Expired Residence Permits in Portugal: AIMA Extension Ended 15 October 2025

An end to automatic validity extension

For immigrants whose residence permits expired by June 30, 2025, the message is clear: they must request their renewal as soon as possible through the AIMA portal or any other AIMA channel. Upon payment of the renewal fee and submission of necessary documents, such as proof of no debt with the tax authorities and evidence of subsistence, a legally valid PDF proof of renewal, complete with a QR code, is generated. This document serves as a legal guarantee of their status while they await the new residence card. This same rule applies to citizens of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) undergoing renewal.

For those with permits that expired after June 30, a different rule applies: their documents are considered valid for an additional six months, but without the issuance of the PDF proof. At the time, the AIMA portal opened month by month for permits expiring the following month; on 23 October 2026, it opened to permits expiring up to 31 January 2027 (DN Brasil).

Criticism and concerns are still rising

Despite the government's efforts, the renewal process has been plagued with issues, drawing criticism from immigration specialists and associations.

A businessman that caters to immigrants expressed skepticism about AIMA's ability to meet the deadline. "The timeframe is very short," he stated, highlighting the history of repeated extensions. He believes another extension of the decree-law might be necessary while also pointing out a critical limitation: the current extension is only valid within Portugal. The situation leaves immigrants with expired documents unable to travel outside the country for fear of being denied reentry.

A member of an immigrant association voiced the frustration of many, stating that even when immigrants complete the necessary steps, the delivery of the physical residence card is severely delayed. "People are not receiving their valid documents," he said. He also criticized the renewal process itself, citing cases where AIMA officials claim documents are missing and a lack of chronological order in scheduling appointments. "There are people whose permits expired in May of this year who have been called, while others with documents expired in 2021 and 2022 are still waiting," he noted.

Another immigrant association member pointed to significant technical problems with the AIMA platform. She recounted instances of the system incorrectly flagging individuals for tax debts and even calling a person who had already obtained Portuguese nationality for a residence permit renewal. Rocha also observed that the renewal process seems to be faster for those in the IT sector, suggesting a disparity in how cases are being handled.

A still uncertain future

With the October 15 deadline just around the corner, a sense of uncertainty prevails. An employee of the mission structure working near Lisbon admitted, "We don't have any information on what will happen after October 15."

Update: on 17 October 2025, AIMA said holders who had not applied to renew kept their right of residence until 15 April 2026 for cards expired by 30 June 2025, and for six months after expiry for later cards.

While the government's initiative to tackle the backlog is a step in the right direction, the sheer volume of cases, coupled with administrative and technical challenges, has created a high-pressure situation for both AIMA and the immigrant community. For now, the advice from all quarters is unanimous: immigrants with expired or expiring documents must act immediately to secure their legal status in Portugal.

Source: Publico and Diario de Noticias