Permanent residence permit vs. long-term resident status: a comparative guide for residents in Portugal for more than five years.
20251117_-PT-_Autorizacao_Permanente_Vs.Estatuto_de_Residente-_EO.pdf|attachment (184.9 KB)
The option to request an appointment to obtain Long-Term Resident Status is available on the portal https://contactenos.aima.gov.pt/contact-form.
https://aima.gov.pt/pt/viver/aquisicao-do-estatuto-de-residente-de-longa-duracao-erld-art-125-o
So I read the Paxlegal doc⌠as legal advice itâs missing some clarity:
)Also in terms of the main differences they cite (below), if youâre on ARI whatâs the diff between âtemporary authorizationâ and âlegal and continuous residencyâ? Fulfilling 5 years of Temporary Residence ARI counts as legal and continuous âresidency,â no?
| Criterion | Permanent residence | ERLD |
| Minimum length of residence | 5 years with temporary authorization | 5 years of legal and continuous residency |
| Absences | Maximum 24 consecutive months or 30/36 interpolated months. | Max. 12 consecutive months outside the EU |
| Mobility in the EU | Not applicable | Right to reside in another Member State |
Thanks for the clear summary.
In addition to what youâve pointed out, there are several unclear things I would like to have an explanation:
Dropped by to bring hope 
. Family member had to renew while waiting for citizenship to be processed. Temp RE GV converted to regular PR. Card arrived in the post 24 working days after the AIMA appointment.
Did you request it during the appointment at Aima? Or you just applied for normal renewed GV and they asked you to pay for PR fee and finally sent you a PR card?
Applied for GV renewal. I also tried to apply online for Art 15 and PR, but neither came through. Took along all docs needed for PR (basically language proficiency) and asked at the appointment.
Thanks for sharing the experience and congratz to your success!
Are you living full time in Portugal now?
Can you tell me which AIMA agency you applied for permanent residency at instead of renewing it? I have an appointment to renew my card at AIMA Porto soon, and Iâm planning to do the same as you. But Iâm afraid AIMA Porto wonât agree because Iâve heard many people complain about the bureaucracy there.
Hi, yes. Both adults now have citizenship, but kids are heading for the 4 yr mark with no decision. So thatâs why this renewal was needed.
Hi. So youâve applied for citizenship for your child under 18 and are waiting 4 years, with the process still at step 1, right?
It was in Lisbon: Loja AIMA - Lisboa I, Av. AntĂłnio Augusto de Aguiar, 20 Lisboa.
Yup. You too?
I only submitted my and my husbandâs citizenship application exactly one year ago, and weâre still stuck at step 1. I have a few friends who obtained citizenship after waiting 2 to 3 years, and then they applied for citizenship for their children under 18. However, three years have passed and their child is still at stage 1. Among the children here, several are turning 18 this year and we are anticipating that children may begin having their applications processed once they reach the age of 18. I think this is like keeping the children under house arrest 
You lived in Portugal for 5 years, waited 3 years for your citizenship, then applied for citizenship for your child and waited almost another 4 years, so in total you spent almost 12 years on this process, right?
Currently, all in-person appointments are exclusively for the collection of biometric data. Before the existence of the ARI Renewal Portal it was possible to request Permanent Residence Authorization during in-person appointments.
However, in online renewals the submission of Form 1 is no longer required.
https://aima.gov.pt/documents/modelo-1.pdf
To try to circumvent this problem, I requested an appointment through the portal contactenos for an Appointment to Obtain Long-Term Resident Status. I requested this appointment at the end of January and have not yet received a response from AIMA. I hope to be able to apply for the permanent ARI on that day.
We applied for reunification in 2014. We got our first family cards in 2018, and only realised they were our first actual permits - and not just first cards - when we renewed end 2019. Seems SEF 1.0 had âlostâ our files when cleaning up after their big corruption scandal in 2015. So itâs been a while. From my engagement with IRN I donât think age matters for children (weâve gone from 15-19 in one case). They also donât distinguish between children whoâve lived in PT half their lives and are fully acculturated/assimilated, and those who have zero connection to the country. It is exactly like keeping them under house arrest. I cannot tell you the drama weâve been through with mine, including not being able to travel for school trips, register or compete in certain sporting federations, register for their driving license, open a bank account, and even get into some entertainment venues. Best not to get me started.
Curious⌠what made you choose ARI PR instead of Long-Term Resident? Based on what you posted earlier (link below to what you posted above), is it because you plan to spend most/all your time in Portugal and donât need the âEU freedom?â
The Long-Term Resident Permit from what Iâve researched unfortunately does not grant âEU freedom.â Virtually all countries require the issuance of a new permanent residence permit in the new country.
The interest in obtaining the ARI PR (Authorization for Residence for Investment in Portugal) stems from the need to spend only 14 days in Portugal every two years, while the Long-Term Resident Permit requires a significant amount of time within the European Union.
We have lived in Portugal for 5 years, and in 3 years my eldest son should be attending university. With the ARI PR he will be able to attend university outside the EU if he wishes and still have European Permanent Residency while awaiting for citizenship.
With the ARI PR I will also have greater flexibility to change my residence outside the EU when my RNH expires and remain with Permanent Residency while awaiting my citizenship.
I think that regarding citizenship for kids 5 years in school is one of requirements? Hence IRN must know that kids were or have been studying in school in Portugal.
Are your kids now going to university in Portugal?
The good things about GV is that one can get PR GV (valid for 5 years) and in your case your kids could have had PR GV and go elsewhere and probably the citizenship outcome of kids will emerge within the 5 years.
According to the most updated info sent by IRN Lisboa, they are analysing applications Art 2 (kids born before parents get naturalised) submitted in September 2022.
I am sure that bureaucracy will add up. Right now it takes 4 years for those who applied in 2022. It might take 5-5.5 years for those who applied in 2024. And for ones who intend to apply in 2027-2028, it might be 6.5-7 years. I hate overestimating. So I shall consider 4-5 years as super lucky and 6 years as a normal thing.
