Latest news and stories about legal status in Portugal for expats and residents.
Mariela Ferreira reveals that when her brother was notified he would be released, he did not believe it and “it was his colleagues who had to help him react.”
The Prime Minister reported that more than 200,000 Brazilian immigrants have obtained legal status within the last two years.
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.
In an interview, the head of the PSP's return department discusses the challenges of managing migration processes, the integration of the National Unit for Foreigners and Borders (UNEF), and the increase in voluntary returns, while advising immigrants to ensure their legal status before arriving in Portugal.
Immigrants submitted a genuine criminal record certificate in their regularisation applications, but with a stamp that proved to be fake.
Portugal records a record increase in notifications to leave the country; the effective removal rate increased even before the new law. Immigration enforcement actions increased, but found little more than a thousand illegal residents in the national territory. Crimes committed by immigrants remain stable (and Hindustani individuals are not among those most identified).
An inspection operation targeting the restaurant sector was also carried out.
