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:
yes, your level-headed friend is completely correct. There are 2 very distinct renewal processes based on the date on which your card expired. The good news for you is that you get to ignore 95% of the feedback you've received and use the new system. The new system got off to a rough start, it clearly wasn't ready for production, but over the last 5 or 6 months, it looks like all the major issues have been resolved and the process is working quite nicely now.
My wife and I are renewing our 2-year permit, awaiting our 3-year permit. We are in the pre-July 1 2025 group. It has been a test of patience. Our 2-year cards expired at the beginning of December, 2024. So nearly 14 months with an expired card. But, we've both been approved in the last few weeks and are now awaiting delivery of our cards.
Unfortunately, I've seen a staggering amount of misinformation regarding this process. Simply understanding that their are 2 distinct processes in place makes a huge difference. Without taking that into consideration, any feedback is largely worthless, for example. It has also been pretty disheartening to see how quickly rumors and misinformation will spread in the online immigrant communities, and how so many people will go off the deep end and overreact to any and all rumors.
It is my opinion that, as immigrants, we have a practical and ethical obligation to be experts on the immigration policies and processes in our new home country. Sadly, a large portion of (at least American) immigrants fail miserably in this regard. To compound the problem, the amount of misinformation spread from the uninformed is a massive barrier for others to get educated on the process. It quickly becomes a viscous circle.
While fully agreeing with you, there are actually three if not four distinct renewal processes: The GV folks are in an entirely different queue and, again, are on the back burner. I don't know if they are also split between pre and post July 1, but reports are nothing has moved since June.
The renewal process for cards expiring 1 July 2025 or after changed and is entirely on-line. After an initial months long glitch regarding how applicants could upload an applicant’s NISS number (which was a new requirement), the system was remarkably smooth. My friends who are in this group report receiving approvals and then cards within 14 business days after approval. I know some couples where one person’s card expired before 1 July 2025 and their other after 1 July 2025–
person renewing under the old system is still awaiting approval, the other person renewing under the new system already has been approved with cards now in hand.
I second the gratitude for and help from, Relocate to Portugal. We are eligible for 5-year permanent residence and wonderful Nilse Santos helped us prepare documentation for that. Because there is no mechanism through AIMA (yet) for permanent residence (third country nationals), we applied for extension of temporary. Cards expired Nov 11, submitted doc’s through portal online Nov 23, approval notice in email January 23. Now waiting for cards!
Excellent how-to helpful guides for AIMA renewals on Facebook group, American Friends in Portugal. Also here in Porto area, a very helpful WA group. Both have been tracking the myriad changes and requirements and helped me stay current.
I was in Portugal when the turnover from SEF to AIMA ocurred. It didn't begin well.
The day AIMA officially opened for business was the day the data from SEF *began* to move to AIMA so AIMA was really not prepared to do anything until all of the files were received. I assumed this took place before AIMA opened but it didn't. From the beginning AIMA was woefully unprepared and then overwhelmed with data once it was received.
The other problem is a lack of middle management. Yes, that's a word Americans don't like, but it is generally lacking in Portugal and the reason for different answers from different people in the same company or department in this country. When you do not have strong managers or enough managers, if any at all, there is a lapse in communication between the powers that be and the people on the ground working with clients and customers. I believe that's a reason for the inconsistency in responses to applications.
A year ago when we began our journey to live in Portugal I learned about Relocate to Portugal from you. That was the best recommendation we got and Gail and her team are fantastic. I think I am very late in thanking you, but you have our sincere gratitude!
I might have mentioned this story previously here. It bears repeating.
We were at the Social Security in Matosinhos about EU health cards. Friends had gotten them without a problem. However our SS clerk decided we did not qualify and pointed to a small sign on his desk which read-in English- “My desk, my rules.”
For those who prefer the DIY approach, the Facebook group Americans&Friends PT has extensive files on how to apply for your renewal as well as a wealth of information on other topics. We used their files when we applied for our original visa as well as our first renewal. Their information is always accurate and up to date.
