gobordaGlobal mobility intelligence
Work & skilled workersAnnouncementHigh impactVerified

AIMA Restructures Residence Appointment and Renewal Procedures to Reduce the Immigration Backlog

🇵🇹 PortugalProcessing Times1 recorded versionLast change 18 Jul 2026
ConfidenceVery high · 90%

Current rules

Portugal is moving more residence procedures into digital channels. Eligible applications can increasingly be submitted through the AIMA Portal, including the submission and receipt of documents and payment of fees, without a prior appointment where the relevant online service is operational. The Renewal Portal has also become the channel for several renewal procedures. For eligible applications, AIMA reviews the online submission first and only schedules an in-person appointment if biometric collection is required. For procedures that are not yet available digitally, applicants must continue to request an appointment through AIMA's contact channels.

Overview

AIMA has restructured its appointment and biometrics scheduling to address the residence permit backlog inherited from the former SEF.

Who is affected by the latest change

  • Foreign nationals applying for eligible Portuguese residence permits
  • Existing residents renewing eligible residence permits
  • EU citizens and their family members applying for eligible permanent residence documents
  • Applicants whose procedures can now be handled through the AIMA digital portals
  • Applicants who only need to attend AIMA for biometric collection

What changed in the latest version

Before

Previously, many residence-permit procedures depended heavily on physical appointments at AIMA offices. Applicants generally had to obtain an appointment and attend an AIMA location to submit their application and documentation. For certain renewal procedures, applicants also relied on the AIMA contact form to initiate the process.

After

Portugal is moving more residence procedures into digital channels. Eligible applications can increasingly be submitted through the AIMA Portal, including the submission and receipt of documents and payment of fees, without a prior appointment where the relevant online service is operational. The Renewal Portal has also become the channel for several renewal procedures. For eligible applications, AIMA reviews the online submission first and only schedules an in-person appointment if biometric collection is required. For procedures that are not yet available digitally, applicants must continue to request an appointment through AIMA's contact channels.

Portugal's immigration system has been dealing with a substantial backlog of residence applications and appointments. Government figures reported in June indicated that AIMA and the backlog task force had already held 763,000 appointments and decided more than 525,000 immigration files, showing the scale of the effort required to clear outstanding cases. For applicants, the reform could mean: fewer situations requiring an appointment; more applications being submitted electronically; faster processing for procedures that can be completed entirely online; biometric appointments being scheduled only when necessary; greater separation between administrative processing and physical attendance.

Explained simply

Imagine a government office where everyone previously had to stand in line at the counter, even if all they needed was to hand over a form. Portugal is now saying: "If we can process your form online, don't come to the counter. We'll call you in only when we actually need to see you." So instead of: Application → Appointment → Documents → Processing → Biometrics the process can increasingly become: Online application → Digital review → Appointment only if needed → Decision The goal is to make the appointment queue smaller so AIMA can deal with the people who actually need to be there.

Version history

  1. v1Effective 1 Jul 2026AnnouncementHigh impact
    AIMA Restructures Residence Appointment and Renewal Procedures to Reduce the Immigration Backlog

    AIMA has changed how it organises appointments and biometrics for residence permits. This is to help clear the backlog of cases left over from the previous agency, SEF.

Other routes in this country

1 / 6