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Immigration

Immigration policy, visa changes, and the expat experience in Portugal.
AIMA Mission-Structure Walks 385,000 New Immigrant Files to Deferimento — Leitão Amaro Reads Parliament 933,000 Notifications, 568,000 Atendimentos and 458,000 Residence Cards Across Manifestação de Interesse, CPLP and the Regime Transitório

AIMA Mission-Structure Walks 385,000 New Immigrant Files to Deferimento — Leitão Amaro Reads Parliament 933,000 Notifications, 568,000 Atendimentos and 458,000 Residence Cards Across Manifestação de Interesse, CPLP and the Regime Transitório

Leitão Amaro told parliament Wednesday the AIMA mission-structure has deferred about 385,000 new immigrant files since June 2024 — 933,000 notifications, 568,000 atendimentos, 525,000 decisões, 51,622 indeferimentos and 458,000 cartões de residência. 98% of MI and 95% of CPLP cleared.
The Portugal Brief
Exchanging a Foreign Driving Licence (Troca da Carta de Condução) in Portugal in 2026 — A Practical Guide to the IMT Process, the EU vs Vienna-Convention vs Third-Country Tracks, the 90-Day Post-Residence Window and the Two-Year Practical-Exam Exemption

Exchanging a Foreign Driving Licence (Troca da Carta de Condução) in Portugal in 2026 — A Practical Guide to the IMT Process, the EU vs Vienna-Convention vs Third-Country Tracks, the 90-Day Post-Residence Window and the Two-Year Practical-Exam Exemption

Exchanging a foreign driving licence in Portugal runs through IMT under Decreto-Lei 138/2012. This 2026 guide walks the EU, Vienna-Convention and third-country tracks, the 185-day non-resident window, the 90-day post-residence trigger and the two-year practical-exam exemption.
The Portugal Brief
Family Reunification (Reagrupamento Familiar) in Portugal in 2026 — A Practical Guide to the AIMA Process, the Lei 23/2007 Framework, the Spouse, Children and Parent Tracks, and the Documentary Chain to the Cartão de Residência

Family Reunification (Reagrupamento Familiar) in Portugal in 2026 — A Practical Guide to the AIMA Process, the Lei 23/2007 Framework, the Spouse, Children and Parent Tracks, and the Documentary Chain to the Cartão de Residência

Family reunification in Portugal runs through AIMA under Lei 23/2007 and covers spouses, minor and adult-dependent children, parents over 65 and unmarried partners in união de facto. The 2026 guide walks the three tracks, the documents, the wait times and the appeals path.
The Portugal Brief
AIMA Reimposes the 10-Senha Daily Cap on Lawyers at the Porto Loja With a 12h–16h Window — Three Cases Per Advogado Per Day Against a 200,000-File Court Backlog, Less Than a Year After the National Cap Was Lifted by Protocol With the Ordem

AIMA Reimposes the 10-Senha Daily Cap on Lawyers at the Porto Loja With a 12h–16h Window — Three Cases Per Advogado Per Day Against a 200,000-File Court Backlog, Less Than a Year After the National Cap Was Lifted by Protocol With the Ordem

The Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo has quietly reimposed the ten-senha daily cap on lawyers at its Porto loja, with access squeezed into a four-hour 12h–16h window. Público's Vicente Nunes reads the new rule on the ground on Saturday...
The Portugal Brief
Assembleia da República Ratifies the 2023 Lisbon Acordo on School Equivalence Between Portugal and Brazil — Ensino Fundamental and Médio Get Automatic Recognition, the Embassy Drops Its 16,000 Yearly Validations, and Higher Education Stays Outside Scope

Assembleia da República Ratifies the 2023 Lisbon Acordo on School Equivalence Between Portugal and Brazil — Ensino Fundamental and Médio Get Automatic Recognition, the Embassy Drops Its 16,000 Yearly Validations, and Higher Education Stays Outside Scope

The Assembleia da República closed the third anniversary of the Cimeira Luso-Brasileira on Friday by voting through the Acordo Complementar ao Tratado de Amizade, Cooperação e Consulta entre Portugal e Brasil, the 22 April 2023 Lisbon protocol that...
The Portugal Brief