AIMA

Published 30 October 2026, 20:39

Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo

The agency that handles foreigners' affairs: residence permit applications and renewals, asylum, family reunification and integration. It has been operating since 29 October 2023 and replaced the abolished SEF, but only on the administrative side. Borders and checks went straight to the PSP, GNR and Judiciária, while removal and return stayed with AIMA until August 2025, when they were taken over by a new PSP unit, UNEF (Lei n.º 55-C/2025).

Where you come across it. Booking an appointment to apply, renewing a residence permit card, a certificate that an application has been submitted, family reunification, a residence permit for a child born in Portugal.

AIMA does not deal with citizenship: applications go through the IRN. But the certificate of legal residence needed for that application is issued by AIMA, and you have to obtain and submit it yourself.

Official website: aima.gov.pt

Guides

How to book an AIMA appointment and renew your residence permit in Portugal How to get a D8 visa to work remotely from Portugal Leaving Portugal while your AIMA case is still pending — and getting back in How to get a Portuguese D7 visa on passive income How to get a D2 visa for business and freelancing in Portugal How to choose a visa for moving to Portugal Document checks on foreigners in Portugal: who has the right to ask and what to show Removal from Portugal: what to do if your residence permit has expired or not been renewed 🇺🇦 Temporary protection in Portugal: applying, extensions and the 2026 rules How to get into university in Portugal How to move from Russia to Portugal: step by step, from ‘I’ve decided’ to ‘I live here’ How to apply for a Portuguese visa through the consulate or a visa centre Working in Portugal from abroad: where to find an employer and which visa to get Your first weeks after moving to Portugal: what to do, in order How to open an account with a Portuguese bank How to gather certificates, apostilles and translations for a Portuguese visa How to register with a Centro de Saúde and see a doctor in Portugal How to find and check a lawyer in Portugal and agree on the fee How to rent a home in Portugal Right to work and employment contracts: which documents you need and what to check before you sign Domestic violence in Portugal: where to go and what happens to your residence permit How to apply for Portuguese citizenship by naturalisation Public holidays and days off in Portugal: which days are non-working and what you are paid for them How to rent out your property yourself in Portugal: the contract, taxes and what to do if the tenant doesn't pay What happens if you do not declare income in Portugal Can't pay your IRS in one go: how to set up an instalment plan How to get married in Portugal and how to have a marriage concluded abroad recognised How to learn Portuguese for free: PLA and IEFP courses, the CIPLE exam Russian international passport at the consulate in Lisbon: queue, documents, timescales and fees Courts in Portugal: where to go, how long to wait and what to pay for How banking works in Portugal Leaving a job in Portugal: how to resign, when you can be dismissed and what you are owed on leaving Passport control in Portugal and the EES Family doctor in Portugal: how to get one and what to do until you have one How to exchange and later renew your driving licence in Portugal How to pay Segurança Social contributions as a self-employed worker Livro de Reclamações: how to complain in Portugal and what it achieves Problems at work in Portugal: unpaid wages, forced overtime, no holiday, injury — what to do and where to complain What to do after a theft, burglary or assault in Portugal What to do if your Portuguese visa is refused What to do if your bank is closing your account in Portugal Working in Portugal: what jobs pay, which occupations are in demand and where to look