In short
- We handle residence permits for family, study and long-term residence, and their renewals.
- Every document is checked before anything is filed, and every AIMA notification is answered within its deadline.
- When AIMA does not schedule, decide or issue your card, we can ask the court to order it to act.
Family reunification
For the family of a person who has held a residence permit in Portugal for, as a rule, at least two years (15 months for a spouse who already lived with the applicant before the applicant entered Portugal; no waiting period for dependent minor or incapacitated children and for the spouse who is their parent): a spouse or partner, children, and dependent parents, within the limits the law sets. The application is made by the family member who lives here. As a rule the relatives have to be outside Portugal; an application for relatives already in Portugal is only possible in the cases the law allows.
What we do
- Confirm that you and your relatives qualify before you gather anything
- Prepare the application and the proof of the family relationship, income and housing
- Obtain apostilles and certified translations for documents from abroad
- File the application, follow it with AIMA and answer every notification within its deadline
Family member of an EU citizen
For the spouse, partner, children or dependent parents of a citizen of the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland who lives in Portugal. Family members from outside the EU receive a residence card of their own, with a route to permanent residence.
What we do
- Check the EU citizen's own registration and the family relationship
- Prepare the application and the documents that prove the relationship and the residence
- Follow the process with the authorities and answer every request in time
Student residence permit
For people admitted to a Portuguese university, polytechnic or course, usually after a student visa issued by a Portuguese consulate. It is renewed for the duration of the studies and can later be changed into a permit to work. Nádia came to Portugal on this route herself.
What we do
- Prepare the permit that follows the student visa, and its renewals
- Change the permit to a work permit when the studies end
- Answer AIMA notifications and document requests within their deadlines
Long-term residence permit
For people who have lived in Portugal legally for five years and want a more stable status: the long-term resident status of the European Union, with easier mobility inside the EU and fewer renewals.
What we do
- Confirm that your years of residence count and that the other conditions are met
- Prepare the application and the proof of income, housing and language
- Follow the process and answer every notification
Renewals and changes
Temporary residence permits expire and have to be renewed (a permanent permit does not expire, but its card is renewed every five years), and many people change from one permit to another as their life changes. A renewal filed late or incomplete is one of the most common reasons for trouble later.
- Renewal of any of the permits above
- Change of permit, for example from study to work
- Replacement of a lost or damaged card, and updates of address and civil status
When AIMA does not answer
The law sets deadlines for AIMA to decide. When AIMA does not schedule your appointment, does not decide, or does not issue your card, an administrative court can order it to act.
- We check whether your case qualifies, from the dates and proof of your application
- We file the action and follow it until the court decides
- You hear from us when something changes, not only when you ask
No lawyer can promise a date or a result. What we control is a complete file, every deadline met, and the court action when the process stops.
What we need from you
- Your passport and your current visa or permit, if you have one
- Proof of where you live in Portugal
- Any letter, receipt or decision from AIMA
- The documents specific to your permit: we tell you exactly which ones after reading your case
How it starts
Fill in the short form and describe your situation in your own words. Bring any letter or decision you have received to the consultation; we ask for the rest later.
Nádia reads it herself and replies with what to do next. If a consultation is the right next step, she proposes it: 45 minutes, at the office in Lisbon or by video call, in English or Portuguese.
Fees for the work are agreed at the consultation, before anything starts. Nothing is filed in your name until you say so.