Last updated: 26 October 2026 · By Link in Portugal
AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo) replaced SEF in 2023 for residence permits. Getting an appointment is the most common problem immigrants face. Today, many services no longer need an in-person appointment at all. They start online, and AIMA calls you in only for biometrics (photo and fingerprints).
First: do you actually need an appointment?
| What you need | How it usually starts |
|---|---|
| Renew a temporary residence permit | Online on the AIMA renewal portal (see renewal guide) |
| Change address or personal data, second copy of card | Online through AIMA’s Contact Form (contactenos.aima.gov.pt). For a new address: if you renew on the Portal de Renovações, choose Portal de Renovações and then Comunicar/retificar Morada; other residence permit holders choose Alteração de dados (sem necessidade agendamento) and then Comunicar/retificar Morada – Sem emissão de novo Cartão (no new card is issued). For other changes or a second copy, choose the subject that fits your request |
| First residence permit after entering with a residence visa | Often booked automatically by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when your visa is issued. Once you are in Portugal, you can also ask for an appointment through AIMA’s Contact Form |
| Family reunification, permanent residence, other cases | Online on AIMA’s portals where this is possible (for example some family reunification requests on servicos.aima.gov.pt). Otherwise, ask for an appointment through the Contact Form or by email to geral@aima.gov.pt. AIMA does not book appointments by phone |
The ways to book
1. Online
Go to aima.gov.pt and look for the online services (serviços online). The renewal portal (portal-renovacoes.aima.gov.pt) is used for most renewals. You register with your email, submit the request, pay the fee reference (guia) within the time shown, and receive a receipt.
2. Contact Form or email (not by phone)
AIMA says it does not book appointments by phone through its contact centre. To ask for an in-person appointment, use AIMA’s Contact Form at contactenos.aima.gov.pt and choose the subject that fits your case. If there is no option for your case, email geral@aima.gov.pt with your full name, date of birth, nationality, contact email and the reason for your request. Send it only once. Some appointments are made automatically: by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when it issues your visa, and by AIMA for processes submitted on its official portals (services.aima.gov.pt, portal-renovacoes.aima.gov.pt and servicos.aima.gov.pt). AIMA still lists a contact centre number (+351 217 115 000), but not for booking appointments.
3. In person
AIMA has service desks around the country, and some Lojas do Cidadão and municipal partnership desks offer AIMA services. Most still work with appointments.
What to bring to an appointment
- Passport (valid) and current residence card or visa
- Printed appointment confirmation and any receipt (comprovativo) from AIMA
- Proof of means: contract, recent payslips, or IRS return
- Proof of address (rental contract or atestado de residência)
- Social Security record and no-debt certificate, and the Finanças certificate
- Criminal record authorisation or certificate if requested
- Copies of everything
If you can’t get an appointment for months
Keep evidence of your attempts (screenshots, emails and copies of your Contact Form requests). To write a clear request in Portuguese, use our free AIMA email writer. If AIMA doesn’t respond within legal deadlines, lawyers can use court actions to force a decision. See AIMA delays: what you can do.
Want a professional to check your case?
For advice on your own situation, speak to a certified accountant (contabilista certificado), a lawyer, or the official service. Questions or corrections about this guide? Contact Link in Portugal.
Official sources
- AIMA – official website
- AIMA – Contact Form (appointment requests and other requests)
- Ordem dos Advogados – AIMA information for lawyers, 2026 (how to request appointments; no booking by phone)
- AIMA – note on how to ask for an in-person appointment, 8 May 2026 (Contact Form or email; “não são feitos agendamentos por telefone através do Centro de Contacto”)
- Público – “Quer fazer um agendamento para atendimento presencial na AIMA? Veja como é possível”, 8 May 2026
- AIMA – Contact Form (address change: Portal de Renovações or Alteração de dados)
- AIMA – Renewals Portal (portal-renovacoes.aima.gov.pt)
This guide is general information, checked against official sources on 28 September 2026. Rules and portals in Portugal change often, so confirm the current rules with the official source before you act. It is not legal advice.
Correction (26 October 2026): An earlier summary of this guide, shown in search results and link previews, mentioned AIMA’s phone line as a way to book an appointment. AIMA says it does not book appointments by phone: its note of 8 May 2026 says “não são feitos agendamentos por telefone através do Centro de Contacto” (AIMA, 8 May 2026; also reported by Público, 8 May 2026). To ask for an in-person appointment, use AIMA’s Contact Form at contactenos.aima.gov.pt. If no option fits your case, send one email to geral@aima.gov.pt with your full name, date of birth, nationality, contact email and the reason for your request. We corrected the summary on 26 October 2026.
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