Just confirming this because I have had this told to me in several different ways.
Date of my residency card approval was early July 2024. Since than my only stay in Portugal was June.8 (entry stamp Lisbon) to June.21 (exit stamp Amsterdam). So exactly 14 days. So I have met the 14 day non-consecutive requirement during the first 2 year renewal period? The next renewal period is 3 years and during that I have to meet a 21 day non-consecutive day requirement? If I get permanent residency I have to meet 7 day per year non-consecutive stay requirement right? Would appreciate it if you could confirm this please. Also that the exit stamp from Amsterdam works because flying from Lisbon to Amsterdam they did not stamp. Thank you very much.
My understanding is that each two year vise requires 14 days of stay in country. It seems in your situation you have at least two renewals to go before applying for permanent residency or citizenship. You may need to renew further while you wait for completion of your residency or citizenship applications.
As far as i know they are counting only nights, so you may need one more day. But i am not a lawyer of course. It is better if you ask a lawyer unless you find a person who did the same thing exactly.
What i do to guarantee the minimum required time is staying in the country 14 full days, arrival and departure days not included. And everyday has at least one slip (hotel, restaurant, train, market, etc.) with my nif number on it. I had done my last renewal this way without any problem.
Consensus seems to be you need 7 / 14 full 24 hour periods. Therefore 14 days with arrival and departure day not included.
Also I think the law technically says 7 days in first year, 14 days in the next 2 years etc. I don’t think it was amended to take account of differing visa lengths.
I was told it’s 7 days per year of card validity, so that a three year renewal card would mean 21 days at once would satisfy it. That said, my experience is that the legal interpretation often depends on who gets handed your file.
Well there’s what lawyers say, and then there’s what’s written in the law, but if it comes down to a lawsuit to force AIMA to renew your card, you probably want to have followed what’s written in the law.
Right, that’s why I qualified the statement. That said, it’s not always reasonable to follow the most conservative interpretation of a law that has seen its underlying regulations change, and I think it’s probably safe to follow the advice of the people who spend all day every day in the AIMA offices. Everyone’s risk tolerance will vary though.
It’s worth mentioning that some cards are taking a year to be issued, and if they’re dated at the biometrics appointment you may not know until you’re already through that first year.
Thank you all. I was told by my lawyer that I am fine but given everything about all of this I don’t trust anything. Unfortunately I will try to go back for a few days just to be on the safe side. The date for renewal starts on the card issue date rather then card expiration date right?
I agree that you should interpret the law conservatively. It’s not worth taking risks in this lengthy, life-changing process. I think that it’s worth noting, as someone mentioned above, that the law has not been updated to be consistent with AIMA practices. The last I remember is that the law said 7 days in year one, and 14 days for every two years thereafter. In my case, I made sure that I followed the 7, 14, 14 day requirement based on my initial residency card issuance date, ignoring the issuance dates printed in the back of subsequent cards, which can diverge from the original scheduledue due to AIMA delays. Don’t take my word for this. Double check what the law says and fulfill the stay requirements stipulated by law. Separately, if you have no stamp entering Portugal from Amsterdam, you should have copies of your airplane boarding pass, hotel, meal receipts, etc. that can prove your date of entry. Regarding the renewal of cards, they are based on the expiration date printed in the back of your latest, valid residency card. You can request an appointment in advance, but the renewal request cannot be sooner than 3 months before expiration. Good luck.
Curious and not trying to cheat the system, it’s just a question from someone not in the process. How do they know whether or not you stayed in the country for any length of time or left the country? Is it the passport or is there some kind of database maybe?