--- title: Renew or Issue Your Portuguese Residence Permit (Título de Residência) at AIMA country: portugal service: "residence-permit" category: immigration difficulty: moderate estimated_time: "30 to 45 days for standard renewal processing per pre-March-2026 industry estimate, plus around 3 weeks for biometric card courier delivery; live AIMA backlog may differ — check at appointment booking" cost_range: "€70 to €160 for general residence-permit renewal (post-1 March 2026 range), plus €30 courier fee; up to €8,418 for investment-activity permits" last_verified: 2026-05-10 canonical: https://publicservices.guide/portugal/residence-permit/ status: current confidence: low tags: - "residence-permit" - immigration - aima - "titulo-de-residencia" - "autorizacao-de-residencia" - renewal - "long-term-resident" sources: - https://www2.gov.pt/en/servicos/renovar-a-autorizacao-de-residencia - https://aima.gov.pt/pt - https://www.lvpadvogados.com/residence-permits-validity-officially-extended-until-15-october-2025 - https://www.lsbs.pt/post/aima-renewal-portal-2025-fees-step-by-step-guide - https://theportugalpost.com/posts/aima-fee-hikes-hit-immigrant-families-hard-what-youll-pay-now - https://www.rfflawyers.com/en/know-how/newsletters/permanent-residence-in-portugal-the-smart-move-after-5-years/5298/ - https://aima.gov.pt/pt/lojas-aima - https://aima.gov.pt/pt/documentos-e-vistos-validos-e-aceites-ate-30-de-junho-de-2025-valid-and-accepted-documents-and-visas-until-30-june-2025 --- # Renew or Issue Your Portuguese Residence Permit (Título de Residência) at AIMA **Country:** 🇵🇹 Portugal **Last verified:** 2026-05-10 **Estimated time:** 30 to 45 days for standard renewal processing per pre-March-2026 industry estimate, plus around 3 weeks for biometric card courier delivery; live AIMA backlog may differ — check at appointment booking **Cost:** €70 to €160 for general residence-permit renewal (post-1 March 2026 range), plus €30 courier fee; up to €8,418 for investment-activity permits ## Required documents - **Autorização de Residência (current or expired less than 6 months ago)** *(Título de Residência / Autorização de Residência)* - Required: Original residence permit card - Eligibility window: Per gov.pt: 'Foreign nationals who have a residence permit that is valid or expired less than 6 months ago' - _Note:_ If your permit lapsed more than 6 months ago, renewal is no longer available — you must restart with a new initial application, typically requiring a new D-visa from a Portuguese consulate abroad. - **Passaporte (passport or travel document)** *(Passaporte)* - Required: Valid passport or recognized travel document, original - Issued by: Your home-country issuing authority - **Comprovativo de meios de subsistência (proof of means of subsistence)** *(Comprovativo de meios de subsistência)* - Accepted forms: Income tax return; three recent payslips and employment contract; OR for self-employed, receipts from the last 12 months - Issued by: Autoridade Tributária via portaldasfinancas.gov.pt; your employer; or self-employed records - _Note:_ A Portuguese bank account is commonly used to evidence salary deposits or self-employed receipts — see the sister guide on opening a Portuguese bank account. - **Comprovativo de alojamento (proof of accommodation)** *(Comprovativo de alojamento)* - Accepted forms: Council certificate from the Junta de Freguesia; lease plus rent receipt; OR property purchase or registration contract - Issued by: Junta de Freguesia (council certificate); landlord (lease); land registry (property contract) - **Comprovativo de cumprimento das obrigações fiscais (proof tax payments are up to date)** *(Comprovativo de cumprimento das obrigações fiscais)* - Required: Where applicable — per gov.pt: 'Proof that your tax payments are up to date, where applicable' - Issued by: Autoridade Tributária via portaldasfinancas.gov.pt - **Comprovativo de cumprimento perante a Segurança Social (proof social-security contributions are up to date)** *(Comprovativo de cumprimento perante a Segurança Social)* - Required: Where applicable — per gov.pt: 'Proof that your social security contributions are up to date, where applicable' - Issued by: Segurança Social - **Autorização de consulta do registo criminal (declaration authorising criminal-record consultation)** *(Autorização de consulta do