I just wrote about the madness that is Portuguese bureaucracy (specifically, AIMA) in a post called The Two Portugals. (Love the play on words, btw, cuz AIMA confused also). Because there is the Portugal we all knew when we got here, and the Portugal that exists now… and then (as your friend said) the Portugal that will exist by the time I finish typing this comment; which will likely be a fresh level of chaos. I still love it here. 😁
Your level headed friend is right to caution patience and acceptance of the reality on the ground re: what AIMA inherited and how they are digging themselves out of a hole that keeps filling back in day by day. This is good advice for anyone too quick to criticize the process there or anywhere - things take time and fixing a long broken or overburdened system takes time and $$. Money that no one anywhere in the world seems willing to pay to hire more people to process requests. Everyone wants taxes to go down and efficiency to go up while not hiring there fellow countrymen to do the work. As for things here in the States. My God. I can not look directly or I will either be completely broken by it or run out raging into the street looking for justice. We go back next week to our home on Portugal - going to set up the bedroom for my 81 year old mother. We want to make sure the house is ready at the drop of a hat for us to scoot over for good in case things continue the way they are going. We are currently lucky here in RI... but that could change on a dime and I won't stay in the US if I need to watch my mouth, walk in fear or have to prove my citizenship to go get eggs at Stop & Shop. Not going to happen. I am hoping we can organize a full coast to coast general strike and head out into the streets by the millions. We need to show elected officials that this will NOT stand - we won't sit by while people are being gunned down in the streets, taken by masked men and our rights infringed upon. sigh. sometimes it feels like too much to bear. Keep us in your thoughts - we need it.
Family reunification is a different, and very slow process.
My husband and I used information from Facebook group, American Friends in Portugal to submit for our renewals. We are in the slower pre-July 1, 2025 process group. We don't have our renewed cards yet.
I don't know why AIMA doesn't keep the FAQs on their official webpage up to date. But they do post useful up-to-date information on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AgenciaAIMA .
Mine expired April 2024, I finally got an appt for July 2025 – that got pushed back twice and moved 3.5h away. Finally sat down with them in Oct 2025 and had my card two weeks later.
Frustrating, but I try to understand what they inherited and along with seeing the yearly numbers of people arriving it seems hard to forecast and staff that (esp, when you're a slower-moving southern european nation!)
I actually always just travelled on the expired card – so long as I entered and exited Schengen Europe via Portugal. The customs staff/police here always understood, no questions asked.
Not to gloat but to say that the system does, in fact, work - eventually.
But what a journey. Our first cards came from SEF; they were applied for in '22, we received them in '23 and they expired in'25. Applied for on the same day, expired two months apart (?).
We applied early for our renewal and got precisely nowhere. Eventually AIMA opened the on-line application, which we used (and paid €168 each to register) Next step, an appointment in Loulé. Wonderful - we're in - on a roll!
No.
It was for a - very helpful - lady to check all of our documents. Now, as we all know by now, when presenting for 'anything' official in Portugal you bring 'every' document that might be reasonably - or unreasonably- required. Bank accounts and income statements. (Parent's birth, marriage and death certificates - they won't want them - bring them anyway.) This helpful lady even copied the full deeds to our home as proof that we do actually have a residence in Portugal. The lady said that, if accepted, we might get our new cards in five months.
So we sat and waited, and waited. Eventually we - both of us - received the news that we could not be granted residency because we had, in fact, not proved that we own our home. we had to apply for a something 'predial' from the local land registry office.
A brief aside: all credit, for each and every single step of this journey goes to my wife, who doggedly and relentlessly pursued this process every - step - of - the - way. (She did use some vocabulary I was not aware that she possessed - and very fluently too, I might say.)Anyway, she got the 'predial' document. She also navigated the arcane byways of the tax system to prove that we had paid our taxes. (You would be forgiven for thinking that the receipt for payment of taxes - on the excellent 'Multi-banco' system would have been sufficient, but 'no'.
Now this next, I believe, is a crucial step which people might miss:
We both made a 'solemn declaration that all of the information provided to AIMA was true.'
A week later - early December - my wife checked the AIMA portal to find that our application was 'deferido'. I must confess to a moment of panic because we thought that it meant 'deferred or delayed' but no! It meant that our application was accepted!!! Great joy. Success!!
But not quite, not yet... if you are still with me.
We left Portugal on the 22 December to spend Christmas with our daughter in her new home in the UK. At border control we proudly presented - in this order - our 'expired' residencia, our passports and the printout showing our 'deferido'.
'Where is the receipt to show that you paid?'
You can't even begin the process until your payment has cleared.
'Not my problem... show me proof.'
My wife had the receipt somewhere in the sheaf of documents that all foreign national carry when leaving or entering Portugal, I did not but after making me cringe for some time the lady relented and allowed me to leave, but with the warning that I might not be able to re-enter without the receipt. (As it happened, the man on Border Control on re-entry said 'Yeah, happens a lot, it's in the post don't worry, welcome back.)
