If you did it on the official segurança social site, is a very quick process: you will see - within a week there will be a response. If you attached an employment contract or a self-employment activity with at least 6 green receipts, you should be approved. Once the approval is issued, you will need to have a video call with them before they release the NISS to you by email.
I did it here Segurança Social Direta
Which I’m fairly certain is official
My wife and I do not have jobs in PT, so no I could only attach an email from AIMA/our lawyers about needing a NISS for renewal
You will see a response quickly. If your AIMA pleading fails, you can always go to the espaço cidadão and apply as a foreigner needing ID numbers. Important: once you are in the loja de cidadão, do not go to the segurança social counter. Instead, go to espaço cidadão. That’s the only place that will help you.
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Hello Boris,
Are you referring to Loja de Cidadão at Saldanha (above January 31st market)?
Hi Roman,
I am sorry for the confusion — I will try to decode everything.
A Loja de Cidadão is not the same thing as an Espaço Cidadão. The Loja de Cidadão above the Saldanha market contains many institutions under one roof: finanças, IMT, Social Security, Carris, EMEL and also a small Espaço Cidadão.
When people go to the Loja de Cidadão to get a social security number, they think it’s logical to go to the counter named ‘social security’. However, that’s not the right place. The right place is called Espaço Cidadão.
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Got it, thank you!
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Boris, can it be any Espaço de Cidadão? I obtained my Atestado de Residência at a Espaço de Cidadão in my registered neighborhood.
Hi.
The ID attribution for foreigners is only available at the following Espaços Cidadão (of which some, like the one in Loures, require you to book an appointment in advance):
- Braga
- Faro
- Lisboa
- Porto
- Espaço Cidadão da União das Freguesias de Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso, Sé, Miragaia, São Nicolau e Vitória
- Atendimento exclusivo por marcação: pode agendar no Espaço Cidadão ou por telefone, 226 052 740, entre as 9h e as 17h.
- Espaço Cidadão Pólo Zero - Federação Académica do Porto
- Espaço Cidadão da União das Freguesias de Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso, Sé, Miragaia, São Nicolau e Vitória
- Setúbal
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Thank for the detailed list. I am under impression that this service
is for “fresh” foreigners who have neither NIF, SNS, nor NISS, and not for residents.
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You may be right in theory, but in practice they do not have a way to determine how ‘fresh’ you are. I have gotten NISS for my three children there - all of them had SNS and NIF already and had been residing in the country for five years. Here is the process to follow:
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I would like to share my experience with the new ARI renewal portal (legacy Golden Visa case).
I applied for my third residence card renewal (ARI – real estate route).
- Application submitted on: 25 February 2026
- Payment completed on: 26 February 2026
At the time of submission, the legal basis shown was:
“H74 - Artº 90/A-2 - Renovação ARI Imob”
On 08 March 2026, my application moved to “Pedido em Avaliação” (Under Evaluation), and I submitted the required documents.
Approximately one week after uploading the documents, the legal basis was automatically updated to:
“H74 - Artº 78-2 - Renovação ex-ARI atividade empreendedora”
In my case, the key change was the automatic update of the legal framework (Art) about one week after document submission.
Additional note:
I did not receive any “falta” (request for additional documents) during this process.
Also, I have not yet been able to create accounts for my family members in the portal.
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Process translation request.
I am renewing my GV (solo) for the first time.
I was able to create an AIMA account after setting my VPN location to PT.
The next day, I was able to see my status, including AT/SS status as EXEMPT. I hit the button for application. The next day I had the 151 fee notice email, which I paid.
The day after I had the list of requirements, which confused me in only a few ways. The list and plan follows:
Comprovativo de Condições de Alojamento ARI
Translates as Proof of ARI Housing Conditions
Do I send my current USA housing documents? I have a home in PT, but am only there a few months per year.
Comprovativo manutenção do investimento
I have asked Quantum for a document regarding my continued GV project investment status (no response, kind of concerned)
Comprovativo de Meios de Subsistência
I plan to submit my USA investment statements
Comprovativo prazo de permanência
I have boarding passes from a few trips
Passaporte (impressão integral)
I’ll make a colored pdf of all passport pages
Registo Criminal do País de origem
Background check received and apostille thing ordered (this apostille thing is a ridiculous expense, no?)
Situação Contributiva
This one confuses me, since my status is exempt on AT/SS. Should I send a copy of my US tax return and PT tax return?
Any advice appreciated.
Situação Contributiva = your no-debt declarations from AT and Segurança Social. From the latter you may submit a no-record declaration if you still don’t have a NiSS.
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Thats good progress. I have a question. How did you submitted your original application? Through a lawyer? I ask this as my original application was submitted via a lawyer. I do not have account with AIMA and the lawyer refuses to share the credentials.
I am still few months away before my renewal window opens but I will have an opportunity to be in Portugal before and can apply for NISS etc in person if that is a requirement.
So my question for you or any one else - are you able to open an account with AIMA despite your original credentials were through a lawyer?
Thank you
N
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I have never ever heard/seen/known any lawyer in Portugal giving back the credentials to the clients…it is the most horrible thing one has to experience after paying ton of $$$ to lawyers.
You really need to fight in order to get back your own digital asset..
My lawyer has given me the login for the ARI portal.
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For Family renewal online any update ? Lawyer applied in first week of Jan , and my lawyer says it’s not in the portal so there is no way we know the progress . Anyone has got the family renewal on similar timelines ?
One thing I notice about the new renewal process…
All information is wrong (it is from my first card), but they did manage to update my address correctly (it is from my second card). I am not sure why this is the situation, but that’s where we are.
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Thank you for sharing your experience in details. It is very frustrated when realise how they treat the ARI real estate investment so badly. I am the main applicant, submitted my renewal in October 2025 but have not yet received the card. Now my dependents card going to expire soon in 1 month and I had tried since February to renew online without success. There was always an errors saying " O numero do Titulo do Investidor indicado nao e elegivel para efeito".When I created accounts for my dependents, there were an alert for Niss need to be reactivate. I went to Loja de cidadao, and explain my situations and they reactivated my sons Niss. After that, the portal changed to normal. However, when I made “a New order”, it didn’t let me to create. That is my experience so far and even my lawyer can not give me any helps on this. I also want to know which documents for the dependents and the fee. Thank you guys and have a wonderful Easter Holiday!
Hello.
This must be frustrating for you, as it is for all of us. When you make the “new order”, what is the error message you are getting?
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