Legal: Bureaucracy news in Portugal

A strike by registry and notary workers reached a national participation rate of 93.41% this Friday, causing the closure of most registry offices across 14 districts in mainland Portugal. The union behind the action warns of a severe human resources crisis, while the Ministry of Justice highlighted the recent hiring of 165 new registrars and 605 registry officers to address staffing needs.

Other delegates may also have been prevented from participating.

Residents in Lisbon are facing a total backlog for renewing their citizen card (Cartão de Cidadão), with no appointments currently available until 2027. The situation has created significant bureaucratic delays for those needing to update their primary identification document.

Minister of the Presidency António Leitão Amaro confirmed that the national immigrant integration plan is still being drafted. The announcement follows public criticism from immigrant advocates regarding the performance of the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo or AIMA).

The Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) has issued a warning regarding fraudulent schemes targeting immigrants seeking appointments. The agency emphasized that all scheduling requests for in-person services are free and must be handled exclusively through official state channels or by the applicants themselves.

The Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo (AIMA) is facing scrutiny after reports of an attempt to expel a long-term resident. The individual, who has lived in Portugal for eight years, reportedly cannot renew her documents due to a lack of response from AIMA, despite having established a home and business in the country.

Legal professionals are denouncing the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo or AIMA) for failing to pay for services rendered. Lawyers hired to analyze migration cases report thousands of euros in outstanding payments, noting the situation deteriorated following the conclusion of a specific task force. The president of AIMA stated that approximately 200,000 euros remain to be settled.

Nearly 3,000 Nepalese nationals living in Portugal are at risk of expulsion after submitting residency applications that included forged stamps on otherwise genuine criminal records. These individuals, who have been working in the country since 2022, were reportedly victims of a scam. The government of Nepal has formally requested assistance from Portuguese authorities to resolve the status of these residents.

The government of Nepal has formally requested assistance from Portuguese authorities regarding the status of 2,800 Nepalese nationals currently at risk of expulsion. The situation highlights ongoing bureaucratic challenges faced by foreign residents in Portugal as the country manages its immigration processes. No immediate resolution has been announced by the Portuguese government.

The Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo or AIMA) released guidance to help immigrants avoid technical errors on its digital portals. Users are advised to use short filenames without special characters, accents (acentos), or cedillas (cedilhas) to speed up the analysis of residency processes. Those awaiting residency should be aware that switching browsers or checking file sizes can also resolve submission failures.

Dinheiro Vivo lists fees charged by Brazilian consulates in Portugal to help Brazilians budget for routine consular tasks: a biometric passport for adults costs about €132, with different rates for children and other services. The guide covers common transactions such as registering births, legalisations and travel authorisations. Brazilian nationals living in Portugal should check the consulate website before visiting and factor these fees into plans for document renewals or legal procedures.

Update: Biometric passport costs €132 and is valid ten years

Dinheiro Vivo notes the biometric passport referenced is valid for up to ten years for adults; fees vary by age and consular service, so check the specific consulate page before you make an appointment.