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
yes, your level-headed friend is completely correct. There are 2 very distinct renewal processes based on the date on which your card expired. The good news for you is that you get to ignore 95% of the feedback you've received and use the new system. The new system got off to a rough start, it clearly wasn't ready for production, but over the last 5 or 6 months, it looks like all the major issues have been resolved and the process is working quite nicely now.
My wife and I are renewing our 2-year permit, awaiting our 3-year permit. We are in the pre-July 1 2025 group. It has been a test of patience. Our 2-year cards expired at the beginning of December, 2024. So nearly 14 months with an expired card. But, we've both been approved in the last few weeks and are now awaiting delivery of our cards.
Unfortunately, I've seen a staggering amount of misinformation regarding this process. Simply understanding that their are 2 distinct processes in place makes a huge difference. Without taking that into consideration, any feedback is largely worthless, for example. It has also been pretty disheartening to see how quickly rumors and misinformation will spread in the online immigrant communities, and how so many people will go off the deep end and overreact to any and all rumors.
It is my opinion that, as immigrants, we have a practical and ethical obligation to be experts on the immigration policies and processes in our new home country. Sadly, a large portion of (at least American) immigrants fail miserably in this regard. To compound the problem, the amount of misinformation spread from the uninformed is a massive barrier for others to get educated on the process. It quickly becomes a viscous circle.
While fully agreeing with you, there are actually three if not four distinct renewal processes: The GV folks are in an entirely different queue and, again, are on the back burner. I don't know if they are also split between pre and post July 1, but reports are nothing has moved since June.
The renewal process for cards expiring 1 July 2025 or after changed and is entirely on-line. After an initial months long glitch regarding how applicants could upload an applicant’s NISS number (which was a new requirement), the system was remarkably smooth. My friends who are in this group report receiving approvals and then cards within 14 business days after approval. I know some couples where one person’s card expired before 1 July 2025 and their other after 1 July 2025–
person renewing under the old system is still awaiting approval, the other person renewing under the new system already has been approved with cards now in hand.
I second the gratitude for and help from, Relocate to Portugal. We are eligible for 5-year permanent residence and wonderful Nilse Santos helped us prepare documentation for that. Because there is no mechanism through AIMA (yet) for permanent residence (third country nationals), we applied for extension of temporary. Cards expired Nov 11, submitted doc’s through portal online Nov 23, approval notice in email January 23. Now waiting for cards!
Excellent how-to helpful guides for AIMA renewals on Facebook group, American Friends in Portugal. Also here in Porto area, a very helpful WA group. Both have been tracking the myriad changes and requirements and helped me stay current.
I was in Portugal when the turnover from SEF to AIMA ocurred. It didn't begin well.
The day AIMA officially opened for business was the day the data from SEF *began* to move to AIMA so AIMA was really not prepared to do anything until all of the files were received. I assumed this took place before AIMA opened but it didn't. From the beginning AIMA was woefully unprepared and then overwhelmed with data once it was received.
The other problem is a lack of middle management. Yes, that's a word Americans don't like, but it is generally lacking in Portugal and the reason for different answers from different people in the same company or department in this country. When you do not have strong managers or enough managers, if any at all, there is a lapse in communication between the powers that be and the people on the ground working with clients and customers. I believe that's a reason for the inconsistency in responses to applications.
A year ago when we began our journey to live in Portugal I learned about Relocate to Portugal from you. That was the best recommendation we got and Gail and her team are fantastic. I think I am very late in thanking you, but you have our sincere gratitude!
I might have mentioned this story previously here. It bears repeating.
We were at the Social Security in Matosinhos about EU health cards. Friends had gotten them without a problem. However our SS clerk decided we did not qualify and pointed to a small sign on his desk which read-in English- “My desk, my rules.”
For those who prefer the DIY approach, the Facebook group Americans&Friends PT has extensive files on how to apply for your renewal as well as a wealth of information on other topics. We used their files when we applied for our original visa as well as our first renewal. Their information is always accurate and up to date.
