EXTENSION OF THE VALIDITY OF VISAS AND DOCUMENTS RELATING TO STAY IN NATIONAL TERRITORY UNTIL 30TH JUNE 2025!
On 28th June 2024, Decree-Law no. 41-A/2024 was published, extending the period of validity of visas and documents relating to residency in Portuguese territory that have expired, by one year, until 30th June 2025.
As a result, all visas and residency permits that expired from March 2020 onwards will continue to be accepted in Portuguese territory under the same terms.
This measure was approved as part of a set of exceptional and temporary measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its continuation is justified by the delays experienced by the now-defunct SEF, presently the Agency for Migration, Integration and Asylum, I.P. (AIMA) in processing the renewal and extension procedures for these documents.
In a statement issued by the Council of Ministers on 25th June 2025, the government announced the creation of a "Mission Structure for the Recovery of Pending Cases at AIMA", which will be responsible for analysing and deciding on pending cases of regularisation of foreigners. The Mission Structure, which will be staffed by up to 300 people, will operate until 2nd June 2025, so it is expected that all backlogged cases will be resolved by then.
