We are often approached with questions about the validity of visas and the truth is that the legislative change that answers this question, besides being recent, is often difficult to interpret.
Foreign citizens residing in Portugal under a visa or residence permit that has expired since March 2020 will continue to be able to work and reside legally in the country because their visa or residence permit will remain valid until 30.06.2024.
This extension of the validity of the permits began in 2020, during the pandemic, through article 16 of Decree-Law 10-A/2020 of March 13, 2020, which began extending the validity periods of the permits and which, over the years, has undergone changes in the same direction. The latest update is art. 4 of Decree-Law 109/2023 of November 24, which was amended by art. 16 of Decree-Law 10-A/2020.
In summary, all permits that expired as of March 2020 are valid until 30.06.2024. However, this does not mean that citizens no longer have to worry about renewing them. Despite the difficulty in making appointments at AIMA offices, it is necessary to continue promoting the renewal of residence permits and not just rely on successive revalidations.
The next concern is often where to apply to renew residence permits, at AIMA (the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum), or at IRN (the Institute of Registries and Notaries)?
As of the date of this article, the information we have is that in certain cases it is possible to renew a residence permit automatically, through AIMA’s online services. In cases where it is not possible to renew automatically, the application for renewal of the residence permit is submitted at the IRN offices, by prior appointment, except if it is for investment activity (and for victims of human trafficking), in which case it is submitted at the AIMA offices.
Leonor Frazão Grego @ DCM | Littler