registo criminal)* - Where signed: Signed at the AIMA or IRN service desk during your appointment - Exemption: Not required for applicants under 16 ## Costs - **Residence permit renewal — general range (all temporary categories):** 70–160 EUR — Per The Portugal Post, 5 March 2026: 'Residence renewals now cost between €70 and €160'. Fees increased around 33% on 1 March 2026; the pre-hike per-category schedule (D7 €342, D8 €378, Family reunification spouse €212, Student €87, Golden Visa €585) is preserved here for category-comparison context only — those are NOT current fees as of 2026-05-10. Per-category post-hike fees were not itemised by AIMA at the time of writing — confirm your specific fee at appointment booking. - **Investment-activity residence permit (e.g. Golden Visa / ARI):** 8418 EUR — Per The Portugal Post, 5 March 2026: 'Some categories rising to €8,418'. Investment-activity permits cannot be renewed at IRN service desks — must use AIMA service desks directly. - **Courier fee for biometric card delivery:** 30 EUR — Per LSBS, 10 July 2025: '€30 courier fee for biometric card delivery'. Charged in addition to the renewal fee. ## Steps ### 1. Confirm which flow applies to you - If you are already in Portugal with a current residence permit (or one expired less than 6 months ago) and want to extend it: this is renewal — continue with steps 2 and 4 - If you are already in Portugal having recently arrived on a D-series visa (D7, D8, D2, family reunification, student) and need to convert it into a residence permit: this is initial issuance — see step 3 - If you have completed 5 years of legal residence: see step 5 for Long-Term Resident status (a separate channel, not a routine renewal) - If you do NOT yet hold a D-visa: this guide does not cover that step. Contact the Portuguese consulate in your country of residence — D-visa applications are processed by Portuguese consular services abroad, not by AIMA > **Tip:** AIMA replaced SEF in October 2023 — start at aima.gov.pt or gov.pt rather than legacy SEF channels. Permits originally issued by SEF remain valid and are renewed by AIMA using your existing permit number. _Links:_ - [AIMA homepage](https://aima.gov.pt/pt) - [gov.pt — Renew the residence permit](https://www2.gov.pt/en/servicos/renovar-a-autorizacao-de-residencia) ### 2. Gather your renewal documents _Applies when: Renewal of an existing residence permit_ - Pull together your current Autorização de Residência, valid passport, and proof of means of subsistence (income tax return, three recent payslips and contract, or self-employed receipts from the last 12 months) - Add proof of accommodation — Junta de Freguesia council certificate, lease plus rent receipt, or a property purchase or registration contract - Add proof that tax payments are up to date (Comprovativo de cumprimento das obrigações fiscais via portaldasfinancas.gov.pt) and that social-security contributions are up to date (via Segurança Social), where applicable - The Autorização de consulta do registo criminal is signed at the appointment itself — you do not need to bring it > **Tip:** gov.pt notes: 'Additional documents may be required per permit type; check AIMA website for specifics.' For example, D7 renewals usually need updated passive-income evidence and D8 renewals need an updated remote-work or employer contract. > **If this fails:** If your permit expired more than 6 months ago, renewal is no longer available — you will need a new initial application, typically requiring a new D-visa from a Portuguese consulate abroad. ### 3. Choose the correct renewal channel _Applies when: Renewal of an existing residence permit_ - If your permit expired between 22 February 2020 and 30 June 2025 (the pandemic-era window): use services.aima.gov.pt/RAR/reqrenew — this is the AIMA 'Renovação: AR expiradas' channel - If your permit expires after 30 June 2025: use portal-renovacoes.aima.gov.pt — the 'Portal das Renovações | Renewals Portal' linked from the AIMA homepage - If you prefer in person, book via the SIGA platform: open SIGA, choose 'IRN Registo', then 'Cidadão' → 'Autorização de residência' → 'Renovação de autorização de residência', pick a date and one of the 31 IRN service-desk locations, confirm your details, and you will receive an email with a confirmation code - Investment-activity (Golden Visa / ARI) and