled at a local office in May on the same day. Following that appointment, one received her card 9 weeks later the other waited 4.5 months.1
Another friend’s card expired in November 2024. In July 2025, he got an email telling him he had an appointment in Lisbon in August. In early December, he got a denial, submitted the required document, and was approved within 2 weeks. He received his card 3 weeks later.
We have a South African friend here on a Golden Visa. She has worked diligently to learn the language, passed the exam, etc. While she would like a Portuguese passport,2 she realizes that it will take some time. At the same time, her residency card expired in April 2025. She is working through her attorney and now has an appointment for May 2026. Her impression is that Golden Visas were moved to the back of the pack.
We also have a group of friends whose cards expired between April and June of 2025. Many had similar experiences:
They were informed they could apply online in August.
They were assigned an appointment 2-4 weeks later at an office 2.75 hours away.
They received denials 10-12 weeks later.
They have submitted the additional paperwork requested and now wait.
In one case, a friend was denied for 2 reasons. He has now cleared one hurdle, but additional documentation is being requested for the other item.
Consult the Expert
If there is a pattern above, I would rather not see it. So I consulted an expert. You may recall that Relocate to Portugal assisted us with our move to Portugal, and has assisted us when we are unsure of what to do. I interviewed Gail Agular, its founder, when NHR ended. When I asked Gail if she would be open to answering a few questions, she responded,
“I’ll see if I can answer your questions, but I’m sure once you’ve published, our answers will need updating.”
She also commented that:
There have been changes made to both the Visa and renewal processes.
Many were put in place in an effort to work through the backlog of 400,000 renewals by the end of 2025. The 20 Mission Structures (large offices with 40+ workers) that were set up for the renewal push were dismantled as of the end of 2025.
While applicants in 2025 received more denials than in years past, the overwhelming majority were approved after the first appeal.
She also suggested I read this article, which discusses the 1.3 million residents of Spain awaiting renewal. Finally, she noted that one member of her staff is assigned full-time to assist RTP’s clients in working through the renewal process. I am very glad we used RTP and will be contacting her in May to begin gathering the required documents.
Serenity Now!
When I WhatsApped friends to gather information for this post, one levelheaded guy sent me more than just dates. He wrote that AIMA had inherited a broken system and a giant backlog. He commended the fact that they seemed to break the problem into two. One that tried to create a pathway for those who were relatively “current” (so as not to exacerbate the problem), which seemed to be working, and another task force (the Mission Structures Gail referenced above) for the older renewals.
“Yes, of course, it is taking time. But I am NOT among the people who think the approach or results are unreasonable, given the problem they were tasked to resolve.”— my levelheaded friend
I appreciate his response. Yes, it is frustrating. Yes, it may make traveling more difficult. But the good news is, Portugal does not have masked men in SWAT garb smashing people’s car windows and dragging them out of their cars. I am in awe of the people in Minnesota who are peacefully protesting in freezing temperatures. And to everyone still living in the US…stay safe.
Grato, afortunado…tchau
Nanc
Our local postman knows that expats are waiting for their cards. So when he delivers the card, he waves it joyously in the air and has a huge smile on his face.
The official passport ranking system places South Africa in 48th place, Portugal in 5th, and by the way, the US is currently 10th.
I would add Portugal also does not have Nazi thugs murdering it’s citizens n cold blood and then fabricating preposterous lies despite video evidence that refutes every single lie they tell. I’ll be happy to wait out the Portuguese process rather than return to that fascist and dangerous country
We are already preparing for our renewal in November and are making sure we’re currently structuring our finances to show life in Portugal. We’ve already decided to use RTP, and have our appointment in February for a consultation. We’ve been following AFiP FB page and the experiences from our local WhatsApp community.
A couple of basics people have recommended if people are still a ways out from their reapplication (and I’ve read several mentions that people have been asked for proof of time in country):
* Obtain a NISS and complete the form on the AIMA website to link your NISS to your AIMA account.
* Start regular transfers of funds into your Portuguese bank account (you will be initially asked for 3 months of statements, but they could come back and ask for more)
* Only use your U.S. credit card for purchases outside of Portugal, rather than day-to-day spending. AIMA seems to want to see proof that you’re living your life in Portugal, keeping a bank account and spending your money from that account.
*Start or continue using you NIF at shops and restaurants when you can, and use your Portuguese debit card for local purchases. This helps establish that you are actively in the community.
For people stuck in the process (pre July folks?), they can research the tacit approval process (more info on AFiP files section). That process seems to be working well. The following is from an attorney’s website:
https://www.lvpadvogados.com/stuck-in-your-aima-process-legal-options-to-accelerate-your-case-in-portugal