Residence Permit Renewal in Portugal: How It Works in 2026

Your residence permit card has an end date. Before that date, you must ask AIMA to renew it. In the past, the government extended the validity of expired documents many times. That is over. This guide explains how residence permit renewal works now, which website to use and what to do if your card has already expired.

The most important dates

• Ask early. The rules say you should ask for renewal of a temporary residence permit at least 30 days before it expires. According to gov.pt, you can ask from 90 days before the end date.
• No more automatic extensions. From 2020 to 2025, the government extended expired residence documents by decree. AIMA confirmed that this practice ended on 15 October 2025.
• Six-month grace period. AIMA has explained that your right of residence continues for 6 months after the expiry date of your card. This comes from Article 63(14) of Regulatory Decree 84/2007. After that, if you have not asked for renewal, you are in an irregular situation.

Which website should I use?

The right channel depends on when your permit expired. Use this table:

The Renewals Portal opens month by month

The Renewals Portal does not accept every permit at once. AIMA opens it for new expiry months step by step.

• AIMA’s latest official note on this that we found, from 1 July 2026, says the portal is open for residence permits that expired or expire between 1 July 2025 and 31 October 2026. Some non-official websites say it now also covers permits expiring in November and December 2026, but we could not confirm this on AIMA’s own pages.
• For permits that expire after 31 October 2026, we did not find an official AIMA announcement when we checked on 28 September 2026. If your permit expires after that date, log in to the portal from Portugal to see whether your month is open, or ask AIMA through its contact form or contact centre.
• When we checked on 28 September 2026, the portal only opened from inside Portugal.

If your month is not open yet, wait. Check the AIMA homepage and news page regularly. Do not pay anyone who says they can “open” the portal for you.

Step by step: renewing on the portal

1. Check your expiry month and make sure it is open.
2. Register on the portal. You receive a password by email.
3. Log in and fill in the request. Upload your documents.
4. Pay the fees using the payment reference the portal creates. The amount depends on your type of permit. Pay early, not on the last day.
5. Get your receipt. After you register the request and pay, you get a receipt. AIMA says this receipt is valid for 180 days.
6. Wait for the decision. AIMA may ask for more documents. In some cases you may be asked to come to an office, for example for biometric data. Since 11 September 2026, Law 62/2026 has removed article 82(7) of the Foreigners Law. People used that rule to claim that a renewal was approved automatically (deferimento tácito) if AIMA did not decide in time. The law does not say clearly how this affects renewals that were already pending on that date. Ask a lawyer if this matters in your case.
7. Receive your new card when the renewal is approved.

Documents you may need

The exact list depends on your type of permit (work, study, family, etc.). The portal shows what you need. Common documents include:

• a valid passport;
• your current residence permit card;
• your NIF and NISS;
• proof of how you support yourself, such as a work contract and payslips;
• proof of your address in Portugal.

Your tax and social security situation matters. Make sure you have filed your IRS when required and that your employer is declaring your work to Segurança Social. Problems with these records can delay a renewal.

While you wait

Renewals can take months. During this time:

• Carry both documents. AIMA says people who have already asked for renewal should carry their expired card and the receipt that shows the renewal is in progress.
• Keep your receipt safe. Save a PDF on your phone and a printed copy.
• Answer AIMA quickly. Check your email, including the spam folder.
• Be careful with travel. A renewal receipt is a Portuguese document. Other countries and airlines may not accept it as a valid residence document. Before you travel abroad with an expired card, check with AIMA and your airline.

If your permit expired before 30 June 2025

This is a sensitive situation. For cards that expired up to 30 June 2025 and were not renewed, AIMA said the right of residence lasted until 15 April 2026. That date has passed.

AIMA’s instructions from September 2025 say that people in this group who were not contacted by AIMA’s Mission Structure should ask for renewal at services.aima.gov.pt/RAR/reqrenew. After the request, you are contacted by email to confirm, to pay, and to book a visit for biometrics.

If you are in this group and have not started any process, act now. Contact AIMA and consider free legal help from an immigrant support association or a lawyer. Your situation depends on your exact dates and documents.

Common problems

• “My month is not open.” Wait for AIMA to open it. It is still important to watch the 6-month limit after expiry.
• “The portal does not accept my NIF or NISS.” Check that the numbers and your name match your records at Finanças and Segurança Social. If the problem continues, use AIMA’s contact form.
• “I paid but the status did not change.” Keep your proof of payment. Contact AIMA through the contact form and give your case number.
• “I changed my email.” Tell AIMA. Many important steps happen by email.
• “My paper residence card number is not accepted.” If you are an EU citizen, or the family member of an EU citizen, and you still have a residence card issued on paper, leave out the first zero of the card number on the portal (for example, 011641 becomes 11641). If it still does not work, email geral@aima.gov.pt with the subject “Portal de Renovações, Agendamento CR papel, impossibilidade submeter pedido”, and include your personal details and a copy of the card.

Contacts

• AIMA contact centre: (+351) 217 115 000, Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 20:00.
• AIMA online contact form: contactenos.aima.gov.pt.
• A 24-hour strike by AIMA workers has been called for 6 October 2026. Some services may be affected on that day.

Quick checklist

• Mark your card’s expiry date in your phone calendar, with a reminder 90 days before.
• Check if your expiry month is open on the Renewals Portal.
• Prepare your documents and check your NIF, NISS and email.
• Pay the fees and save the receipt.
• Carry your expired card and receipt together while you wait.

Official sources

• AIMA – Renewals Portal: current window (1 July 2026)
• AIMA – Renewals Portal (only opens from Portugal)
• AIMA – End of automatic extensions (15 October 2025)
• AIMA – Clarification on the right of residence (17 October 2025)
• AIMA – Permits expired between 22 February 2020 and 30 June 2025
• AIMA – Renewal of paper residence cards (13 August 2026)
• AIMA – Main website and news
• gov.pt – Renew a residence permit
• Diário da República – Decree-Law 85-B/2025 (renewal receipt valid 180 days)
• Diário da República – Law 62/2026 (end of the tacit-approval rule)

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change often; check with the official body before acting. Last updated: 28 September 2026.