I just wrote about the madness that is Portuguese bureaucracy (specifically, AIMA) in a post called The Two Portugals. (Love the play on words, btw, cuz AIMA confused also). Because there is the Portugal we all knew when we got here, and the Portugal that exists now… and then (as your friend said) the Portugal that will exist by the time I finish typing this comment; which will likely be a fresh level of chaos. I still love it here. 😁
Your level headed friend is right to caution patience and acceptance of the reality on the ground re: what AIMA inherited and how they are digging themselves out of a hole that keeps filling back in day by day. This is good advice for anyone too quick to criticize the process there or anywhere - things take time and fixing a long broken or overburdened system takes time and $$. Money that no one anywhere in the world seems willing to pay to hire more people to process requests. Everyone wants taxes to go down and efficiency to go up while not hiring there fellow countrymen to do the work. As for things here in the States. My God. I can not look directly or I will either be completely broken by it or run out raging into the street looking for justice. We go back next week to our home on Portugal - going to set up the bedroom for my 81 year old mother. We want to make sure the house is ready at the drop of a hat for us to scoot over for good in case things continue the way they are going. We are currently lucky here in RI... but that could change on a dime and I won't stay in the US if I need to watch my mouth, walk in fear or have to prove my citizenship to go get eggs at Stop & Shop. Not going to happen. I am hoping we can organize a full coast to coast general strike and head out into the streets by the millions. We need to show elected officials that this will NOT stand - we won't sit by while people are being gunned down in the streets, taken by masked men and our rights infringed upon. sigh. sometimes it feels like too much to bear. Keep us in your thoughts - we need it.
Love that your local postman is an expat supporter!
Family reunification is a different, and very slow process.
My husband and I used information from Facebook group, American Friends in Portugal to submit for our renewals. We are in the slower pre-July 1, 2025 process group. We don't have our renewed cards yet.
I don't know why AIMA doesn't keep the FAQs on their official webpage up to date. But they do post useful up-to-date information on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AgenciaAIMA .
Mine expired April 2024, I finally got an appt for July 2025 – that got pushed back twice and moved 3.5h away. Finally sat down with them in Oct 2025 and had my card two weeks later.
Frustrating, but I try to understand what they inherited and along with seeing the yearly numbers of people arriving it seems hard to forecast and staff that (esp, when you're a slower-moving southern european nation!)
I actually always just travelled on the expired card – so long as I entered and exited Schengen Europe via Portugal. The customs staff/police here always understood, no questions asked.
We have our renewals!!!!!
Not to gloat but to say that the system does, in fact, work - eventually.
But what a journey. Our first cards came from SEF; they were applied for in '22, we received them in '23 and they expired in'25. Applied for on the same day, expired two months apart (?).
We applied early for our renewal and got precisely nowhere. Eventually AIMA opened the on-line application, which we used (and paid €168 each to register) Next step, an appointment in Loulé. Wonderful - we're in - on a roll!
No.
It was for a - very helpful - lady to check all of our documents. Now, as we all know by now, when presenting for 'anything' official in Portugal you bring 'every' document that might be reasonably - or unreasonably- required. Bank accounts and income statements. (Parent's birth, marriage and death certificates - they won't want them - bring them anyway.) This helpful lady even copied the full deeds to our home as proof that we do actually have a residence in Portugal. The lady said that, if accepted, we might get our new cards in five months.
So we sat and waited, and waited. Eventually we - both of us - received the news that we could not be granted residency because we had, in fact, not proved that we own our home. we had to apply for a something 'predial' from the local land registry office.
A brief aside: all credit, for each and every single step of this journey goes to my wife, who doggedly and relentlessly pursued this process every - step - of - the - way. (She did use some vocabulary I was not aware that she possessed - and very fluently too, I might say.)Anyway, she got the 'predial' document. She also navigated the arcane byways of the tax system to prove that we had paid our taxes. (You would be forgiven for thinking that the receipt for payment of taxes - on the excellent 'Multi-banco' system would have been sufficient, but 'no'.
Now this next, I believe, is a crucial step which people might miss:
We both made a 'solemn declaration that all of the information provided to AIMA was true.'
A week later - early December - my wife checked the AIMA portal to find that our application was 'deferido'. I must confess to a moment of panic because we thought that it meant 'deferred or delayed' but no! It meant that our application was accepted!!! Great joy. Success!!
But not quite, not yet... if you are still with me.
We left Portugal on the 22 December to spend Christmas with our daughter in her new home in the UK. At border control we proudly presented - in this order - our 'expired' residencia, our passports and the printout showing our 'deferido'.
'Where is the receipt to show that you paid?'
You can't even begin the process until your payment has cleared.
'Not my problem... show me proof.'
My wife had the receipt somewhere in the sheaf of documents that all foreign national carry when leaving or entering Portugal, I did not but after making me cringe for some time the lady relented and allowed me to leave, but with the warning that I might not be able to re-enter without the receipt. (As it happened, the man on Border Control on re-entry said 'Yeah, happens a lot, it's in the post don't worry, welcome back.)
Cards received two weeks ago. Four months.
Here endeth my rant. Good luck to all of you.
Already dreading the next renewal.