Immigration law · Lisbon
Live in Portugal.
Legally, calmly, and without the guesswork.
Residence permits, family reunification and citizenship, with a lawyer admitted in Portugal and Brazil. Court action when AIMA does not answer.
Confidential · Read and answered by Nádia · No obligation
Have a letter with a deadline? WhatsApp +351 929 246 806
- 350+ clients represented clients represented
- 138 cases filed in court cases filed in court
- 11 years living in Portugal years in Portugal
Figures as of September 2026.
Services
From your first residence permit to Portuguese citizenship, handled by one lawyer.
Residence permits, citizenship, appeals and court action, and every document in between. You deal with one person who knows your case from the first day.
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Residence permits
- Family reunification
- Family member of an EU citizen
- Student residence permit
- Long-term residence permit
- Court action when AIMA does not schedule, decide or issue your card
Family reunification, EU family members, students, long-term residence, and court action when AIMA does not answer.
See the permits we handle -
Portuguese citizenship
- By time of residence
- By marriage to a Portuguese citizen, or as their unmarried partner (de facto union)
- By descent, children and grandchildren of Portuguese citizens
- IRN notifications, document requests and status enquiries
By time of residence, by marriage or de facto union, by descent. Notifications and requests from IRN.
Routes to citizenship -
Refusals, appeals and court
- Response to a notice of intended refusal
- Hierarchical appeal (an appeal to AIMA's leadership)
- Administrative court action
- Voluntary departure notification (NAV)
- SIS alert, access and deletion
Notice of intended refusal, appeals, court action, voluntary departure (NAV) and SIS alerts.
What to do after a refusal -
Planning and legal advice
- Migration planning
- 45-minute consultation, in person or by video
- Representation before public and private bodies
Migration planning, the 45-minute consultation, and representation before public and private bodies.
What the consultation covers
- NIF and NISS
- Tax registrations
- Hague apostille
- Certified translations
- Powers of attorney
- Marriage and civil registry
How it works
What happens after
you write to us.
You always know what has been done, what comes next, and who is doing it.
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Tell us about your case
- Fill in the form and describe your situation in your own words.
- Nádia reads it and replies with what to do next.
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The consultation
- 45 minutes, at the office in Lisbon or by video call.
- You leave knowing the route that fits, the documents you need, and the fees.
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We prepare and file
- We gather and check every document, then prepare the application or the court action.
- We submit it and confirm to you that it has been filed.
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We follow it through
- AIMA, IRN or court: we track the process and answer every notification within the deadline.
- You hear from us when something changes, not only when you ask.
What you get
How we work,
and what it means for you.
- One lawyer handles your case from the first message to the decision
- You never explain your case twice, and nothing gets lost between people.
- Every document checked before anything is filed
- Your application goes in complete, not “we will send the rest later”.
- Court action when AIMA does not schedule or decide
- Waiting is not the only option when the process stops.
- Deadlines tracked, notifications answered in time
- A missed deadline should never be the reason for a refusal.
- Fees agreed at the consultation, before any work starts
- No surprise invoices.
- Admitted in Portugal and Brazil
- Documents from both countries read by someone who knows both systems.
- Updates when something changes
- You always know where your case stands, without having to ask.
FAQ
Questions people ask before they write to us.
If yours is not here, ask it in the form. It goes to Nádia, not to a call centre.
Do I really need a lawyer, or can I do this myself?
Many people file on their own, and some succeed. A lawyer matters when something can go wrong: a deadline, a difficult document, a refusal, or a process that has stopped inside AIMA. We read your case before you decide, and we tell you if you do not need us.
How much does it cost?
It depends on the service. We tell you the consultation fee before you book. Fees for any further work are agreed at the consultation, before any work starts, so you know the amount before you decide.
How long will my process take?
Nobody can promise you a date. AIMA and IRN decide how fast it goes. What we control: a complete file, every deadline met, and court action when the legal deadline for a decision has passed.
AIMA has not answered for months. What can I do?
The law gives AIMA 90 days to decide a residence permit application (a period AIMA may extend by 30 days in exceptional, justified cases, telling you so) and 60 days to decide a renewal. Family reunification has its own deadline of nine months. When AIMA does not schedule an appointment or decide within that deadline, a court can order it to act. We check whether your case qualifies and, if it does, we file it.
I received a refusal, or a notice that AIMA intends to refuse. Is it over?
No, but the deadlines are short: to respond to a notice of intended refusal, to appeal, or to take the decision to court. Send us the letter as soon as you receive it and we tell you which option applies and by when.
The lawyer
The lawyer who takes AIMA
to court when it stops answering.
Nádia Vilela
Nádia qualified as a lawyer in Brazil and came to Portugal in 2015 for postgraduate study in law, on a student visa. She filed her own residence permit to study, then to work, then her citizenship application. Today she represents people in the same situation. When AIMA says no, she appeals. When it says nothing, she asks the court to order a decision.
- 350+ clients represented and 138 cases filed in court (as of September 2026)
- Works in English and Portuguese
- Office at Rua de São José, Lisbon, near Marquês de Pombal and Avenida da Liberdade
A short form, in English or Portuguese. Read and answered by Nádia.
What clients say
In their own words.
What clients wrote to us on WhatsApp, once the work was done.
Thank you so much for all your patience and help. Everything went well, and your work was essential in bringing calm to an already very stressful time. It’s so good to see people doing such important work with such care.
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Thank you so much for your help and support in my bad situation.
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This is the best news I’ve heard in two years. I appreciate your work.
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Thank you for the excellent work.
How to find us
Rua de São José, Lisbon. About three minutes from Avenida metro.
- Office
- Rua de São José 149, 3rd floor, right (3.º Dto.)
1150-322 Lisboa, Portugal - Hours
- Monday to Friday, by appointment
10:00 to 19:00 - Phone and WhatsApp
- +351 929 246 806
- Metro: Avenida (blue line), about three minutes on foot. Marquês de Pombal and Restauradores, about eight minutes.
- Bus: Carris 709, 711, 732, 736, 746 and 783 stop on Avenida da Liberdade, about three minutes away.
- On foot: from Avenida station, cross to Rua de São José, the parallel street. From Rossio, up Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, about eight minutes.
Start here
Tell us where your case stands.
We tell you what comes next.
A short form, in English or Portuguese. Nádia reads it and replies with what to do next. Start with what worries you most.
Have a letter with a deadline? WhatsApp +351 929 246 806