And the CdT had the application submission date as your date? I’m horrified that I’ll apply and get the residence card date and be ruined…
It’s a lotto… some win, some lose.
hello. i have just emailed AIMA regarding the CdT and we are not in portugal right away. For the in person appointment, can I ask my lawyer to represent and pay for me instead of I flew back in for the attendance? I heard some can do it entirely over email.
Much appreciated.
That’s what I did
Thank you so much for your reply.
Our situation is complicated. We had our biometric this February and our card never show up, nada, nunca.
We are about to apply for nationality this dec and we had our a2. We are quite desperate about that as we cannot move ahead without the card.
To your best knowledge, this time count certificate can be used for nationality application, as residence card substitution?
Much thanks.
Without residence card, I am not sure how AIMA will issue the CdT as current residence card number and expiry date will need to be stated on CdT.
Based on current nationality law, the time count starts at residence permit application PROVIDED it is approved at citizenship application.
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Gees that’s a rough timeline. But when you apply for citizenship, IRN will check whether your ARI was approved, not whether you have your card. Cards often arrive months after actual approval, but it’s the approval in the system that matters.
Did you get an approval email? Or can your lawyer see in the AIMA portal if you’ve already been approved?
Thank you so much for all of your suggestions and feedback. Let me ask my lawyer whether my approval email received or still pending.
Much thanks.
Went today —
- Lisbon AIMA
- Got in line at 11:40
- Waited about 45 minutes to get the waiting number
- The lady at the counter spoke English which was nice
- Gave me a number for the “Certidão” counter and there was only 1 person in front of me
- Then the clerk went to lunch for 2 hours
- The clerk came back and had a residual argument with the person in front of me
- Then he took my papers, stamped and accepted the Mod 7 form, took the payment with a POS terminal, and gave me a receipt.
- All of 5 minutes of clerical work.
Everyone, including the people waiting in line, was orderly. It’s not that bad for government office.
Tips for success:
- 0 (or negative) expectation
- bring a laptop and get some work done while waiting
- bring something to snack on
- bring a friend who speaks Portuguese as backup
- be nice to the clerks
for the win
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Thanks for sharing and to further emphasize the “zero or negative expectation”: one of my dependent went to Aima lisbon (same place that you went) to request the CdT in June 2025. So far, no result. In June 2025 the staff said it would take 16 weeks. Since lying is a habit, no surprise and zero/negative expectation has been well prepared. 100% genius!
“Experience Portugal” they say… Love it! 
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Here is a CdT of my dependent
- Starting date: is exactly the same as the online submission date.
- 7 months from the day requested in June 2025.
- requested CdT without lawyers (emailed aima in Dec 2024 and got an appointment in June 2025) and it costs 22 euros in AIMA Lisboa.
Overall it takes more than a year from email requesting appointment to certificate in hand.
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You can literally grow a human in less time than it takes for them to look up a computer record and print a certificate.
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