Saturday, 24 October
AIMA, residency permits, nationality and visa rules — what changed and what it means for you.
The AIMA portal is now open for the renewal of residency permits that expire in January 2027. The system currently supports renewals for permits expiring between 1 July 2025 and 31 January 2027.
A coordinated European operation led by Europol and the European Labour Authority, which took place from 14 to 20 September, identified nine foreign nationals in the restaurant sector as victims of labour exploitation in Portugal. Authorities questioned four defendants—a woman, two men, and a company, all Portuguese nationals—following inspections across sectors including construction, agriculture, and maritime infrastructure.
Golden Visa holders remain eligible to apply for permanent residency in Portugal after five years of legal residence. Once granted permanent residency, the holder is no longer required to maintain the initial qualifying investment, though the residency period required to apply for Portuguese nationality is now ten years under the law effective since 19 May 2026.
The Portuguese Chamber of Commerce in the UK is hosting a free informational event in Edinburgh on 12 November 2026. The programme features seminars and consultations with experts on residency and visa requirements, cross-border tax planning, property purchases, and financial relocation logistics.
Non-resident foreigners will lose free access to the SNS (National Health Service). Meanwhile, the INEM budget is set to increase by 30%, though this growth depends on the approval of mandatory catastrophe insurance policies. Additionally, municipal councils are increasingly using tax authorities to coercively collect debts for unpaid school meals, and a new algorithm-based system for medical residency placements has sparked distrust due to reported errors.
The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) is in the initial stages of planning a study to map the demographic, health, and social conditions of the Brazilian population in Portugal. The project, which will be developed in partnership with the NOVA National School of Public Health, aims to consolidate administrative data from Portuguese government databases rather than conducting a full census. The research will also include input from the Consulate-General of Brazil in Lisbon and community organizations like Casa do Brasil de Lisboa.
The Council of Ministers has authorized AIMA to pay the Imprensa Nacional-Casa da Moeda up to 31.35 million euros for the production, issuance, and shipping of residence permits and other security documents. This funding is intended to cover projected needs until the first half of 2027 to ensure the continued issuance of documents required for legal status and the exercise of rights.
Minister Nuno Melo questioned the Brazilian accents of housing protest spokespersons, while a lawyer noted that some protesters are already Portuguese citizens facing the same housing crisis as those born in the country.
The law allows residency applicants to prove their address using their own signed statement of honor alongside proof of their legal right to occupy the property, such as a formal lease agreement and recent rent receipts. If your name is not on the lease, you must provide your own declaration of honor identifying the property and landlord, plus a tax residence certificate (Certidão de Domicílio Fiscal) from the Tax Authority (Autoridade Tributária) issued within the last 30 days.
An online and free event titled "Quando o debate se transforma em ódio" will take place on 28 October at 19:00, marking the launch of the imigrei.pt platform. Organizers and speakers including lawyer Catarina Zuccaro and psychologist Shirley Meneses will provide practical guidance on recognizing discrimination, harassment, and hostility, understanding legal rights, and accessing mental health support.
The Assembly of the Republic approved proposals on 16 October requiring non-resident foreign citizens to provide proof of address or health insurance when using the National Health Service. The rules aim to curb health tourism and improve debt collection, while explicitly safeguarding the rights of legal resident immigrants and maintaining non-resident access to emergency care.
The Nationality Law amendment (Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026), published on 18 May 2026 and in force since 19 May 2026, extends the residency requirement for naturalisation from five years to 10 years for most non-EU citizens, while EU and CPLP nationals face a seven-year threshold. Applicants who formally filed their nationality application on or before 18 May 2026 retain the five-year path under grandfathering provisions.
The Migration Technicians Union (STM) released a statement rejecting narratives that blame immigrants for Portugal's housing crisis, pointing out that over 1.1 million foreign citizens contributed to Social Security in 2025, generating 14% of contributions and a positive balance of around 3.3 billion euros. The union criticized the use of immigration as a political instrument to deflect from structural problems and noted that AIMA workers rigorously verify accommodation declarations and housing documents.
