How to Get an AIMA Appointment and What You Can Do Online Instead
Most AIMA cases no longer start with a walk-in visit. Here is which channel fits your case, what the Lisbon offices handle and what paper protects you while you wait.
AIMA, Portugal’s Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum, does not take walk-ins for most cases. You ask for an appointment through its contact centre on (+351) 217 115 000 or its online contact form, or AIMA calls you in. Renewals, EU residence documents and some family reunification cases start online instead.
The contact centre answers Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 20:00, and the form is at contactenos.aima.gov.pt. For the online processes, AIMA books the in-person biometrics visit itself after reviewing the file. AIMA took over the administrative work of the former immigration service SEF in October 2023. Its procedures have changed several times since, so the channel that worked for a friend last year may not be the right one for you now. The details below are as of November 2026.
Which AIMA processes can I start online?
Several common processes start online and need a visit only if AIMA asks for one. As of November 2026, AIMA runs these platforms:
| Platform | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Renewals Portal (Portal de Renovações), portal-renovacoes.aima.gov.pt | Renewal of residence permits within the expiry window AIMA has opened, investment permits (ARI), and permanent residence certificates and cards for EU citizens and their family members |
| Services Portal, servicos.aima.gov.pt | Family reunification requests for children and young people under 18 who are already in Portugal |
| services.aima.gov.pt | Older cases opened through an expression of interest (manifestação de interesse) and CPLP residence permits |
| Contact form, contactenos.aima.gov.pt | Appointment requests for specific cases, sending missing documents, changing your address or NISS in AIMA’s records, reporting portal problems |
New expressions of interest are no longer possible. Decree-Law 37-A/2024 ended that route, and only procedures started by 4 June 2024 are protected. If you are renewing, read our guide to renewing a residence permit through the AIMA Renewals Portal before you look for an appointment, because the renewal itself does not need one.
How do I ask for an appointment when I need to go in person?
Call the AIMA contact centre or use the contact form, choosing the subject that matches your case. AIMA has opened specific scheduling options in the contact form over the past year, for example for long-term resident status, for higher-education students and highly qualified workers who entered without a residence visa, and for UK nationals moving from temporary to permanent residence under the Brexit agreement.
- Open the contact form at contactenos.aima.gov.pt and pick the subject type and subtype for your case.
- Fill in your details and attach the documents the form asks for. Forms filed under the wrong subject are discarded, so read the options carefully.
- Wait for AIMA to reply by email with a date, time and office. Keep that email: it is your proof that a request exists.
- If the form is down, try again later. AIMA posts planned maintenance on its news page, as it did for 2 and 3 October 2026.
You can also write to [email protected]. Send one message per case and include your full name, passport number and any process number you already have, so it can be matched to your file.
What do the Lisbon AIMA offices handle?
AIMA has 35 service points (Lojas AIMA) in Portugal, and opening hours differ by office and by service. The two in central Lisbon have different jobs, according to the official list of AIMA offices and opening hours:
| Office | Address | Main use (as of November 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Lisboa I | Avenida António Augusto de Aguiar, 20 | Appointments on working days 09:00 to 17:00; collection of residence cards 09:00 to 12:00 |
| Lisboa II (Anjos) | Rua Álvaro Coutinho, 14 | Information only on working days 08:00 to 17:00; lawyers and solicitors by capacity; Saturdays for card collection with a notice |
There is also an AIMA desk in the Odivelas Loja do Cidadão. The local integration centres (CLAIM) run by municipalities and partners help with information and paperwork, but AIMA says they cannot look up cases in progress.
What if no appointment slots appear?
Repeated identical requests do not move you up a queue. First check if your case has an online route, since renewals, EU permanent residence documents and some family reunification cases do. If it does not, file one contact-form request under the correct subject and keep the confirmation.
If AIMA has not answered within the legal time limits for your type of case, an immigration lawyer (advogado, registered with the Ordem dos Advogados) can advise on formal options. AIMA gives lawyers and solicitors separate service windows, including a room reserved for them at Lisboa II since July 2026.
How do I prove my case is pending?
Your proof is the official receipt or notice for your case: the renewal receipt issued after you pay on the Renewals Portal, the appointment notice from AIMA, or the receipt for an application already filed. Banks, employers and Finanças accept these papers for many purposes.
Expired residence documents have a special rule. Under Decree-Law 85-B/2025, documents that expired from 22 February 2020 were accepted until 15 October 2025. After that date they stay accepted only if the holder shows proof of payment of the AIMA renewal request, which is valid for 180 days from issue. None of these receipts is a travel document, so they do not let you move around the Schengen area.
How do I check the status of my case?
Use the platform where you filed. On the Renewals Portal you log in with the password AIMA emailed when you registered and see the stage of your request. Cases filed through servicos.aima.gov.pt or services.aima.gov.pt show their status in those accounts.
For cases filed on paper at an AIMA office, call the contact centre with your process number. Wrong data in AIMA’s records can hold up a case. If your address or social security number (NISS) is wrong in AIMA’s system, fix it through the contact form, under the subject for the Renewals Portal. AIMA says it updates these records within two working days. Our guide to getting a NISS covers the first step if you do not have one yet.
Bottom line
Before chasing a slot, find out which channel AIMA assigns to your case, because a request in the wrong channel is ignored rather than redirected. Keep every receipt and email in one folder, since banks, employers and landlords will ask for them while AIMA works through the file.
FAQ
Is there a fee for an AIMA appointment?
AIMA’s fee table lists charges for procedures, not for booking an appointment. The same table also lists €29.90 for each in-person handover of a residence card, as of November 2026.
Can someone else book or attend for me?
A lawyer or solicitor can act for you, and AIMA gives them separate service windows. Biometric data (photo and fingerprints) still has to be collected from you in person.
Do EU citizens need an AIMA appointment?
EU citizens register with their local council, not AIMA, for the first registration certificate. Permanent residence documents are requested on the Renewals Portal. See our guide to the EU citizen registration certificate in Lisbon.
Can I travel while my renewal is pending?
A renewal receipt proves your status inside Portugal but is not a travel document. Check the rules of the country you are flying to, and get legal advice before travelling on an expired card.
