Received my final approval!
Dates are:
Application: 6 March 2023
Pre-approval: N/A
Biometrics: 6 Jan 2025 (Porto)
Final approval: 22 Sep 2025
I had filed a lawsuit in September last year, and the court ruled in my favour in November. Legal team has informed me that payment for dependents will be taken at a later date.
Hello friends, asking about my current status since some people here shared different meanings for âtransferredâ status.
I had my pre-approval July 30th and scheduled biometrics on July 31st (odd that it came right after each other, but that happened) - I completed biometrics and payment in Porto and my status on the system is âtransferredâ.
What stage am I in no? Approved or pending approval? (since people here shared it can be either). If approved an awaiting card issuance, is it possible this happens without receiving âapproval emailâ?
Any guidance for those who have had the same experience would be appreciated!
When the file is marked as âtransferredâ your application has met all the documentary requirements for card issuance and you are asked for payment.
You appear to be within the new system where payment is at biometrics. So in short, you are/were approved at biometrics. Having paid, you wait for the card.
However, only somebody who has gone through the payment at biometrics will be able to comment on whether they received an email after payment, or just received the card.
Got my final approval mail from lawyer today!!!
Following my routine weekly check on updates on the forum and annoyed with latest updates today and no progress, I checked my mails and there it was! My approval mail!
No legal case.
My Husband received his card July 2023 after 3 years, added me in July 2023.
Still waiting, my status is âUnder Analysisâ.
When I came back in to Portugal last week, I was told I had over stayed and that I couldnât come back in again from Oct! My husband can even though he has not received renewal email but I canât. Anyone else been told this?
Received my card yesterday.
21 Nov '21 application
21 March '23 Biometrics - Lisbon
15 July Final approval; DUC paid 22 Jul '25
Card received by lawyers dated 11 Sep (though they informed me yesterday) Issued at Ponto Delgado
No news of dependents.
Canât believe itâs finally my turn! Received final approval email from lawyer today.
Application: Dec 2021
Pre-approval: Jul 2022
Biometrics: 25 Jan 2023 in Lisbon
Final approval: 30 Sep 2025 from Funchal
No lawsuit
Lawyer said dependents approval will come after main applicantâs payment of DUC.
Many thanks to this forum and never lose hope everyone.
Congratulations Daisy!!! So happy for you!
Congratulations! I know how infuriating itâs been to watch others in this timeframe move forward with no word. It does seem like the backlog from 2021 is just about done! Now, just get your hands on that card ASAP!
Thank you so much! After biometrics, it has been 32months for me to get the final approval. Itâs really a frustrating long waiting for me. Thanks to the forum, at least give me some hope while waiting. Hope everyone gets final approval and cards soon!
Long time lurker, but never poster. Since the news of people getting approved brought me so much hope over the past couple of years, I thought I would share the news of my approval.
Application: Oct. 2021
Pre-approval: Feb. 2022
Biometrics: 20 Feb 2023 in Lisbon
Final approval: 3 Oct 2025 from Funchal
No lawsuit
Lawyer said dependents approval should be forthcoming soon.
You must have nerves of steel keeping it all to yourself for four years..
Congratulations and welcome to the posters club 
Wow, another miracle of AIMA! After almost exactly four years since her application DUC payment on 19th of October, 2021, my wife finally received her card! Yes, I know, itâs incredible, but miracles do happen, even in Portugal (I am still trying to spot a winged fairy with her magic wand, but they seem to come only at night when I am snoring).
But wait, this is Portugal, right? Of course it is! My wifeâs card is conveniently missing her NIF altogether!
And so, the good news: she can travel. Not so good news: she might have difficulties getting her NĂșmero de Utente, or have her driving license exchanged, both of which we need whilst living in Portugal. Oh well, letâs concentrate on the âglass-half-fullâ for now.
Here are here dates:
Primary Applicant Application DUC Paid: 10 Oct 2021
Dependent Applicant Application DUC Paid: 19 Oct 2021
Biometrics in Lisbon (both Primary and Dependent): 18 Jan 2023
Lawsuit filed (Primary Applicant): May 2024
Lawsuit won (Primary Applicant): Aug 2024
Primary Applicant Approved (DUC Paid): 16 Jan 2025
Dependent Applicant Approved (DUC Paid): 12 Sep 2025
Dependent Card Received: 17 Oct 2025 = 1459 Days since her Application
Waiting for her card with NIF on it⊠Eternity!
Just FYI, even though DUC was paid on the 12th of September, 2025, the AIMA site still does not reflect the payment as âPagoâ. What I did to help AIMA âunderstandâ that I paid her DUC was to send a copy of the payment transaction from Novobanco to AIMA Funchal via a registered return-receipt post. That seemed to have accelerated the card issue process (Câmon, 4.5 weeks is a near-record nowadays).
Good luck everyone! I trust you too will have something to celebrate soon!
Application Submitted: December 21, 2021
Biometrics completed: May 9, 2024 (Portimao)
December 15, 2024: Written complaint filed in Portimao
We (our lawyers) were never notified when our GV visas were approved and needed payment. We were going to be going over 90 days and when they filed an online extension in early August 2025, the AIMA website stated an extension was not allowed because a visa had been approved. They pressed the issue with AIMA to receive confirmation and we paid very promptly.
Primary applicant GV card received: October 13, 2025
Spouse GV card received: October 16, 2025
As much as we love Europe, itâs a relief to stop doing the Schengen shuffle 
Good luck to all!
Good news, my lawyers indicated that my residence card has arrived! (My wifeâs has also been recently approved (as dependent), but no card there yet.) However, they misspelled my last name on the card. Lawyers say I may have to attend an in-person AIMA appointment to get it fixed, but Iâm just happy to have the card, and to have it before the upcoming nationality rulings, in case any grandfathering applies differently to people with vs without a residency cardâŠ
Application: Nov 17, 2021
Pre-approval: Jun 27, 2022
Biometrics (Lisbon): Jan 12, 2023
No lawsuit
Updated passport requested: Jun 26, 2025
Approval: Sept 2, 2025
Residence card received: Oct 20, 2025 (card is dated from Oct 7)
Is anyone stuck between final approval and DUC payment?
I donât have the exact dates, but:
Application: Dec 2021
Bio (Lisbon): Nov 2023
Final Approval: April 2025
Still pending DUC paymentâŠ
I think thereâs an issue with their payment system currently. People have been awaiting acknowledgment of initial DUC payment for months, the oldest Iâve heard recently is since July.
Does AIMA have no rules at all when it comes to approvals?
I submitted my application in November 2020, and in February 2021 I was notified to go for biometrics. However, due to the pandemic, it was impossible to obtain a travel visa from China, so we had to cancel the trip.
In 2023, we finally managed to secure another opportunity for biometrics and completed it in June in Lisbon. Yet to this day, we still havenât received the final approval.
Whatâs frustrating is that Iâve seen cases where people who did their biometrics in July 2023 or even November 2023 have already been approved. We have no idea how much longer weâll have to wait â itâs truly exhausting. 
Only 100% randomness and zero sense 
No lawsuit.