victim-of-human-trafficking residence permits cannot be renewed at IRN — book directly with AIMA service desks via aima.gov.pt/pt/lojas-aima > **Tip:** Per gov.pt: 'The application for renewal of a temporary residence permit must be requested...up to 30 days before expiry.' Apply early — missing the 30-day window pushes you into the in-person channel with longer waits. _Links:_ - [AIMA Renovações Portal (post-30 June 2025)](https://portal-renovacoes.aima.gov.pt/) - [AIMA RAR portal (permits expired 22/02/2020 to 30/06/2025)](https://services.aima.gov.pt/) - [gov.pt — Renew the residence permit](https://www2.gov.pt/en/servicos/renovar-a-autorizacao-de-residencia) ### 4. If converting a D-visa into your first residence permit _Applies when: Initial issuance after a D-series visa was issued by a Portuguese consulate abroad_ - Read the D-visa approval letter from the consulate carefully — it either includes a pre-scheduled AIMA appointment or instructions to schedule one with AIMA after arrival in Portugal - If you need to schedule, locate the nearest AIMA service desk via aima.gov.pt/pt/lojas-aima or use the AIMA Mission Structure Services portal at services.aima.gov.pt - First-time issuance is not handled at IRN service desks — gov.pt: 'It is not possible to apply for your first residence permit at a registration service desk.' Use AIMA service desks (Lojas AIMA) directly - Bring your valid D-visa and passport, plus the additional documents specified in the AIMA appointment letter (these vary by permit category — D7, D8, D2, family reunification, student) > **Tip:** AIMA does not currently publish a real-time appointment-availability tool across all locations — book as soon as you have arrived in Portugal. > **If this fails:** gov.pt does not publish a single consolidated 'D-visa to residence permit' service page. The operational document list and step sequence flow from the consulate-issued D-visa approval letter and the AIMA appointment letter — work from those documents rather than assuming the renewal checklist applies. _Links:_ - [AIMA service-desk locator (Lojas AIMA)](https://aima.gov.pt/pt/lojas-aima) ### 5. If applying for Long-Term Resident status (5+ years of legal residence) _Applies when: 5 or more years of legal residence in Portugal — separate channel, not a routine renewal_ - Confirm cumulative eligibility per RFF Lawyers: 5 years of temporary residence permits; no criminal convictions in the past 5 years; proof of means of subsistence; proof of adequate accommodation; basic Portuguese language knowledge (typically A2 level via certified course or test) - Decide whether you want Portuguese national permanent residence or the EU Long-Term Resident card — RFF notes: 'permanent residence does not equal EU free movement rights, but it significantly strengthens one's position when dealing with EU institutions, employers, and universities'. The EU LTR card grants enhanced inter-EU mobility under the EU Long-Term Residents Directive (2003/109/EC) - Gather documents: copy of current residence permit, full passport, tax declaration covering the last 5 years, social-security contribution history covering the last 5 years - Submit the request via the AIMA contact channel published at the time of application > **Tip:** The exact AIMA fee for Long-Term Resident status acquisition and the current AIMA decision time were not published in the sources reviewed for this guide. Confirm both at AIMA before assuming a budget or timeline. Do not auto-renew your temporary permit if you are reaching 5 years of legal residence — Long-Term Resident status grants stronger rights and is worth the separate application. ### 6. Attend your appointment and give biometrics - Bring originals of every document on the checklist plus your appointment confirmation - At the desk, you will sign the Autorização de consulta do registo criminal authorising AIMA or IRN to consult your criminal record (not required for under-16s) - Biometric capture (photograph and fingerprints) is taken at the appointment - Pay the renewal fee at the appointment if you have not already paid online — see the costs section for the post-March-2026 range > **Tip:** If your permit fell in the 22/02/2020 to 30/06/2025 expired-window covered by Decree-Law 85-B/2025, bring your proof of payment for the renewal request — per LVP