No, it’s not an error. I believe Thomas has verified the change before posting the article. It’s funny they made the inconvenience change so quickly and keep the delay on processing the application even worse.
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My lawyer clarified to me last night that YES. This is a ONE year card and that I must stay 7 nights (whole days) in Portugal before it expires. So I have changed my holiday and now booked for a 9 day (7 whole days) stay in April. He gave me different advise earlier in the evening but then clarified the above after ringing them, so I think this is probably valid now.
Excited to see this news spun optimistically!
If true, this is so f—ing infuriating. Yet another roadblock on an infinite list of roadblocks! Is this real life, or a Mel Brooks movie? SEF/AIMA is like a bad parody of a government agency. I can just see the scene now, a “helpful” Dom DeLuise playfully throwing visa applications into the trash, oopsie!
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So I think we’d better wait and see if anyone else receives their card recently. So that we are able to have some more clues.
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I asked our lawyer in Lisbon about this and he said:
The GV is a 5 year program which started with a first residency card valid for 1 year, followed by two renewals (and two new residency cards: 1+2+2) valid for 2 years each. This changed during Covid, and the first card was valid for 2 years. Right now AIMA reverted back to the first scenario where the first card is valid for 1 year.
This is pretty depressing. Our approvals should be issued any day now (based on the dates of others) but we only get 1 year and others a month ago got 2 years. UGGGHHH 
, sorry for complaining… we all know it is futile.
Hmmm, I wonder if the d7/d8 willl revert to 1+2+2 as well…
D7 never had 1/2/2. They have 2/3 all the times.
My wife’s card is dated 14/02/2024 and valid until 14/02/2026.
Mine (principal applicant) was issued on 09/02/2024 and is valid until 09/02/2026.
My wife may be one of the very last to avoid getting a 1 yr validity card.
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Phew, I’m glad they could return the program to its least friendly state before processing my application. I was worried this was going to be too easy!