Portugal : AIMA Updates on ARI Applications Portugal

• 30 December, 24

The Portuguese government has recently implemented changes to the processing of Investment Residence Authorization (ARI) applications, specifically targeting investors awaiting biometric appointments. These modifications aim to enhance efficiency and address existing backlogs within the system.

Key Changes

The updates focus on prioritizing pending biometric appointments and streamlining the overall application workflow. This initiative seeks to expedite processing times for older applications while ensuring adherence to procedural requirements.

Who Is Affected?

These changes primarily impact investors whose applications are pending biometric appointments. Investors with applications that have already been formalized or completed remain unaffected by this update.

Next Steps for Investors

Required Documentation

AIMA has updated the status of all pending applications, requiring investors to reissue and legalize their civil documents. Applicants must update their records by reissuing and resending all mandatory civil documents. These are the same documents you provided previously but must now be renewed:

All documents must:

• Be valid under Portuguese law, specifically regarding their time of issuance.
• Be legalized or apostilled.
• Include certified translations into Portuguese or English – we can assist here.

Original versions of civil documents must be presented during the in-person biometric appointment.

Scheduling of Appointments

• Once the updated documents are submitted, AIMA will automatically schedule an appointment at an AIMA service desk, following the chronological order of updates.
• Appointments will commence on 15 January 2025, with a lead time of 30 to 90 days.
• Please note that appointments will be automatically assigned by the competent authorities, and selecting a preferred location may not be possible. For appointments at branches outside Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra, and Guarda, IAS additional fees may apply.
• Rescheduling requests will only be considered for the second half of 2025 and must be supported by documented and justified reasons. Failure to attend the assigned appointment may also result in the cancellation of your application.