Thanks a lot for sharing the experience.
Wishing that you’ll get a new card soon.
I will repeat your steps as soon as I receive the Certificate of tacit approval. 
Ah that’s great news. I never sent my family’s tacit approvals to Aima. Just filed them away. I’ll try that. Mind sharing what you wrote? I speak Portuguese too but why reinvent the wheel if your email worked! Thank you!!
My lawyer filed for tacit approval and received the certificate within a week. She said the certificate has been sent to AIMA and “now we wait”. I said “that’s all fine as to keep saving my further renewal”.
Is yours a temporary residence approval? I might ask mine to do the same. Do you recall how much it took for them to get the certificate?
It is for my GV renewal by my lawyer in sept 2025. How much in term of legal fee? No fee incurred for me, i presume it is part of the renewal.
I got Tacit Approval 2 weeks ago. I sent email as well as registered letter via CTT to Aima. The letter was well received by Aima with a proof of signature and stamp. Until now, no response at all in email and mailbox. The Rock is legendary! 
My partner also got his deferimento tácitoa couple weeks ago and we’re waiting. Mine was easier because I had the name of the person who had sent me the letter that I was missing info, so I just addressed it straight back to her.
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is it possible to use deferimento tácito and an expired card (with renewal certificate) to enter Portugal? I am a citizen from a country that require a schengen visa.
I do not need a visa, but from my experience the border control people do not care about the ‘deferimento tácito’. They want to see your expired card and your AIMA renewal receipt.
But no harm in bringing it along anyway.
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I got denied boarding because my renewal is 6 months old, is it still possible to request it? because I heard they are planning to stop it for renewals.
Which airline?
Qatar airways
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My understanding is that the airlines get heavily finned for allowing someone to board that is denied entry, so they try to limit that by denying boarding. The workaround is to purchase an onward ticket and if necessary present it as proof that you won’t be stuck there. Here is an analysis of the logic.
AI output
The logic behind this strategy comes down to airline liability, system limitations, and border control rules.
Here is why travelers use this approach when returning to their country of residence with an expired permit during renewal:
1. Airline Financial Liability (The TIMATIC Rule)
Airlines are legally required to verify that every passenger meets the entry requirements of their destination. If an airline boards a passenger who is ultimately turned away by border control, the airline faces:
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Fines imposed by the destination government.
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The mandatory cost of flying the passenger back to their origin point.
Check-in agents rely on an international database called TIMATIC to check visa rules. TIMATIC enforces automated “pass/fail” logic based strictly on valid passports, active visas, or unexpired residence cards.
2. System Blind Spots Regarding Renewal Documents
When a residence card is expired, the airline check-in software cannot verify whether a renewal application is actively in progress:
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Local receipts/certificates (such as standard national extension receipts) are often unrecognized by foreign check-in agents or automated airport kiosks outside the host country.
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Because the agent cannot validate the renewal paperwork, the system defaults to treating you as a visiting touristrather than a returning resident.
3. Mandatory Proof of Onward Travel
Because the airline system treats you as a tourist entering under standard tourist rules (or visa-free entry), it enforces the strict requirement that tourists must hold proof of departure within the allowed stay (e.g., within 90 days for the Schengen Area).
Without proof of an onward or return flight leaving the country within that window, the airline’s software will physically block the agent from issuing a boarding pass.
4. Why a Refundable Ticket Solves the Problem
Purchasing a fully refundable onward ticket serves as a temporary compliance bridge:
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Satisfies System Requirements: Presenting a valid ticket out of the destination country satisfies the onward travel check in TIMATIC, clearing the airline’s check-in flag.
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Zero Financial Risk: Once check-in is completed (or after clearing border control in your resident country, where local immigration officers do recognize your official renewal receipt), you simply cancel the ticket for a full refund to your original payment method.
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Here is a company that does just this: https://onwardtravel.com
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Could you please tell me which AIMA address you sent it to?
Could you please tell me if I only need to send AIMA a single form of tacit approval, or if I need to send any other documents?
Thank you
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Hi Maria
Please follow the guidance carefully.
As I remember, I used the letter format to formulate my own letter. Then I sent the documents along with my letter to AIMA (listed in the guidance) by email and CTT.
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Thank you very much.
Thank you very much. I also just submitted my family’s tacit approval application today after waiting 10 months for my husband’s card. I’m so grateful to everyone in the group for their guidance; I don’t know what the outcome will be, but this is a step forward.
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I wasn’t aware of Tacit Approval mechanism and only came to learn about it now.
At the time I read about tacit approval I was waiting for my 4th card for over 8 months - and initially I was told that I should be getting my card in 2-3 months - obviously it wasn’t happening.
When I heard about this mechanism, I asked my lawyers to activate tacit approval mechanism. There was a slight push back of “we don’t really believe in the practical benefit of the tacit approval but as per your request we declared the tacit approval”
So finally my lawyers did tacit approval declaration on Jul 2nd and on July 9th I got the news that my card arrived - and guess the starting date that was printed on the card, it is 2nd of July.. It could be a pure coincidence - as I was waiting for over 8 months.. Still in my mind it is at least a mechanism to poke the system.
For reference; my lawyers did an online declaration and this was free of charge.
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