On May 3, 2024, Portugal’s Council of Ministers approved an Action Plan for Migration which removes the “Expressions of Interest” procedure which allowed foreign nationals to apply for a residence permit while in Portugal as a visitor.
Key Changes
- The plan includes an expansion of capacity at Portuguese consular posts abroad to cope with the expected consequent increase in consular residence applications, as well as the creation of a mission structure, with additional resources, to address the existing backlog of pending residence cases.
- A new procedure for speeding up pending expressions of interest has been published on the AIMA website. Foreign nationals with a pending expression of interest case, initiated on the old SAPA Portal up to April 30, 2023, will receive an email from AIMA to deal with their application.
From the beginning of 2024, fees must be paid when the application is submitted, rather than after the decision, for both new and pending cases.
Further details of the Action Plan can be found here in English and here in Portuguese.
Erickson Insights & Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue to monitor developments and share updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions.