Latest news and stories about bureaucracy in Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal for expats and residents.
Portugal is facing criticism for denying entry visas to at least 20 midwives from Africa and Asia who were scheduled to attend an International Confederation of Midwives congress in Lisbon. Organisers argue the decision prevents experts from regions with high maternal mortality rates from participating, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintains that the visa process is rigorous and compliant with the Schengen Visa Code.
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.
The Cartão de Cidadão (Citizen Card) is Portugal’s national identity card, introduced in 2007, used for in‑person ID and many online public services; it contains your civil identity data and supports digital authentication and signatures. It is issued to Portuguese citizens—foreign residents use a residence permit for ID—so non‑citizen expats should keep their passport and residence card for official matters.
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).
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.
AIMA has established a dedicated consultation room in Lisbon for lawyers and solicitors to streamline case management, aiming to assist up to 80 professionals daily as part of a new collaborative agreement.
Cultural mediators from the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) are striking at the Government headquarters in Lisbon to demand permanent employment status and salary equality, protesting the ministry's reliance on precarious labor.
The measure, which is part of a broader reform to speed up administrative and tax justice, still needs to be approved by the Assembly of the Republic.
The measure still needs to be approved by the Legislative Assembly, but it provides for the end of the concentration of cases in Lisbon
Approved by the Council of Ministers, the new entity is part of a broader reform with four pillars to relieve the administrative and tax courts.
Another deadline for the installation of the hearing room at Lisbon Airport has been missed. ANA Aeroportos confirmed a new date to DN, stating that the contract for the permanent facilities has been awarded, with completion expected in the second half of this year. Previous forecasts had suggested completion by the summer of 2026. Temporary facilities have been available since June 1st while work on the permanent ones continues. The delay is attributed to the division of responsibilities between entities and bureaucratic procedures. The room is intended for judicial hearings for immigrants denied entry, aiming to function as an extension of the Lisbon court to process cases before individuals are deported.
The PSP thanked all citizens for their understanding and reaffirmed its commitment to safety and proximity to the communities.
The Minister Assistant and for State Reform once again criticised the bureaucracy that characterises the Public Administration. At the .IA Conference, held by ECO this Tuesday at the Belém Cultural Centre (CCB), Gonçalo Matias complained about the delay in a simple kiosk purchase process, stating he hopes that the gradual introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) in...
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Margarida Balseiro Lopes, aims to conclude the review of the Statute for Professionals in the Cultural Sector (EPAC) between the end of this year and early 2027. A working group identified significant issues with the statute's implementation, including excessive bureaucracy, poor communication, and a lack of institutional coordination, noting that only about 2,000 professionals have registered. The minister acknowledged these failures and promised to release the full report this week, while a public consultation remains open throughout July.
A working group identified several problems in the application of the status, namely excessive bureaucracy, lack of communication, and the need for 'institutional coordination'.
A working group proposes a review focused on administrative simplification, social protection, the contribution regime, communication, monitoring, and institutional coordination.
Home News AIMA partners with Portuguese college to expedite student documents AIMA partners with Portuguese college to expedite student documents The Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum ( AIMA) has signed a cooperation agreement with the University of Lisbon School of Law ( FDUL) to redu
The Lisbon Regional Council has requested an urgent audience with the President of the Republic to ask him to request that the Constitutional Court review the standards approved in the Code of Criminal Procedure on June 12.
The Court of Auditors states that it took only “27 working days to grant approval”. The tender for the construction of the new unit was published in 2017, but the contract was only signed in 2024.
The Union of Court Officials complained today about hearing rooms with temperatures exceeding 40ºC, trials being postponed due to the heat, and the Lisbon Palace of Justice lacking drinking water, a situation affecting the entire country.
Lawyers no longer need to wake up at dawn to queue at the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) in Anjos, Lisbon. Professionals now have access to two exclusive service desks throughout the unit's operating hours. The service is intended for professionals, including solicitors, who need information on ongoing immigrant cases, such as checking the status of applications, as communication via phone and email is often ineffective. The measure follows a protocol signed between AIMA and the Bar Association (OA), with the new service model beginning on June 18. Previously, lawyers had access to a limited number of tickets distributed only during the first two hours of the day, which would run out in minutes. Service remains on a first-come, first-served basis, but is now available all day, with each professional allowed to consult up to three cases. For now, the AIMA office in Anjos is the only one offering this service, addressing a long-standing request from legal professionals, many of whom are Brazilian.
Skip to main content Skip to navigation ! Woman walk down down a sunny street with one holding a sign saying 'midwives save lives'. People attend a Midwives March in Lisbon on 13 June, the day before the opening of 34th International Confederation of Midwives congress.
The economy remains low in productivity, argues Miranda Sarmento, while simultaneously highlighting its attractiveness to investors, namely the French.
The Minister of Finance stated this Friday, June 19, that the Government will “move forward shortly” with the reform of tax justice, specifically with a review of tax rates. During a speech at the Franco-Portuguese Economic Conference in Lisbon, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento highlighted necessary measures to address the country's main constraints, namely in human capital, bureaucracy, and the labour market. Regarding fiscal simplification, he indicated that the reform of tax justice and tax litigation will proceed shortly, including a review of rates. Furthermore, he highlighted the reform of the State to “extinguish and reduce the number of entities, but above all to combat bureaucracy, and in those entities where” there is “perfect awareness that they are a bureaucratic problem, such as the APA [Portuguese Environment Agency], ICNF [Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests], IRN [Institute of Registries and Notaries], and CCDR [Commission for Coordination and Regional Development].” The minister also signalled the need to continue reducing marginal IRS (personal income tax) and IRC (corporate income tax) rates, noting that even though they are no longer the highest in the OECD, they are “still quite high.” For this year, Miranda Sarmento emphasized that, “despite all the difficulties,” it will be possible to achieve “growth of around 2% of GDP, well above the Eurozone average,” a balanced budget, and continued reduction of public debt. At this conference, focused on relations between Portugal and France, the minister listed examples of investments in Portugal, such as BNP Paribas and Natixis, projects which, as a whole, “are critical to the Portuguese economy.” The banking sector is “another success story,” he added, pointing out that “15 years ago the banks were in a very difficult situation; today they are resilient, well-capitalised, profitable, and proof of this was the purchase of Novo Banco by BPCE.” Miranda Sarmento: tax revenue shows that Portugal is doing better than people say. IRS and IRC reductions “are to be implemented,” guarantees the Secretary of State for the Budget.
Queues have returned to the doors of the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum services in Anjos, Lisbon. Dozens of people have been outside AIMA since the early hours of the morning.
The Portuguese government has denied entry visas to a group of midwives who were scheduled to participate in an international conference held in Lisbon.
According to the Union of Registry and Notary Workers, most registry offices closed in mainland Portugal. Also, in the World Cup, Canada drew against Bosnia.
Portugal has denied visas to at least 20 midwives from Africa and Asia who were travelling to attend an international conference in Lisbon aimed at saving millions of babies worldwide, organisers and guests reported today.
At least 20 midwives were denied entry visas to Portugal for an international conference held in Lisbon.
