I did biometrics in Oct 2025 but still waiting the renewal card. Sent 3 emails to AIMA for status but in vain. Cannot login AIMA portal to check because of error. My lawyer went to AIMA asking for the status but answering: WAIT WAIT WAIT
I have to return to home country for personal reason in May 2026. What can I do? Can anyone share your experience? How long can you receive the card after biometics? How can I return to Portugal after May 2026 if there is no further extension?
The situation is a complete mess right now, many people are in your situation, some cards don’t arrive for years after renewal appointments because files get stuck somewhere and you get unlucky. For people who don’t need a visa to enter Europe it is a bit easier to manage, for people who do, the most reliable option right now is to apply for a Schengen Visa from your home country and hope that you receive permission to return to the EU, or you could try showing the extension to the airlines but in practice many airlines don’t want to take the risk.
However, be careful because if you go to Portugal on a Schengen tourist visa and just stay there more than your tourist visa allows, there is a risk you could be flagged for overstaying and banned from the EU, so stay in your home country and only return to Portugal when you have your card. In summary, don’t return to Portugal until you have your card if you need a visa to come back, be prepared to stay in your home country for a year or more in the worst case scenario, spend April making preparations to not return for a long time.
But reach out to the Portuguese consulate in your home country and ask them these questions, maybe they can help you.
We are in the same boat - been out of Portugal for one year already.
In the past it was no problem as the border police in FRA and CDG know the score and never counted Portugal days. The new electronic system will count them even if you have a visa unless the border guards allow you in under the exempt from ESS system which thevGermans offered to do in Jan 2026.
I wouod just plan to stay in your home country though there will prob be another extension in which case Emirates will let you travel.
Appointment in Oct 2025
No card yet
Curious as to the latest renewal that has received a card?
-My wife (dependent) renewed mid-Dec, 2025. Cost 210.79 euro. No card.
-I renewed (primary) July 15, 2024. Cost 177.40 euro. Card arrived Aug 8, 2024.
FWIW, we are GV investors (via real estate). We did not renew online. However, our attorney was able to represent us at the appointment. My wife has a receipt from AIMA with her NIF that states the renewal is paid for that we can use with immigration, but we would like to know who has received cards to get an idea when she should expect hers to arrive? Thanks in advance for any info.
@sukisukiwong - We have a receipt from AIMA that confirms payment for our renewal, that our lawyer has said immigration in Portugal will accept this in the absence of the actual/physical card.
It won’t help us anywhere outside of Portugal. Only Portugal immigration authorities will understand what the receipt means and are aware that residency renewal cards are not being delivered in a timely manner.
Mine took 6 months. September to March. My fam had appointments in October so I’m hoping theirs arrive in April. We’ll see!
This receipt + expired card may help you avoid the EES queue in any other Schengen port. I have tested two countries so far, they understand what this receipt means 
This is out of subject. But want to share it with you to know how bad their system is. And better to get as far as possible. I had my aapoimtment today at cascais at 12:30
Went there at 10 am , just in case and they told me that today because of easter they are closing at 12 pm. Tried to convince me to squeeze me in, they became agressive and almost called the police. So i m heading back to dubai now. I will sell the investment and buy somewhere else. This is so disrespectful that i cant accept it.
Germany and France for sure know.
Anyone using Portugal Resident Card Tracker - Leefa's Portugal APPs ?
While selecting “Renewal + New < July 2025” (which is my case, expired April 2025)
it takes a lot more time to receive the cards versus the people after July 2025.
“< July, 2025”: Median: 168.5 calendar days
“> July, 2025”: Median: 83 calendar days
My appointment was in October, still waiting for the card. (173 calendar days)
very well. Do you mind to share which countries you tried?
My appointment was in October but still waiting for the card. I don’t have login account to check. Can anyone who received residency card recent share your experience?
My husband’s appointment is also in October 2025, but he still hasn’t received his card.
Login or no login we all just wait as the so called SEF portal has been long abandondoned.
The answer to this question depends on whether your current nationality requires you to have a visa to enter the EU. This is because your residency permit substituted for a visa on the immigration system, which is shared between Schengen countries. Once the permit expires you are no longer legally in the Schengen zone, except Portugal, which has carved out an INTERNAL exception.
Then you have to further divide the answer into flights & border entry.
FREE ENTRY PASSPORT + PROOF OF PAYMENT
No problem getting onto international flights into Schengen countries because all the airport staff see is a non-visa-requiring passport.
No problem flying directly from outside the Schengen zone into Portugal.
No problem flying into the Schengen zone if you’re within the allowed rolling 90 days - just stroll in like a tourist.
As @tommigun experienced the receipt + expired card + your non-visa-requiring passport appears to generally get you through Schengen borders, even if you’ve technically “overstayed”. Maybe because the EES system isn’t working properly yet or they’ve encountered a sympathetic immigration person. I also don’t know how they’ve actually been counting (hence the need for the EES).
VISA-REQUIRING PASSPORT + EXPIRED CARD + PROOF OF PAYMENT + VERY OFFICIAL LOOKING VERSION OF DECREE
Only enter the Schengen zone via Portugal.
Ideally submit the docs above to the airline in advance & confirm that you will be OK TO BOARD. Emirates are/were fantastic with this. They were my go-to. TAP obviously understands, as do TAAG and LATAM. Checkin staff lose their jobs over this stuff and are very risk averse, which makes actually getting on the plane the biggest headache. At the very least you need to show them the relevant law (translated if necessary) and the documents referred to in the law (translated if necessary).
No problem flying directly from outside the Schengen zone into Portugal, if you can get on the plane.
No problem entering Portugal with passport and proof of payment.
POSSIBLE WORK AROUND IF YOU’RE FROM A COUNTRY THAT REQUIRES A SCHENGEN VISA: because you’re not on the system, you can apply for a Schengen tourist visa. I found this out when we were stuck between cards in 2023 and had a child who needed to travel for a field trip. Subsequently checked with 2 other embassies and all said it was possible, but only until the date when AIMA approves (not issues the card!), because that is when you go back into the system. But you do need a proper reason to get a visa.
Hope that helps.
The EES system is not applicable to resident permit holders.
Yet another Schengen country tested last week - entered and exited with the same set of documents (entry officer asked to see the renewal receipts, exit officer did not bother). That makes it 4 out of 29 tested so far on my list, including PT.
Can you elaborate?
Are the biometric gates after you see the entry officer?
So, they directed you to a person rather than the gates so you did not have to do the biometrics?
Look, it’s all different per country per airport per terminal per phase of the moon, etc.
You can be sent to the e-gate or to a manual booth or even to the manual EES booth, it don’t matter.
When you get to the booth, show the officer what you’ve got, smile and get a stamp. You will not be asked to fingerprint or be photo’d for EES that’s the point.
(And if you are sent to e-gates then obviously you’d go to the booth behind them and ask for a stamp).
I’d love to know what’s happening on the backend in this case. In terms of EU regulations (Article 10 of Directive 2004/38/EC[6]) travel documents of third-country nationals should not be stamped on entry or exit. We all know there’s some variability on this, but the fact that you’ve now had your passport stamped by 4 different Schengen countries suggests to me that they might actually be ignoring your card and letting you through on your visa-free passport.