Replacing a Lost or Stolen Residence Card in Portugal

Last verified: October 2026.

Who this is for

• Non-EU residents whose AIMA residence card was lost, stolen, or destroyed.
• Residents whose card is so worn or damaged that it can no longer be read.
• Family members helping someone replace a card after a theft or a lost wallet.

Not for you if: you hold a Portuguese Citizen Card. Read "Renewing Your Citizen Card (Cartão de Cidadão) in Portugal".

If your residence card (título de residência) is lost, stolen, destroyed, or badly damaged, you ask the immigration agency, AIMA, for a replacement. Portuguese rules call it a second copy (2.ª via). First you report the loss or theft to the police. Then you book an appointment through AIMA's contact centre on (+351) 217 115 000. A second copy costs half the fee for issuing that type of card. A third or later copy costs the full fee.

Check that a second copy is what you need

The law lets you ask for a second copy in these cases:

• the card is lost or you cannot find it;
• the card was stolen, in a theft or a robbery;
• the card was destroyed;
• the card is in such poor condition that it is no longer usable.

There is one exception. If your card is due for renewal, you renew it instead of asking for a copy. In that case, read "Renewing Your Residence Permit with AIMA in Portugal".

This guide covers the residence card AIMA issues to non-EU citizens under the immigration law. EU citizens and their family members hold different documents.

Step 1: report it to the police

You need proof that you told the police. AIMA asks for it with every request for a lost, stolen, or destroyed card. A damaged card does not need a police report, because you hand the old card back.

1. Make a list of everything that is missing, such as bank cards, your passport, and your residence card.
2. Go to a police station (PSP) or a GNR post as soon as you can. Report what happened.
3. Keep the report (participação). You will show it to AIMA.

If the card was stolen, you can also file a complaint online through the Interior Ministry's Queixa Eletrónica portal. It accepts complaints of theft (furto) and robbery (roubo) to the GNR or the PSP. Anyone resident in or present in Portugal can use it, Portuguese or foreign. You sign in with a Citizen Card, the Chave Móvel Digital, a code sent by post (CTT), or identification in person. It is not for emergencies. If a crime is happening now, call 112.

For theft, the police only investigate if the victim files a complaint. The online portal and a police station both count.

Step 2: protect yourself while you wait

A missing residence card can be used to commit fraud in your name. Take these steps on the same day:

• Cancel your bank cards. You can call SIBS on 808 201 251, or (+351) 217 918 780 from abroad.
• Tell the Banco de Portugal. It has an online form for lost identity documents, and a residence permit is one of the documents it accepts. The aim is to prevent identity theft and financial fraud in your name.
• Search the lost property website. The Interior Ministry's Perdidos e Achados site lists documents handed in to the police. Its search lists residence permits, both temporary and permanent.

The state's "Perdi a Carteira" desk at the Laranjeiras Citizen Shop in Lisbon replaces several documents in one visit. Its list does not include residence cards, so you still deal with AIMA directly.

Step 3: book an appointment with AIMA

AIMA's answer to "I lost my residence card" is to book an appointment through its contact centre:

• Phone: (+351) 217 115 000, working days from 08:00 to 20:00.
• Email: [email protected].

AIMA has 35 stores (Lojas AIMA) across the country. Each store's address and opening hours are on AIMA's website.

What to bring

• the police report, for a lost, stolen, or destroyed card;
• a statement of why you need a second copy;
• the old card, if you are replacing it because it is damaged;
• a new photo, if AIMA asks for one.

If AIMA has doubts about who you are, or about the request, it can ask for more proof before it decides.

What it costs

The fee for a second copy is set as a share of the fee for issuing the card you hold:

• Second copy: half the issue fee.
• Third copy, and any after that: the full issue fee.

For example, the 2023 fee table set the issue fee for a temporary residence card at €104.82. Half of that is €52.41. The fees rise automatically on 1 March each year, in line with consumer prices, so you will pay a little more today. Permanent cards, EU Blue Cards, and investment cards have their own issue fees, so their copies cost a different amount.

If AIMA cannot deliver the new card and it is sent back, you may have to collect it at an AIMA store. AIMA charges €28.50 for handing over a card in person.

If you find the old card

Once you ask for a second copy, AIMA records the old card as stolen or missing. The alert goes into AIMA's own system, the national border system, and the Schengen Information System.

That means you cannot use the old card again, even if you find it the next day. If it turns up, hand it in to AIMA. Do not try to travel with it.

Who to contact

• AIMA contact centre: (+351) 217 115 000, working days 08:00 to 20:00, or [email protected].
• AIMA head office: Avenida António Augusto de Aguiar 20, 1069-119 Lisboa.
• Bank card cancellation (SIBS): 808 201 251, or (+351) 217 918 780 from abroad.
• Emergencies: 112.

This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Sources

This guide is written from official sources and, where relevant, organisations' own websites.

• AIMA, Títulos de Autorização de Residência, perguntas frequentes, question 4 (second copy for loss, destruction, theft or robbery; police declaration; booking by phone or email) and question 5 (€28.50 for in-person handover) (Portuguese; an English version is linked from the FAQ page)
• AIMA, Perguntas frequentes: Títulos de Autorização de Residência (FAQ page with the Portuguese, English and other language versions) (Portuguese and English)
• AIMA, Contactos (contact centre number and hours, email, head office address) (Portuguese and English)
• AIMA, Lojas AIMA (35 stores, addresses and opening hours) (Portuguese and English)
• Procuradoria-Geral Regional de Lisboa, Decreto Regulamentar n.º 84/2007, de 5 de novembro, article 73 (grounds for a second copy, renewal exception, statement of reasons, police report, photo, return of a damaged card, extra proof, SII and Schengen alert, handing back a recovered card), consolidated text as amended by Decreto Regulamentar n.º 1/2024 (Portuguese only)
• Diário da República, Portaria n.º 307/2023, de 13 de outubro, article 3 (yearly update from 1 March) and annex, point III (temporary card issue fee €104.82; second copy 50 percent, third and later 100 percent of the issue fee) (Portuguese only; original text, amounts updated yearly since)
• gov.pt, Comunicar e cancelar cartões perdidos ou roubados (list of missing documents, police station or GNR post, keep the report, SIBS numbers, Banco de Portugal form covering residence permits, Perdidos e Achados) (Portuguese only)
• gov.pt, Pedir a 2.ª via de documentos perdidos ou roubados (Balcão Perdi a Carteira at Loja de Cidadão das Laranjeiras and the documents it handles) (Portuguese only)
• Ministério da Administração Interna, Queixa Eletrónica (online complaints of theft and robbery to the GNR or PSP, who may use it, sign-in methods, not for emergencies, theft needs the victim's complaint) (Portuguese only)
• Ministério da Administração Interna, Perdidos e Achados (search of documents handed in to the police, including temporary and permanent residence permits) (Portuguese only)

Last verified October 2026. Rules and fees change; check the official source before acting.