I’m confused. I don’t have access to any SEF account to my knowledge (I guess my lawyer does it) so how am I supposed to know if something is happening?
You should have access to ARI portal as both the applicant and legal representative can have access to this portal.
I found it. There was an email back in 2021 (the only email I have from sef) which had a link and I followed it and discovered I had registered (thanks password saver!). However there is nothing in there about renewal and indeed nothing much since 2021. I followed the Euro link and it showed my original payment, but NOT my big payment for the actual residency card, which was interesting (concerning)? Anyway, per some of the suggestions here and Thomas, I sent an email today.
Hi, all, has anyone booked renewal appointment recently for the expired GV?
If yes, what is the procedure? Thanks in advance
As you can see from what everyone else have posted, Automatic Renewals have stopped sometime in August 2024. You need to have an appointment from AIMA in order to walk into their service centres, and appointments have not been easy to obtain.
Are they accepting appointments for GV renewals yet?
i have not seen an appointment for renewal since mid 2021
Help! My lawyer has just told me something so bizarre that I seek confirmation. She says that AIMA will no longer renew GV ARIs by real estate investment and that I should apply for permanent residency. I made my investment in 2017 and have held a GV ARI since 2019. I would imagine that the new rule would apply to new applicants, not those who are renewing. Is she right???
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I’m not sure why you’d want to renew the GV in your situation any way - isn’t PR strictly better, in that it has a longer duration? And if you get Citizenship, that’s even better still?
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Better to seek for a new lawyer !
Of course it is a false statement!
In Portugal new laws or changes to laws never apply retroactively.
We already have seen Many changes in the GV laws but in no ways applied retroactively
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I actually got my renewal appointment for myself and 3 dependents for the GV by real esttate for May 2025, and I applied in 2019, so I would not agree with your lawyer’s interpretation. Get a different lawyer.
Also, getting a PR takes as long as getting citizenship, so while I’m applying for citizenship, I have to ensure my residence permit is valid during the whole application period for citizenship.
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Good to know
Can you tell us how you ot your lawyer managed to fond vacancies to schedule appointment
I assume Aima right
For background reading on conversion of GVs have a look here :
https://community.nomadgate.com/t/golden-visa-to-d2-visa/
Yes, through booking with AIMA is how they seemed to do it.
Dear Garrett, I applied for citizenship last year but it looks like it will take another 2 years until approval. In the meantime, it seems that I need to maintain a valid residency, and I believe that for me, PR is not the way to go as I currently live overseas and cannot commit to be in Portugal for extended periods of time. My understanding is that I can continue to renew my ARI residency as long as I fulfill the initial requirements: maintain the investment, clean criminal record, 2 weeks in PT every 2 years, etc.
That’s what I thought… It seems that lawyers need to be chosen carefully and applicants need to double check processes and regulations even if they have a lawyer. I probably have said this a number of times, but Nomad Gate has been instrumental navigating my way through! Thank you!
Thank you, Z. I would like to share my experience from the last 48 hours and would appreciate thoughts from other ARI GV holders who may have gone through a similar situation.
I have been having doubts about my ARI GV lawyer for sometime but stuck with her out of fear that changing lawyers may put my GV in jeopardy. However, I have a different lawyer for my citizenship application, which was filed last year, and based on comments by fellow Nomad Gaters, I decided to reach out to my citizenship lawyer.
Interestingly, my citizenship lawyer asked for copies of my residency card and several hours later replied that I qualified for online renewal but I can only file that application 3 months before expiration.
I hope that she is right, but based on what I read in Nomad Gate, online renewals are no longer possible and a physical appointment is required. Can she be right?
Dear Zayd
My dependents and i have expired GV cards now. Failed to get appointment with AIMA to proceed with renewals.
Can you please share your lawyer contacts to try reaching out and ask for managing our files
Thank you in advance
So, yeah, there is definitely not online renewals as you noted and your lawyer should definitely know that as well.
Sure, my lawyer is Dayane Martins, and she works at Andre MIranda Associados. Their website is The Firm - André Miranda Associados. Andre Miranda used to be one of partners at Pinto Ribeira Advogados though you won’t work with him so directly but he tends to be .cced on all the e-mails. I would reach out to the general e-mail on their “contact us” to start and get a first consultation.
They have generally been reasonably professional though they are not necessarily cheap, but considering how much we all spended on GV, I tend to see that as marginal cost on larger investment.