Most applications are not lost on the merits, they are lost on the file: a document out of date, a certificate without an apostille, a translation that is not accepted. The work starts by assembling the whole file before anything is filed.
How the process runs
- 01
Assessment
Which route is open, on what deadlines and with which documents. Sometimes it pays to wait and apply another way, and that is said up front.
- 02
Documents
Certificates requested in the country of origin, apostilled and translated. This is the slow part, and the part that can be started before there is an appointment.
- 03
Filing and follow-up
The application is filed with AIMA or the competent registry office, and requests for further evidence are answered within time.
- 04
Decision
Collecting the permit or registering the nationality. If it is refused, the appeal and the time limit for it are assessed.
What is covered
Residence permit
Applications, renewals and changes of purpose before AIMA, including work, study and reunification permits.
Family reunification
Bringing over a spouse or registered partner, minor children and dependent parents, with proof of means and of accommodation.
Portuguese nationality
By naturalisation, by marriage or civil partnership, and nationality of origin for those born in Portugal.
Home-country documents
Obtaining certificates abroad, Hague Convention apostille and certified translation, Brazilian documents included.
Refusals and appeals
Challenging a refusal, and defence in removal proceedings.
Keeping the status
Late renewals, long absences from the country, and what causes a residence right to lapse.
Common questions
What to bring to the first conversation
None of this is required to book. The more there is in the first conversation, the more concrete the answer.
- Passport and residence permit, even an expired one
- Birth and marriage certificates from your country of origin, apostilled and translated, if you already have them
- Proof of entry and of residence in Portugal: contracts, payslips, social security records, address
- Any decision or notice already received from AIMA or the registry office
This page describes the practice in general terms. Every case turns on its own facts and on the stage it has reached, so nothing here replaces looking at the file itself.