Hi all! My card expired in November 2020 and as most of you know, as per a legislative decree the expiry has been extended up to 30th June 2022. I’m just wondering what will happen after that? Biometric appointments for renewal have still not opened, and I don’t want to be stuck with an expired permit. Given that 30th June is just around the corner, I’m wondering if anyone has any news on when/if the validity will be extended? Many thanks!
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Hi my 2 year residency card has also expired . I’m back in Portugal at the moment and met with my lawyers in Lisbon on Monday. Their view is that the 30th June date will most likely be extended because there is such a backlog of people who have not been able to renew their residency permits. They also said SEF is being quite understanding of the situation so other clients that are actually living in Portugal they are proving a letter of explanation that they show to SEF if they leave the country and need to re enter. SEF have just started offering some appointments again so hopefully the situation will now start slowly to get resolved.
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Our GV residence cards have also expired, my husband’s in August 21 and mine in December 21. I’ve been trying every day to schedule an appointment online but “there are no slots available ……” regardless of the venue for SEF. And now we are 2 days from the end of June 22 - I see nothing from SEF about extending the date of validity of residency. We’ve been living in Portugal since 2019 and, because our residence cards are out of date, we haven’t been able to travel for fear of not being allowed back into the country - this now being our home. We would really love to travel again, especially to see family that we haven’t seen for at least 2 years.
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Does anyone have any news on a validity extension for expired cards? I have no news yet, and it’s already 29th June! I am quite concerned as I was hoping to travel to Portugal next week. If anyone has any news on an extension please do let us know!
As my lawyers told me a few days ago -Government will approve (so maybe have already approved) in the Council of Ministers the extension of expired cards until 31 December 2022
I have just managed to secure an appointment with SEF in Coimbra to renew our cards! I did it on their ari.sef.pt website so it is working!
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The Council of Ministers approved yesterday (30 June 2022) the extension of expired visas until 31 dec 2022: Comunicado do Conselho de Ministros de 30 de junho de 2022.
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Hi Gail - Well done on getting an appointment to renew!
Like you, we have been living in Portugal since 2020. Cards expired April 2021.
Can I ask if you did it yourself? Or do you have a lawyer helping you? When is your appointment? Just wondering about timelines…
We are desperate to get them renewed! We are on South African passports and can’t travel anywhere without a valid visa 
Hi Moira, we too are on SA passports so we understand. We have a lawyer but I managed yesterday to get the appointment online by myself. The appointment is for next week and our lawyer will be coming with to Coimbra as we have to have legal representation. The appointment is for my husband who is my sponsor, so, according to our lawyer, I will most probably have to make my own appointment - but we’re going to try and do the 2 in one as both our residence cards have expired. I will keep you informed of how that goes after next Wednesday.
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The actual translated text of the extension says (italics mine):
- Extension until December 31, 2022:
- the suitability of documents and visas relating to stay in national territory, provided that the holder proves that he has already scheduled the respective renewal;
How do we prove this? AFAIK there is no way to unilaterally file a renewal application with SEF, and the only way to renew is to wait for slots to turn up.
Hey, I checked this with my lawyers; below is the case and it should address your question as well.
i) All cards are valid till Dec 31st 2022
ii) You can still use your card to get in after Dec 31st if you have an appointment…
This has been the practice since extensions have started… Below is the actual response from my lawyer
" Please be informed that the Decree has been renewed and documents and visas are considered valid until December 31st, 2022:
In case the applicant has proceeded with the visa renewal, then it is considered valid after December 31st, 2022."
Artigo 16.Âş
[…] 8 - Os documentos e vistos relativos à permanência em território nacional, cuja validade expire a partir da data de entrada em vigor do presente decreto-lei ou nos 15 dias imediatamente anteriores, são aceites, nos mesmos termos, até 31 de dezembro de 2022.
9 - Os documentos referidos no número anterior continuam a ser aceites, nos mesmos termos, após 31 de dezembro de 2022, desde que o seu titular faça prova de que já procedeu ao agendamento da respetiva renovação.
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Thanks, that’s a relief. Yes, this has been the practice earlier (extension till date x, valid beyond date x if applied). Even airlines like Emirates operating flights to Portugal know about it. So it’s good that it’s continuing on the same basis.
Moving within Schengen is still not going to work though 
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Actually, I am wondering those who have already fulfilled the 5-year requirement during these extended periods, can they just go directly to apply for PR status (without bothering the renewal of the SFE appointment for the resident card)?
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I will be eligible in March 2023, so I asked several lawyers this question.
They all said “technically yes”, you do not need the renewal if you have 5 years of valid visas and the decree law extensions make our visas valid. But they have not seen it happen yet.
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The resident card (and presumably the visa) has been extended from last year till this year end. There should be some cases of applying the PR without the renewal during this period (if such arrangement is allowed). Hardly hear any.
It seems like things are moving at SEF - my lawyer just phoned to say that she got me an appointment on 22 July! And I’ve been trying every day but with no results!
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Wow! Congrats Gail! Thanks for the update - my lawyer keeps saying there are no appointments for renewals so it helps to know that there are.
Is your appointment also in Coimbra?
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Yes will definitely apply for Citizenship as well, but apparently it can take a long time (very believable considering the situation we are in now). So if I don’t get a GV renewal, I will need something to be able to continue living in Portugal while I wait for citizenship, either PR or the renewal.
No, fortunately my appointment is in PortimĂŁo, which really helps as we live in the Algarve!
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