Advogados, this proof 'is valid for 180 days from the date of issue' and serves as evidence pending issuance of the new card. ### 7. Wait for the decision and receive your residence permit card - Track your application status via your services.aima.gov.pt account or via the renewals portal you used - Pre-March-2026 industry estimate (LSBS, 10 July 2025) put renewal processing at 30 to 45 days, with a further 3-week courier delivery window for the biometric card after a positive decision — actual wait may differ depending on current AIMA backlog - Once approved, the biometric card is delivered by courier to the Portuguese address on file > **Tip:** AIMA does not publish a real-time residence-permit processing-time dashboard. The most reliable timeline is the one given to you at appointment booking or visible on your application status page — pre-2026 published figures are a starting reference, not a guarantee. ## FAQ ### What is the difference between AIMA and SEF? AIMA — Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo — replaced SEF (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras) for migration and asylum operations in October 2023. AIMA is the current authority for residence permits. Permits originally issued under SEF remain valid; AIMA inherits operations and processes renewals using your existing permit number. The legacy SEF website and channels are no longer authoritative — start at aima.gov.pt or gov.pt. ### I do not have a D-visa yet. Can I apply for a residence permit at AIMA? No. The D-series visa (D7, D8, D2, family reunification, student) is issued by the Portuguese consulate in your country of origin or residence — not by AIMA. This guide covers the in-Portugal step that comes after the consulate issues your D-visa. If you do not yet hold a D-visa, contact the Portuguese consulate that serves your country before booking anything with AIMA. ### When should I apply to renew my residence permit? Per gov.pt: 'The application for renewal of a temporary residence permit must be requested...up to 30 days before expiry.' If your permit has already expired, you can still apply for renewal within 6 months of expiry — gov.pt accepts applications from 'Foreign nationals who have a residence permit that is valid or expired less than 6 months ago'. Beyond 6 months expired, renewal is no longer available and you must restart with a new initial application. ### Which renewal portal do I use? It depends on your permit's expiry date. Permits that expired between 22 February 2020 and 30 June 2025 (the pandemic-era window covered by Decree-Law 85-B/2025) renew via services.aima.gov.pt/RAR/reqrenew. Permits expiring after 30 June 2025 renew via portal-renovacoes.aima.gov.pt — the 'Portal das Renovações | Renewals Portal' linked from the AIMA homepage. Choosing the wrong portal will get your request rejected. ### How much will my renewal cost in 2026? Per The Portugal Post (5 March 2026), residence permit fees increased about 33% on 1 March 2026, putting most temporary-permit renewals in the €70 to €160 range. Investment-activity permits (Golden Visa / ARI) rose to as much as €8,418. The published source did not itemise post-hike fees per category (D7 vs D8 vs family reunification, etc.), and AIMA had not posted a consolidated public fee schedule at the time of writing. Confirm the exact fee for your permit category at appointment booking. Add a €30 courier fee for biometric card delivery. ### How long does processing take? LSBS quoted a pre-March-2026 estimate of 30 to 45 days for renewal processing, with a further 3-week courier delivery window for the biometric card after a positive decision. Real wait times in 2026 may differ depending on AIMA's current backlog — AIMA does not publish a real-time processing-time dashboard for residence permits, so the most reliable estimate is the one provided at appointment booking or via your application status page on services.aima.gov.pt. ### Can I renew at any IRN service desk? Most temporary residence permits can be renewed at one of 31 IRN service desks across Portugal — Citizen Shops (Lojas do Cidadão), Registration Offices, Civil Registries, and a few Court / Identification Departments. There are exceptions: per gov.pt, you cannot renew an investment-activity residence permit (Golden Visa / ARI) or a victim-of-human-trafficking