Construction work is finished on a dedicated room at Lisbon Airport for in-person hearings of foreign nationals refused entry, though the space is not yet operational. The High Council of the Judiciary (CSM) stated that equipment installation is still pending and there is no concrete start date for hearings. When active, the facility will host hearings with a judge, public prosecutor, and lawyer directly in the airport's international zone, aligning with upcoming EU migration and asylum frameworks.
The Institute of Registries and Notary (IRN) reports a backlog of over 690,000 citizenship applications. Only 25% of these are from current residents in Portugal, while 23% are related to Sephardic Jewish ancestry claims; the IRN is currently prioritizing applications for minors who are descendants of Portuguese citizens.
Parliament has summoned lawyer Célio Sauer, author of a petition proposing the regularisation of CPLP citizens who entered Portugal as tourists and then applied for residency from within the country as the law previously allowed.
New INE figures analysed by Jornal de Notícias show foreign nationals account for at least 10% of the population in 101 of Portugal's 308 municipalities. Odemira has the highest proportion at 52.06%, followed by Algarve municipalities such as Vila do Bispo at 41.73% and Aljezur at 40.50%, while Lisbon stands at 25.64% and Porto exceeds 22%. Nationally, approximately 1.6 million foreign residents represented about 14% of the population at the end of 2025.
The Brazilian Consulate-General in Lisbon warned that physical voter cards issued before 2006 or between 2006 and 2017/2018 may be outdated, inactive, or contain incorrect information. Voters are advised to check their status and exact polling station on the TSE website or via the e-Título app ahead of the runoff vote on 25 October 2026. For voters in Lisbon, polling locations are unified under the University of Lisbon but split across the Reitoria, Direito, and Letras buildings, which can be verified on the consulate's website.
Immigrants are being held in PSP and GNR station cells due to a lack of space in detention centres, with some individuals held for over ten days. Meanwhile, reports indicate that government and parliamentary members from PSD, Chega, IL, and CDS-PP own a total of 1,039 properties while currently debating tenancy laws. Additionally, economic projections suggest that a 50-euro minimum wage increase in 2027 may result in a real gain of only 25 euros if inflation hits the government's 2.3% target.
Recent data shows immigrants in Portugal have employment rates surpassing those of native-born residents. However, these workers are more likely to face precarious contracts and hold jobs that do not match their professional qualifications.
The former socialist minister acknowledged that the current government is meeting deadlines for clearing pending immigration cases, but criticized the creation of a foreign and border unit within the PSP police force. She also argued that Prime Minister Montenegro and Minister Leitão Amaro have promoted a negative agenda regarding immigrants.
Former Minister Ana Catarina Mendes discussed the transition from the former SEF to AIMA, criticizing the current government's decision to shift border and return enforcement powers to the PSP police. She noted that while the administrative backlog is being addressed, she believes the integration of police functions into immigration policy is a regression.
The South Central Administrative Court ruled in favor of an immigrant worker, Sharda BK, ordering AIMA to re-evaluate a residency application that had previously been stalled. The ruling highlights recurring judicial intervention in cases where residency processing delays affect individuals who are active in the labor market and paying taxes.
To start a home business, you must first register as an independent worker via the Portal das Finanças using the correct activity code (CAE or CIRS). Non-EU citizens must ensure their residency permit allows independent activity. While purely digital work often requires no specific property license, businesses involving physical production or customer visits may require specific authorizations, such as the 'Sistema de Indústria Responsável' (SIR) and DGAV registration for food businesses. Residents who rent their home must check their lease terms for compliance.
The Assembly of the Republic approved on 16 October bills from the PSD, CDS-PP, and Chega parties to regulate how non-resident foreign citizens access the National Health Service (SNS). The measures will require proof of residency or health insurance for access and strengthen mechanisms for collecting fees for medical treatments provided to these users.