Weird how people who need visas first need to submit biometrics at the Portugal Embassy to get it.
And this for the purpose of travel to Portugal to give biometrics 
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95-99% GV applicants from third world countries (china india russia south africa…)…the quicker the process is, the quicker applicant’s investment exits the country. Therefore, the portuguese authority wants to keep it as long as possible. They will do it very slowly. Even to the point that they do not do anything at all…just to jail the investment in the country.
No… our family was given 7 day notice only (informed via attorney… admittedly, unsure if he & his whiteshoe firm was being forthright about scheduling etc), and we could not simply drop everything and get over to PT immediately; also travel time for flights (nothing non-stop) is ~35 hours plus logistics, visas, etc.
Unsure as to why this cannot be processed at one of their numerous embassies around the world
Because the law distinguishes between 2 things: visas (glued into your passport) which are issued outside Portugal, and residence permits (cards) issued inside Portugal. The law specifies you must be inside Portugal to apply for the residence permit.
That’s why even D7 has two parts: first the visa issued by the consulate to allow the applicant into Portugal, then biometrics again in Portugal for the card.
Good point
Nevertheless, embassies are sovereign territory
Maybe? Google says that’s not always true.
And in the US you don’t even go to the embassy for a Portuguese visa. You apply at VFS, a 3rd party contractor used by multiple countries, who offices are definitely not sovereign Portuguese soil.
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What does this have to do with anything?
If the embassy, a.k.a. sovereign territory, outsources their internal processes, that does not mean the embassy cannot process what would have otherwise been processed in sovereign territory
As an example, god forbid someone loses their passport while traveling, and must return to their country to get their emergency passport without any documentation in the first place to travel… more likely then to end up in jail, then, which would be absurd!
Anyone have success with scheduling their biometric appointment following the announcement for Jan 15, 2025 that Portugal would speed up its processing of waiting applicants?
I missed my biometrics appointment in April 2022, and today my lawyer informed me that I can do it this Friday. Good luck to everyone.
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You were informed on Tuesday to prepare for an appointment on Friday…Basically you have 2 days to prepare… AIMA is genius!!! 
What a great effort !
That’s terrible… they gave you only 2 days between notification and appointments?
How’d the appointment go?
Anyone else seeing success with getting appointments (following bad-scheduling by the lawyers to an appointment in 2024 or earlier which could not be attended)?
The lawyer asked me in advance if I was in Portugal. Because the lawyer had previously informed me to update the documents to cope with the new system, I prepared all the documents. So far, I have not received the card.
Just a data point: my mother-in-law had a biometrics appointment scheduled February 24, 2025 in Lisbon, for her initial residency card. She could not attend due to chemo treatments she is undergoing in the US. Her son and attorney appeared at her appointment and submitted documents required. They were able to reschedule a new biometrics appointment for May 19, 2025, which is after her chemo treatments will be over.
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Simply checking in if anyone has recently received a new appointment recently following a missed / poorly schedule prior appointment?
Missed my Golden Visa biometrics appointment in April 2026 due to Force Majeure – looking for others in the same situation
I missed my AIMA biometrics appointment in April 2026 due to the Force Majeure situation in the Gulf. At that time, the Kuwait airspace/airport was closed and all flights were cancelled, so it was genuinely impossible for me and my family to travel to Portugal for the appointment.
It has now been more than 5 months, and despite my lawyers following up with AIMA, we still have not received a new appointment date.
I have already submitted all the supporting documents/evidence, including proof that there were no flights available from Kuwait during that period and documentation relating to the cancellation of our travel.
My law firm is IAS, and they have been following up with AIMA and requesting a new appointment for the family.
I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been in a similar situation — particularly applicants who missed their AIMA/Golden Visa biometrics appointment and subsequently received a rescheduled appointment.
- How long did you have to wait for your new appointment?
- When did you eventually receive the rescheduling?
- Did AIMA contact you directly, or did your lawyer receive the appointment?
- Did you do anything additional that helped move the case forward?
- Is there anything else you would recommend that I or my lawyer should do at this stage?
I understand that AIMA has a significant backlog, but after more than five months, I am becoming increasingly concerned.
Any recent 2026 experience from applicants who missed their appointment would be extremely helpful.
One thing I have seen someone do is engage another lawyer just for the purpose of opening another channel to which to contact AIMA, because it’s really just a luck of the draw whether your email gets seen by someone who feels like doing something that day. Some lawyers have better success than others at following up with AIMA. I don’t know if it’s the channels they use to communicate or how they do it. Good luck, sounds like a nightmare.
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This strategy won’t help you after the fact, but for anyone expecting to miss their Bios in future.
Have your lawyer/etc. attend your appointment anyway, where at least they’ll be guaranteed (barring strikes, computer issues, something interesting on TV, etc.) at least 5-10 minutes of a real AIMA staffer’s attention to plead your case for a reschedule.
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