Manifestação de Interesse Ended: What Happened and What Replaced It
The route that let workers regularize from inside Portugal is closed for good. Here is what the transition covered, how to follow an old case and what the visa system looks like now.
The manifestação de interesse (expression of interest) route, which let foreigners who were already working in Portugal apply for a residence permit without a work visa, was revoked by Decree-Law 37-A/2024 on 3 June 2024. The last transitional window closed on 31 December 2025. As of November 2026, foreign workers need a visa from a Portuguese consulate before they come.
Many people still hold permits that started as an expression of interest, and some cases are still being processed. This page explains what the transition covered, what happened to the backlog and which routes exist now.
What was the manifestação de interesse?
It was a procedure under articles 88(2) and 89(2) of the Foreigners Act (Law 23/2007) that allowed someone who had entered Portugal and was working, with Social Security contributions, to ask for a residence permit from inside the country. The person filed online, then waited for SEF, later AIMA, to call them for an appointment.
Decree-Law 37-A/2024, published on 3 June 2024 and in force the next day, repealed those paragraphs. Its article 3 said that procedures already started before it took effect would continue under the old wording of the law.
Who was covered by the transitional rules?
Two groups, under Law 40/2024 of 7 November 2024, which widened the transition. AIMA’s own summary says the regime covered foreigners who, before 4 June 2024:
- could already have filed an expression of interest but did not; or
- could not yet file, often because they lacked proof of legal entry and did not have 12 months of Social Security registration, but were already registered and paying contributions with that aim.
Employees needed an employment contract. Self-employed people could instead show a company contract, proof that they had declared the start of activity to Finanças and Segurança Social, or a service contract for a liberal profession.
Is it still possible to apply under the transition?
No. Law 61/2025 of 22 October 2025 amended article 3 of Decree-Law 37-A/2024 so that residence requests under the transitional rule had to be filed by 31 December 2025, “under penalty of lapse”. Any request not filed by that date can no longer use the transitional route.
| Date | Step | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 3 June 2024 | Expression of interest repealed; cases already filed continue | Decree-Law 37-A/2024 |
| 7 November 2024 | Transition widened to people registered with Social Security before 4 June 2024 | Law 40/2024 |
| 23 October 2025 | New visa rules in force; deadline set for transitional requests | Law 61/2025 |
| 31 December 2025 | Last day to file under the transitional rule | Law 61/2025, article 4 |
How did AIMA deal with the backlog?
The government set up a dedicated unit, the Mission Structure for Recovering Pending Cases at AIMA (Estrutura de Missão para a Recuperação de Processos Pendentes), in 2024 with a one-year mandate. In May 2025 the Council of Ministers extended it to 31 December 2025.
When the extension was approved, around 440,000 requests had been pending at the start, and the government said more than 400,000 had been resolved. The same unit was then assigned the replacement of paper CPLP permits and residence permit renewals. AIMA has not published a single final figure for the expression-of-interest files that we could find, so treat any number you see online with care.
How do I check an old expression-of-interest case?
Use AIMA’s official channels and keep every reference number from the original filing.
- Find your case number and the email address you used on the original platform. AIMA writes to that address.
- Check your email, including spam, for invitations to register on AIMA platforms, pay a DUC (payment slip) or book biometrics. Payment deadlines are short.
- If nothing has arrived, use the AIMA online contact form or call the contact center on 217 115 000, Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 20:00.
- If a permit was granted, it is renewed like any other temporary permit. See our guide to renewing a residence permit on the AIMA portal.
Our guide to AIMA appointments and contact channels lists what to do when the phone lines are busy. If AIMA has not decided after a long wait, Law 61/2025 added article 87-B to the Foreigners Act on court actions against AIMA’s decisions or delays; a lawyer can tell you whether it fits your case.
What route do foreign workers use now?
A work visa from a Portuguese consulate, applied for before traveling. Since June 2024 a job offer or contract is supposed to lead to a residence visa issued abroad, after which AIMA grants the permit in Portugal. The usual forms and requirements are on the Portuguese consular visa portal.
The job-seeker visa also changed. Law 61/2025 turned it into a visa to look for qualified work (visto para procura de trabalho qualificado), for people with specialized technical skills. It is valid only for Portugal and for up to 120 days, and it includes an appointment with the residence authority. If the holder has not started work and begun the permit process by the end of the visa, they must leave and can apply for this visa again only one year after it expired.
The law leaves the definition of those skills to an ordinance (portaria) of four ministries. As of November 2026 we could not confirm that the ordinance has been published, so check with the consulate whether the visa is open for applications before you plan around it.
Bottom line
The expression of interest is gone and its last safety net closed at the end of 2025, so nobody can start a new case on that basis. People whose cases came from it should treat their permit like any other: renew on time, keep NIF and NISS data clean in AIMA’s records, and keep proof of contributions, because the criminal record from the home country may be asked for at renewal.
FAQ
Can I still file a manifestação de interesse in 2026?
No. The route was repealed in June 2024, and the transitional rule required requests to be filed by 31 December 2025. New applicants need a consular visa.
My expression of interest was filed before June 2024. Is it still valid?
Cases filed before 4 June 2024 continue under the old rules, according to Decree-Law 37-A/2024. Follow AIMA’s emails and contact the agency if you have heard nothing.
Will AIMA ask for a criminal record from my home country at renewal?
It can. AIMA’s renewal guidance says a home-country criminal record is required for permits that came from an expression of interest or a short-stay visa when the record was never checked.
Does the time I waited count toward citizenship?
That depends on how legal residence is counted under the 2025 to 2026 nationality law changes. Our guide to Portuguese citizenship requirements covers the current rules.
