Portugal GV timeline, fees, etc (roughly)

[Notyourmommy (Bob)]

I’m aware that this topic has been discussed a lot here but all the posts that I’ve found are pre-AIMA and the new changes.

OK so I started my GV process back in 2022 when SEF still existed and when you could invest in a variety of properties. I bought and renovated a property (via an agency) in the Alentejo region in a designated area. Have had tenants there for 4 years and all has been well.

I don’t live in Portugal for now.

Then the switch to AIMA came along and we (wife and I) had to submit all our friggin docs over again (Feb 2025).

I’ve now done my biometrics just today and I am aware that it is anyone’s guess when I’ll get my temporary residence card but let’s assume 4-8 months.

I only learned today that the wife has to come back in the near future to do her biometrics as a dependant of mine (I did not know this until today, my lawyers are not great).

Based on the status quo, and assuming the proposed changes that are currently with the president go through (citizenship in 10 years etc).
Can anyone advise on the following based on personal/professional experience:

The 7 days per year spent in Portugal average requirement. Is that applied in the sense that you need to spend 7 days in each of the two years before your first renewal in Portugal or can you spend 14 days in one of the two years and still tick that box? I’ve always been told by various sources it was the latter but today my lawyer told me it is the former.

I’m now waiting on my temporary residency card. My biometrics was done today. My application was submitted to AIMA in Feb 2025. Does the timeline for permanent residency start counting at any of those points? Or only once I receive the card.

Does the 2 weeks I’m spending in Lisbon now, from 4 days ago, count towards anything?

Once my wife also has her residence card, would we be able to renew at the same time, as in at the same appointment or is it not handled like that at all? i.e. We are going to be coming to Lisbon on our own unrelated dates for renewals?

Also, does anyone want to recommend a legal firm who doesn’t suck balls at replying to the occasional email and actually communicates pertinent information?

If we’d known the appointment was only for myself I would have travelled alone and only stayed for a few days as flights from S. Africa to anywhere in Europe are currently more than double the usual price due to the shenanigans in Iran. Any other year would have been fine, but I am irked at having to spend so much on flights especially when it could have been avoided.

Thanks in advance.

[gampaberlin (GB)]

The timelime for PR only starts when the card is issued. You most likely wont be able to renew at the same time because you and your wife will be on different clocks going forward. I have heard of people getting renewals together but that’s all for people who received their cards together and pre-2021 disaster. I don’t have a recommendation but I can say lawyers can’t do much for this process in Portugal, the systems they rely on to do their work are broken so they will feel less useful compared to lawyers in other situations and countries.

As for your last paragraph, all I can say is welcome to the Portuguese Golden Visa

[PTbound (A L)]

@Notyourmommy

I’m aware that this topic has been discussed a lot here but all the posts that I’ve found are pre-AIMA and the new changes.

There’s thousands of posts here since AIMA came into being in 2023

…I assume what you mean is since “AIMA new process” in January 2025 - see these topics:

AIMA Appointment --> Did anyone manage to schedule appointment after uploading the documents again

We have an email from our lawyers on the question whether family members can get biometrics done alongwith the primary applicant… " < The family members will only be able to schedule appointments after the main applicant receives the residence card – according to AIMA. At the moment it is not possible, at all, to schedule appointments for the family members.>"

New AIMA Process - Receiving Final Approval/Residency Card

We had a lawsuit that got us the biometrics appointment in the first place, just about 8 months ago now. The case was never resolved, so like 3-4 months ago, after the statutory limit on how long they can take to process the biometrics passed, we filed a motion basically asking the judge to force them to make a decision. Crickets since then, hasn’t done any good yet.

As for PR and GV PR, there’s at least 2 live threads on that…

Permanent Residency application, switching from GV

PR was also discussed in the Prime Legal webinar on 2-April. From my notes (but verify for yourself!): Only GV PR allows the same 7d/year as GV Temporary Residency. With Regular PR you can’t be out of PT for >2 consecutive years/36 interpolated months. GV PR is far more expensive than Regular PR, as you know. So that 7d/year freedom has a price. Sara advised against disposing of your investment until you actually have a GV PR card in hand (which at AIMA speed is not just 5y - add maybe another…

Portugal: Permanent Residence Permit for Investment Purposes

Permanent residency is calculated based on a 5-year period from the date the card was first printed. Based on the automatic renewal notifications up to April 15, 2026, our card remains valid for 5 consecutive years.

Please post any follow-up questions in the existing threads dedicated to that topic. The search function here isn’t amazing, but it does work.

[Notyourmommy (Bob)]

Thanks for the help!

[Notyourmommy (Bob)]

Thanks for the reply.

I wasn’t aware that the countdown clock rule had changed as the last communications about the change to AIMA from my lawyers stated that it was from the time of application. That was shortly after AIMA was formed.

Re my last paragraph. Simple communication about the current process by my lawyer would have avoided an unnecessary expense, hence why I say I need a better lawyer.