Lisbon, 24 November 2025 — The Portuguese immigration agency AIMA has rolled out important new fields and online functionalities aimed at making the renewal and alteration of residence permits easier for foreign nationals living in Portugal.
AIMA introduces new digital fields to streamline immigrant services
Lisbon, 24 November 2025 — The Portuguese immigration agency AIMA has rolled out important new fields and online functionalities aimed at making the renewal and alteration of residence permits easier for foreign nationals living in Portugal.
What’s new?
At the core of this update is the revamped Contact Form on AIMA’s portal (accessible at https://contactenos.aima.gov.pt/contact-form), which now includes additional, dedicated fields for various immigration-related requests. Among the key enhancements:
- A new field labelled “Número do Cartão/Título de Residência” – this allows users to enter any format of residence-card number (including older paper 6-digit cards) when submitting their request. AIMA
- When choosing the subject “Autorização de Residência” in the form, users can now request:
- For citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries (CPLP) and other categories, AIMA now provides a streamlined online scheduling form via the same contact portal – including fields for passport, visa number and other supporting documents. AIMA+1
These changes represent a significant shift from more manual, in-person service models and aim to reduce delays and physical visits for many immigrants.
Why this matters for immigrants
For immigrants living in Portugal, these improvements bring several immediate benefits:
- Greater clarity: With the residence-card number field accepting legacy formats, fewer users will get caught out by “invalid card number” rejections.
- Faster processing: Requests that previously required paperwork submissions or multiple trips to AIMA offices can now begin online via the contact form.
- Improved accessibility: The ability to request alterations of data or 2nd-via cards via the same form streamlines what were once distinct processes.
- Better support for diverse groups: The CPLP scheduling form ensures that foreign nationals from Portuguese-speaking countries (and others) who hold relevant visas have a clearer path for their first-time authorization or change of status.
What about renewals in January?
Looking ahead to early 2026, immigrants whose residence permits expire at the turn of the year will want to note the following:
- AIMA’s renewal portal for residence permits that expire in December 2025 was opened on 19 November.
- Because the automatic extensions for expired permits ended on 15 October 2025, applicants whose permits have expired must initiate renewal promptly to avoid irregular status. AIMA+1
- For renewal processes, be sure you have: an account on the Portal das Renovações, payments of fees up to date, tax and social security obligations regularised, and required documents ready.
- While many processes are digital, there remains a mission-structure track for those whose permits expired earlier; you should monitor communications from AIMA or the “Estrutura de Missão” for notifications.
As AIMA finishes building its digital infrastructure, a mission structure remains in place for legacy cases and special circumstances. For January renewal and after:
- If your permit expires in 2026 or later, check whether your category is covered by the renewal portal or whether you must use the mission-structure channel.
- Gather documentation early: passport, residence card, proof of tax/social-security status, address, means of subsistence, and biometric data (if required).
- Use the new contact-form fields: When submitting any request (alteration of data, 2nd-via card, renewal), use the “Número do Cartão/Título de Residência” field and select the correct subject (Autorização de Residência) to ensure your online request is processed without delay.
- Stay informed: Check AIMA’s website and notifications for updates about new deadlines, portal openings, and any changes in procedure.
By embracing these digital upgrades, you’re helping ensure your residence-permit status remains smooth, secure and up-to-date. The path is clearer — it’s time to move confidently forward.