Eligibility for Renewal
If you’re a foreign national residing in Portugal, you can renew your residence permit through IRN if it’s still valid or has expired less than six months ago. A residence permit is essential for your legal stay, whether temporary or permanent, and requires periodic renewal.
Understanding the Renewal Process
Renewing your residence permit is a systematic process that begins with scheduling an appointment. This can be done through the siga website or via the sigaApp, ensuring you select the correct service and motive for your visit.
Scheduling an Appointment
To book your renewal appointment, visit the siga website. Here’s how:
- Choose ‘Registo’ as the entity.
- Select ‘Citizen’ as the theme, with ‘Residence permit’ as the subtheme and ‘Renewal of residence permit’ as the motive.
- Pick a convenient date, time, and registry office.
- Fill in your personal details to finalize the appointment. You’ll receive an email with all the necessary information and an appointment code.
Required Documentation
When your appointment day arrives, ensure to bring the following:
- Your current residence permit or one expired for less than six months.
- A valid passport or equivalent travel document.
- Evidence of financial means and accommodation.
- Proof of tax and social security status, if applicable.
- Authorization for criminal record access (for applicants over 16).
For more details, check the Justice Portal.
Special Circumstances
Certain applicants, such as workers, educators, researchers, and volunteers, might need to provide additional documentation. However, for investment activities or if you are a victim of human trafficking, renewing at a Registo office isn’t possible. Instead, contact AIMA directly.
Where to Renew
You can renew your permit at multiple locations across Portugal, with a total of 39 stations available between Lojas de Cidadão and IRN offices. Remember, all renewals require a prior appointment to be scheduled.
Renewal Costs
The fees for renewing your residence permit vary. For a detailed breakdown of the costs involved, refer to the 2022 Fee Table provided by AIMA.
This is very helpful. Thank you. However, every single location in the entire nation gives a message that “There are no appointment shedules available for the selected criteria.” How are people supposed to schedule appointments?
Hello dear Shoan. Thanks for the feedback.
You just have to keep insisting and checking everyday. They should open new slots monthly. This past month it opened several slots in some locations. Unfortunately there are some people hoarding appointment slots to then sell them – be aware of this scammers and try to do it yourslef since it is safer.
Hi
Good morning my card going to expire 2nd March and no slot available for renewal what can I do I appreciate if you give me guidelines.
Many thanks
Hello dear Amir.
Unfortunately you just have to keep trying to get an appointment. Be aware of scammers that say they sell appointments – you have to give your ID to book an appointment so they can be selling slots they got for themselves.
Best regards
Having spoken to a staff member at one of the 34 listed locations for the renewal of residency permits I was informed that IRN “has not been authorised to release schedules for the renewal of residency permits”.
So following the procedure detailed on the Justica portal (https://justica.gov.pt/en-gb/Servicos/Renewal-of-Residence-Permit) is a complete waste of time. IRN has actually removed the Renewal of Residency sub-theme from the Siga site (& the app most likely).
Following several complaints through the Justica contact form I received a response from IRN (the Coordinator of Registration Operations Center no less) and was told to use the SEF online renewal system (https://www.sef.pt/pt/Pages/pre-marcacao-online.aspx). After navigating through that maze I finally received an error message that my “residency permit is not authorised to use the automatic renewal process” (even though this is the very process that I used to renew my previous permit 2 years ago).
So the only comment that I can make is that despite all of the issues which SEF had (and was supposed to have) at least they had something that worked. The current organisations have made a complete and utter shambles of meeting their responsibilities.
Unfortunately we can’t say you are wrong. Keep trying the “old” auto renewal.
what about the timelines to actually getting the approval/ renewed permit after submitting the request? when and how the response is recived? email, phone, post? thre is nowhere any inforation on that.
It seems they are taking forever if you did it in IRN, and they give no feedback at all. If you are able to do the auto renewal it’s taking a few weeks to be delivered.
oh no, I did it via IRN! So what should I do, just try and submit it again via the auto renewal on the old SEF portal? Go on strike in front of AIMA offices? What can be done in this impossible situation?
Thank you so much for taking time to respond to questions here, and honestly.
Shameful process for Residency and renewal.
I am 7 months expired and have wasted countless hours chasing SEF/AIMA/SIGA.
Noted SIGA doesn’t list renewals now, what is one to do, return to SEF Offices or Faro Citizens multioffice?
Hi there, I’m writing an article on this subject at Expresso newspaper. Could we talk so you’ll tell me your story? Thanks
I submiy my document for renewal my TRC in 07-12-2023 and yoday after 5 month i am still waiting even after to me my frind got his card i write many time emails but no any reply i am upsat for this
Hi my ID card has expired and I am investor that invested in property. Unfortunately, AIMA slot not opened and there is no possibility to talk with Aima agent. Do you have any news for renewal?
I went to AIMA office in Viseu in January. Renewed my residency successfully and paid the fee I am still waiting for a replacement card. Just logged into SEF portal, and found a status of “Awaits Submission” dated 10th May. Do you know what this means?
You went to AIMA or to IRN? Anyway none of the platforms is properly working so it doesn’t mean anything. You have to ask Viseu about your status.
Hi hope doing well
I renewed my residents card in Beja IRS at January 2024. I paid and I provided all documents. It is about 5 month I didn’t receive my new valid card and I need to travel abroad but because of residents expired I can not.😔😔 I contacted to beja and they told me they sent my documents to aima. I really exhausted of this situation and I can not do anything now.
Thanks
Hello
They are taking five months, but they are arriving recently.
Just confirm if it was sent before to your post and sent back to AIMA (and which AIMA) or if it’s juts AIMA that it is processing the card.