The Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) stated on Friday, April 17, that immigrants with expired documents who have ongoing processes with Portuguese authorities are not at risk of being considered irregular. Following the end of the latest administrative extension on April 15, immigrants awaiting new documents can use an online certificate from the AIMA portal to prove their legal status. AIMA clarified that foreign citizens with pending renewal or regularisation applications are not in an irregular situation. The agency noted that since March 2020, residency permits had been automatically extended without effective verification, but the current government has intervened to restore state control and monitoring. AIMA reported that out of approximately 100,000 renewal cases since June 2025, 90,000 have reached a final decision. While immigrant associations, such as Casa do Brasil de Lisboa, have expressed concerns regarding persistent delays in receiving physical residency cards, AIMA maintains that proof of a pending application or a certificate of approval is sufficient to ensure legal status.
AIMA assures that immigrants remain legal even with expired documents
Context & Explainers
Temporary residence is a limited residence permit that allows non‑EU nationals to live in Portugal for a set period (commonly one year, renewable) for study, work or other reasons. The Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo (AIMA) launching an online form means eligible students who also work can apply or regularise their status more easily through AIMA’s process rather than only via consular services.
The AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo—Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum) is Portugal's immigration authority responsible for managing residence permits, visa processing, asylum, and immigrant integration.
History: AIMA replaced the dissolved SEF (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras) on October 29, 2023, following a 2021 Assembly decision. SEF's dissolution was motivated by reform needs, administrative inefficiencies, and a 2020 scandal involving a Ukrainian national's death in custody. SEF's responsibilities were redistributed: security functions to PSP/GNR/PJ, and administrative immigration matters to AIMA and IRN.
Expat Interface: Expats contact AIMA for residence permit applications and renewals (D7 passive income, D8 digital nomad, Golden Visa), family reunification, asylum requests, and visa extensions. AIMA operates 34 service counters nationwide, requires complete document submission (mandatory since April 2025), and processes cases that typically take 6-18 months. The agency inherited 300,000+ pending cases from SEF, with government funding allocated to clear backlogs.
Pedro Gaspar is the president of the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo or AIMA). His office is responsible for migration and asylum policies, so changes or statements from him affect migrants, asylum seekers and those using integration services in Portugal.
