CPLP Residence Permit in Portugal: Visa First Since October 2025
Brazilians, Angolans, Cabo Verdeans and other CPLP nationals still have their own permit, but the order of steps has changed and the paper certificate is being replaced by a card.
Citizens of Brazil, Angola, Cabo Verde and the other countries covered by the CPLP mobility agreement can still get a CPLP residence permit (autorização de residência CPLP) from AIMA, but only after arriving with a residence visa from a Portuguese consulate. Law 61/2025 ended the option of entering as a visitor and applying later, from 23 October 2025.
The CPLP (Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries) route is still simpler than the standard work or income permits. What changed is the order of the steps and the card you get at the end. Everything below is as of November 2026.
What changed for CPLP citizens in October 2025?
The visa now comes first. Law 61/2025, published in the Diário da República (the official gazette) on 22 October 2025 and in force the next day, rewrote article 87-A of the Foreigners Act (Law 23/2007). It now says that nationals of states covered by the CPLP agreement who hold a residence visa may apply in Portugal, at AIMA, for a CPLP residence permit.
Before the change, many Brazilians and other CPLP nationals entered Portugal without a visa and asked for the permit once they were here. That path is closed for new cases. The law applies only to procedures started after it took effect, so a request filed before 23 October 2025 continues under the earlier wording.
AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo, the immigration agency that replaced SEF) had already told applicants in February 2025 that a new CPLP permit presupposes a consular visa obtained expressly for that purpose.
How do I apply for a CPLP residence permit now?
You start at a Portuguese consulate or visa center in your country of residence and finish at an AIMA office in Portugal.
- Apply for a residence visa for the CPLP permit at the Portuguese consulate that covers where you live. The requirements and forms are on the Portuguese consular visa portal.
- When the visa is issued, read its observations field. AIMA says the date of your residence permit appointment is printed there.
- Travel to Portugal with the visa and attend the AIMA appointment. Staff take your photo and fingerprints and receive the documents.
- If your visa shows no appointment date, contact AIMA through its online contact form or the contact center on 217 115 000 (Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 20:00, normal call rates).
- Pay the fees AIMA asks for and wait for the card to be issued.
Our guide to AIMA appointments and contact channels covers what to do when you cannot get through.
What card do I get, and for how long?
A first CPLP permit is valid for 2 years and comes as a plastic card in the uniform EU format. AIMA announced the switch after Law 9/2025 of 13 February 2025; it is the same model used for other temporary residence permits in Portugal.
The older CPLP permit was a paper certificate, not a card. AIMA’s own FAQ says a renewed CPLP permit is issued as the uniform card, valid for 3 years if the current permit ran its full validity and 2 years if it did not.
| Situation (as of November 2026) | What AIMA issues | Validity |
|---|---|---|
| New CPLP permit, applied for with a residence visa | Uniform EU-format card | 2 years |
| Renewal or replacement of a paper CPLP certificate | Uniform EU-format card | 3 or 2 years, depending on the current permit |
| Request filed before 23 October 2025 without a visa | Decided under the earlier rules | Check your AIMA notification |
I have the old paper CPLP certificate. What do I do?
You wait for AIMA to contact you, then follow its email. According to AIMA’s FAQ on CPLP renewals, the agency emails certificate holders progressively, in the order the certificates were issued.
- The email asks you to register on a dedicated AIMA platform and confirm your login details.
- On that platform you request a payment slip (Documento Único de Cobrança, DUC). The fees must be paid within the next 10 working days.
- After the payment is confirmed, AIMA proposes an appointment with a date, time and office for biometrics.
- Closer to the appointment, AIMA sends instructions to upload your updated documents, so the decision is not based on old papers.
- You bring the originals to the appointment.
The platform is open only to people AIMA has already contacted. If you have not received an email, there is no separate form to jump the queue.
Which documents does AIMA ask for?
For CPLP renewals and replacements, AIMA lists these documents:
- a valid passport or other travel document;
- the renewal request, with consent to check the Portuguese criminal record;
- a criminal record certificate from your country of nationality or from any country where you lived for more than a year, in cases where it was never checked, such as permits that came from a manifestação de interesse or a short-stay visa;
- proof of stable means of subsistence, for example an IRS tax return, an employment contract or a service contract, measured against Portaria 1563/2007;
- if someone supports you, a statement of responsibility (termo de responsabilidade, Model 4) with a certified signature, unless it is signed in front of AIMA staff;
- for children, proof that they live with the person who has parental responsibility.
AIMA checks your tax and Social Security situation in its own databases, so you do not need clearance certificates from Finanças or Segurança Social. Make sure your NIF and NISS are correct in AIMA’s records before the appointment.
How does renewal work after the first card?
An EU-format card is renewed through AIMA like other temporary permits, and fees follow AIMA’s table under Portaria 307/2023, which is updated each year for inflation. AIMA opens its online Renewals Portal to groups of cards by expiry date, so check whether your card is inside an open window about three months before it runs out. Our guide to renewing a residence permit on the AIMA portal explains the window, the fees and what an expired card proves while you wait.
Can my family join me on a CPLP permit?
Family reunification follows the general rules of the Foreigners Act, which Law 61/2025 also tightened. The amended article 98 gives the right after the permit holder has held a valid permit for at least 2 years, or 15 months for a spouse or partner who lived with the holder for at least 18 months before arrival. Minor or dependent children are exempt from that waiting time. Our guide to family reunification in Portugal covers the documents and income checks.
Bottom line
For anyone outside Portugal, the CPLP permit now starts with a consular visa, and the appointment date printed on that visa is your entry into AIMA’s system. If you already hold a paper certificate, the useful step is to keep your email, NIF, NISS and address current so AIMA’s invitation reaches you and its database checks pass. Ask an immigration lawyer (advogado) if your case started before 23 October 2025 and is still open.
FAQ
Can I still enter Portugal as a tourist and then apply for the CPLP permit?
Not for new applications. Since 23 October 2025, article 87-A requires a residence visa. Requests already filed before that date continue under the earlier rules.
Which countries count as CPLP for this permit?
The permit is for nationals of the states covered by the CPLP mobility agreement, which include Brazil, Angola and Cabo Verde. Check with the Portuguese consulate in your country that the agreement applies to your nationality before you apply.
How long is a new CPLP residence permit valid?
A first grant is valid for 2 years, according to AIMA. Renewed permits are issued for 3 or 2 years depending on the permit being renewed.
Do I need a lawyer to apply?
No, the visa and the AIMA steps are designed for applicants to do themselves. A lawyer helps if AIMA refuses the request, if your case started before October 2025, or if you have a gap in legal stay.
