dont check from system…ask you to your lawyer. I got appointment with an email to my lawyer but there is no update at the system
You are not alone, there are a few of us. Refreshed in 2025 and no dependents on my application. Asked my lawyer, still no appointment yet.
Same here. Applied 2022. Documents refreshed march 2025, still no appointment
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Initial Application Sep 2023
Refreshed document March 2025
Biometrics appointment: 16 Feb. Portimao
Only Primary Applicant
Initial Application July 2022
Refreshed document Jan 2025
Biometrics appointment: 20 Jan 2026 Lisbon
Only Primary Applicant (no date provided for family)
What do you know, two hours later I just got one!
Primary applicant, no dependents.
Original application: June 2022.
Documents refreshed: May 2025.
Biometrics Appointment: early January 2026.
It doesn’t seem like there is any pattern to the dates.
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Just got my appointment in april 2026. Finally after 3 years. Not sure whats next for wife and kids
How are people being notified of their appointments? Is this directly or through your lawyer?
Yes, directly from lawyer
I recently received my lawyer’s email regarding the biometric appointment scheduled for 8 April 2026, which, as I understand, has been granted only for me as the main applicant.
I am quite concerned about the status of my wife and children’s applications, since our investment was made as a family in September 2022, and all documents were fully re-submitted in April 2025.
Cannot understand why the AIMA is doing in parts - it is so disturbing for me.
My lawyers indicated that, based on the information now, we wouldn’t need to resubmit anything (though this information may change). Has anyone else received advice from their lawyers on this?
I was asked to bring an update of my FBI background and have it apostilled to the appointment by my lawyer.
My lawyer is also only asking me to bring the physical copies of the “early 2025 refresh” we submitted (updated criminal checks, proof of foreign tax number). To be honest, since I was given explicit assurance in Jan 2025 that “this refresh is the last refresh” before getting my residency card, if AIMA gives me trouble at the biometrics appointment, I’ll ask them to give it to me in writing, then I’ll sue / talk to the press.
There needs to be a cost for AIMA to jerk people around in this bureaucratic hell. I’m not going to voluntarily go above and beyond to be a good student.
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I respect your willingness to take a stand, but never underestimate a bureaucracy’s willingness to say “no.” Even if the clerk capitulates to your denand to stand on the refresh, the person reviewing your file for final approval could reject it for not having an updated background check. Don’t let pride get in the way of your residency.
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As is usually the case, my willingness to take a stance is related to the attractiveness of the proposition.
Portuguese residency is a nice-to-have, but far from some shining city on the hill:
- high taxes, targeting 5% of GDP on military spending,
- low productivity,
- class division and populism only getting worse for the next 20 years, a demonstrated willingness to screw the “rich” (never mind 500k EUR barely makes one middle class),
- demonstrated willingness to blame outsiders when things don’t go well. There is a real possibility someone will shout racist insults at me on the streets in 20 years.
Obviously you do you. My bottom line is: if AIMA wants something contrary to what it said before, it needs to require it in writing. My own lawyer is not telling me to go above and beyond. I’m not going to let some guy on the internet convince me to volunteer any additional effort to contribute to Portugal’s national sport, the perpetual machine of paperwork creation.
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All of this makes it seem like the new law is ultimately shaped by a populist, anti-immigration agenda. You’d have to be really determined or desperate to go through such a long stretch of uncertainty, even if EU citizenship is the end goal.
And if this is the current attitude toward immigration, it’s hard not to wonder what things might look like ten years from now…
Or just have other motivations.
It’s really hard to know one way or the other. The world as a whole is in flux, nationalism is on the rise everywhere, immigration has gotten out of hand in many places for various reasons, lots of things have gotten out of hand. It’s just too much for people to cope with, the solutions are difficult, and people need something or someone to blame. There’s nothing new here.
But 10 years is a long time in the grander scheme of things, and stuff might balance out. Attitudes can be awfully fickle. We’re hearing one voice. Is it the majority? We don’t really know, I don’t think - there might be a quiet majority who supports immigration, they just didn’t win the majority for any number of reasons, or they have other issues that are more top of mind than immigration.
Or not.
Not suggesting that it’s a bad idea to cut losses and run. That is sometimes the right thing to do. It’s more that… it’s hard not to wonder, sure. It’s also easy to just project straight-line 'cuz that’s what we do… except when it’s not. But of course we might not even be alive long enough for it to get better, so is it worth it to hold out? YMMV.
Application submitted Feb, 2023. Primary applicant biomentrics scheduled January, 2026. No appointment for dependents. We cannot make the date in January due to a mandatory work meeting (job depends on it). Has anyone been able to reschedule their appointment with AIMA?
I’m sorry @wayfarer, that’s definitely a rock and a hard place. In the past it was very rare to get a second biometrics date if you couldn’t attend the one SEF/AIMA offered for any reason, even if you notified them ahead of time. With this new system my lawyer made sure to bold the text saying they strongly advised I attend this scheduled date, so I think this aspect of the process has not improved very much.
Has ANYONE gotten their family/dependents a biometrics appointment from this batch yet? My bio is March 2026, nothing for my wife yet.