residence permit at IRN — those must go through AIMA service desks. First-time issuance also cannot use IRN — gov.pt: 'It is not possible to apply for your first residence permit at a registration service desk.' ### I have lived in Portugal for 5 years. Should I just renew? Probably not. After 5 years of legal residence you can apply for Long-Term Resident status — either Portuguese national permanent residence or, more commonly for non-EU residents seeking inter-EU mobility, the EU Long-Term Resident card. Eligibility per RFF Lawyers: 5 years of temporary residence permits, no criminal convictions in the past 5 years, proof of means of subsistence and adequate accommodation, and basic Portuguese language knowledge. The application is a separate AIMA channel rather than a routine renewal. The exact AIMA fee and current processing time for Long-Term Resident status were not published in the sources reviewed for this guide. ### What did the validity extension to 15 October 2025 mean for me? Decree-Law 85-B/2025, dated 30 June 2025, kept residence permits that had expired between 22 February 2020 and 30 June 2025 valid until 15 October 2025 to clear the pandemic-era backlog. Per LVP Advogados: 'After 15 October 2025, documents concerning residence permits will be accepted upon presentation by the holder of proof of payment for the renewal request', and that proof 'is valid for 180 days from the date of issue'. If your permit fell in that pandemic window, your renewal route is the dedicated services.aima.gov.pt/RAR/reqrenew portal. ## Local tips - Two parallel renewal portals — pick the right one based on permit expiry date. Pre-30/06/2025 expiries use services.aima.gov.pt/RAR/reqrenew; post-30/06/2025 expiries use portal-renovacoes.aima.gov.pt. Wrong portal equals rejected request. - Apply 30 days before expiry. Per gov.pt, that is the latest you can submit an online renewal — miss it and you may be pushed into in-person channels with longer waits. - Permit lapsed more than 6 months? Renewal is gone — you must restart with a new initial application, typically a new D-visa from a Portuguese consulate abroad. - AIMA — not SEF. AIMA replaced SEF in October 2023 for migration operations. Old SEF channels are no longer authoritative; SEF-issued permits remain valid and are renewed by AIMA. - First-time issuance is not for IRN. Per gov.pt: 'It is not possible to apply for your first residence permit at a registration service desk' — use AIMA service desks (Lojas AIMA). - Reaching 5 years of legal residence? Apply for Long-Term Resident status — Portuguese national permanent residence or the EU Long-Term Resident card — instead of auto-renewing the temporary permit. - Budget from 2026 sources, not older guides. The 1 March 2026 fee hike was around 33% across the board; pre-2026 forum posts and PDFs will under-budget your renewal. ## Sources - [Government of Portugal — gov.pt service portal](https://www2.gov.pt/en/servicos/renovar-a-autorizacao-de-residencia) — accessed 2026-05-10 — _T1_ — Foreign nationals who have a residence permit that is valid or expired less than 6 months ago may renew. Documents required: valid passport or travel document; proof of means of subsistence (income tax return, three recent payslips, employment contract; or for self-employed, receipts from the last 12 months); proof of private accommodation (council certificate, lease plus rent receipt, or property purchase / registration contract); proof that tax payments are up to date, where applicable; proof that social security contributions are up to date, where applicable; declaration authorising criminal record consultation (signed at the service desk; not required for under-16s). The application for renewal of a temporary residence permit must be requested up to 30 days before expiry. Renewal is available at 31 IRN service desks across Portugal via the SIGA platform (Cidadão → Autorização de residência → Renovação de autorização de residência). Restrictions: it is not possible to apply for your first residence permit at a registration service desk; investment-activity residence permits and victim-of-human-trafficking residence permits cannot be renewed at IRN. - [Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo (AIMA)](https://aima.gov.pt/pt) — accessed 2026-05-09 — _T1_ — AIMA homepage carousel routes renewals across two parallel portals. Residence permits expired between 22 February 2020 and 30 June 2025 renew via the AIMA RAR channel at services.aima.gov.pt/RAR/reqrenew ('Renovação: AR expiradas'). Residence permits expiring after 30 June 2025 renew via portal-renovacoes.aima.gov.pt ('Renovação de Autorizações de Residência caducadas pós 30 de junho 2025 | Renewal of Residence Permit expired after 30 june 2025'). Decree-Law 85-B/2025, dated 30 June 2025, extended the validity of residence permits in the pandemic-era expired window to 15 October 2025. - [LVP Advogados (Portuguese immigration law firm)](https://www.lvpadvogados.com/residence-permits-validity-officially-extended-until-15-october-2025) — accessed 2026-05-10 — _T2_ — Decree-Law No. 85-B/2025 entered into force today, 1 July 2025. All foreigners residing in Portugal whose residence permits expired between 22 February 2020 and yesterday, 30 June 2025, now retain validity until 15 October 2025. After 15 October 2025, documents concerning residence permits will be accepted upon presentation by the holder of proof of payment for the renewal request. This proof is valid for 180 days from the date of issue. - [LSBS (Portuguese legal-services firm)](https://www.lsbs.pt/post/aima-renewal-portal-2025-fees-step-by-step-guide) — accessed 2026-05-10 — _T2_ — Pre-March-2026 fee snapshot for AIMA residence permit renewal (published 10 July 2025): D7 passive-income €342; D8 digital nomad €378; Family reunification spouse €212; Student visa €87; Golden Visa €585; Citizenship card €15. €30 courier fee for biometric card delivery. Renewal processing estimate of 30 to 45 days. Courier delivery within 3 weeks post-biometrics. These figures predate the 1 March 2026 fee increase and are preserved here for category-comparison context only. - [The Portugal Post](https://theportugalpost.com/posts/aima-fee-hikes-hit-immigrant-families-hard-what-youll-pay-now) — accessed 2026-05-10 — _T2_ — Residence permit fees increased approximately 33% across the board, effective 1 March 2026 — the first AIMA-era fee increase since the agency was established in October 2023. Residence renewals now cost between €70 and €160. Some categories rising to €8,418 (investment-activity permits). The published article did not itemise per-category post-hike fees. The regulatory citation for the increase was not stated in the source. - [RFF Lawyers (Portuguese tax and business law firm)](https://www.rfflawyers.com/en/know-how/newsletters/permanent-residence-in-portugal-the-smart-move-after-5-years/5298/) — accessed 2026-05-10 — _T2_ — After five years of legal residence, foreign nationals can now achieve something increasingly valuable: a stable, long-term status. Cumulative eligibility for Long-Term Resident status: 5-year temporary permit; no criminal convictions in the past 5 years; means of subsistence; adequate accommodation; basic Portuguese language knowledge. Distinction between Portuguese national permanent residence and EU Long-Term Resident status: permanent residence does not equal EU free movement rights, but it significantly strengthens one's position when dealing with EU institutions, employers, and universities. EU Long-Term Resident card grants enhanced inter-EU mobility rights under the EU Long-Term Residents Directive (2003/109/EC). - [Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo (AIMA)](https://aima.gov.pt/pt/lojas-aima) — accessed 2026-05-09 — _T1_ — AIMA service-desk locator (Lojas AIMA). Used for first-time residence-permit issuance after a D-visa, and for renewal of permit categories that cannot be processed at IRN service desks (investment-activity / Golden Visa / ARI; victim-of-human-trafficking residence permits). - [Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo (AIMA)](https://aima.gov.pt/pt/documentos-e-vistos-validos-e-aceites-ate-30-de-junho-de-2025-valid-and-accepted-documents-and-visas-until-30-june-2025) — accessed 2026-05-10 — _T1_ — Decree-Law 85-B/2025, of 30 June, extended the validity of residence permits expired in the 22 February 2020 to 30 June 2025 window through 15 October 2025. Linked from the AIMA homepage carousel as the canonical announcement of the validity extension. --- Verification pending — see the canonical page for the latest trust state. Canonical: https://publicservices.guide/portugal/residence-permit/