My residency card expired last month and my lawyer has advised that online renewals are not possible and that there are no appointments available to book.
Has anyone managed to secure an appointment or are you at the mercy of AIMA to tell you when to come? My problem is that I will need a Schengen visa to board a flight (usually fly via Germany or Switzerland and these countries won’t recognise an expired residency card). Bearing in mind that a Schengen visa will take time to get, how do we navigate such problems? I have no options for direct flights to Portugal.
I have been despairing of this whole process since 2019. It really is so heartbreaking and I often feel helpless. So frustrating to have to apply for a Schengen visa when I should have been issued with a new residency card. But, I try to live in hope…
Aren’t you eligible to apply for citizenship based on 5 years since your initial application?
On your travel, are you able to fly directly in to Portugal? I’ve also read the Turkish Airlines has the ability to issue an “OK to board” if you provide their back office the appropriate documentation.
Yes I am eligible to apply for Citizenship. The problem is that takes more than 2 years and apparently you need to have a valid residency card to apply for Citizenship. It’s all so frustrating.
Unfortunately I cannot fly directly into Portugal. Perhaps I can try the Turkish option but my lawyer is recommending to get an E6 visa if I go this route.
Any update on when we can apply for a GV renewal? It seems like things are moving again within AIMA, but I haven’t heard anything about renewals. My lawyer suggested I go ahead and sue so I don’t risk disrupting my citizenship application.
My lawyer told me two days ago that the renewal is not a priority for AIMA at this moment, as all residence permits have been extended till end of June 2025. I am not sure if you have any basis to sue under such extension? Did you lawyer elaborate?
I suspect that the CPLP problem has preempted other priorities. I’m guessing that the Portuguese government might be feeling some heat from the EU for issuing residence permits to non-Europeans without capturing biometrics or obtaining criminal background checks.
I roughly estimate that they will get that problem 90% resolved by Q3, and gradually get back to other priorities later in the year. It seems likely that residence permits will be extended again by decree, maybe through December, but in the usual half-hearted way that isn’t respected by other Schengen countries or even by IRN for citizenship applications.
I thought it has been clarified that the extensions ARE valid for the purpose of applying for citizenship? As long as the CdeT says that you have a valid permit that’s all that’s needed in that regard, no? IRN don’t actually see the physical card with the date on it.
I’m eligible to apply for citizenship in October, and my current card expires in December, so I’m closely following this issue too. Please keep us posted.
If the citizenship process will take one year, do we need to have an non-expired card or it is only required at the moment when we will apply for citizenship?
Selina
And how to do if you submit at the moment you have a valid card and during the citizenship process you aren t able to renew (at the moment IRN check for cards) ?it because of the mess of the renewals (
Yes I think the deal is that we need to keep our residency status current until citizenship is granted, right? I can see a lot of ways that returning to the in-person renewals could screw things up during the citizenship process if IRN checks validity during those months that you’re sitting around waiting for a renewal appointment slot to open up with AIMA. Do you know how we handle a card that expires after we submit our citizenship application? Do we need to update IRN with the renewal details or will they get the info from AIMA?
Cards have been automatically renewed currently. If they don’t have the renewal process up and running by June, I expect they’ll be automatically renewed again.
I do understand your poi t
But get in mind that of you ask aima for CdT (contangem do tempo) you will have valid period until your expiration date shown on your card
The question: does irn consider the extensions decree laws !?