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Hi @JRTRUEMA, Welcome.

There is a phone number (+351) 217 115 000 , that is difficult to reach because of the high number of calls. What I suggest is that you try the phone first thing in the morning, or go in person to an AIMA shop, and explain that you need to make an appointment because of the D7 visa but that it's been impossible over the phone.

AIMA shops

The problem with AIMA was the result of gross incompetence on the part of the politicians in the previous government, who left all public services in a state of chaos...

Thank you so much for responding! There is so much going on it's hard to track everything and know what I should be doing.

I'll try going to an office too.

@JRTRUEMA Im on the same boat,  trying to schedule for my husband but cant get through. Please let me know what worked for you. Good luck!

Thanks for the advice Johnny. I have to say all other public services we used have been great and performed well beyond my expectations! AIMA not so much.

@JRTRUEMA,

I don't know if this is still true. You can check it...

Read Blue Note:

/forum/viewtopic.p … 42#5388099

(Post #23)

@fullmoonpaula30 ugh! The whole thing is so confusing. Are you just getting that repeating message to go to the website when you call?

I'm going to try next week to go to the office and see if that does anything. Will let you know.

Yes. Thats all Im getting. We’ll be in Portugal in July and plan to do the same. Hope it helps going to a AIMA shop in a small town. Best of luck!

Thank you so much.

I wish I knew a few days ago as I waited 5 hours with a ticket to spend 5 minutes talking to AIMA staff at Faro.

Just let's say the staff looked far from being overworked and appeared to quite enjoy their constant breaks and chats throughout our extended wait where the appointment machine was not giving out AIMA appointment tickets, the security officer was the only person with a bunch of random tickets in his possession as we watched others who arrived 2-3 hours behind us use their ticket which had a number well before ours!

Everything appears to be a shambles in AIMA as it was with SEF.

It took over a year to be given an appointment for application for a Residency Card for my partner.

That appointment was on 05th April 2024.

Our application accepted, paid for, processed.

We leave Portugal at end of this month and, as yet, no notice to collect ID card.

We will not be returning for 5 months so now we either need to apply for yet another Schengen Visa to arrange our return or we need to pay for a notary to allow the ID card to be collected my another and then have it posted to Asia.

Neither are good options.

We are being informed that the current process time is 90 WORKING days as opposed to 90 Calendar days.

Approximately 5 months wait after a 14 month wait for an appointment.

@slugsurmamates It's all so crazy and when I speak with people who moved here just two years ago, they had a much smoother time with it all.

Good luck to you!

@JRTRUEMA

Don't feel bad.  No one can.  My wife has been trying to renew her Residência for a year now.  É uma porcaria. If you find out how to get one, let the rest of us know.

@JRTRUEMA

Here are the two numbers+351 965 903 700 and +351 271 115 000.  It is nearly impossible to get through.  If you do get  through, there  is a phone tree.  Press 1 to consent to pocessing your info,  1 to hear  in English, then  3  to book  and appointment.   you will here one  of two  things  after that.   Either, the  lines are busy, please call back, which means  you didn't get through, or  another phone tree with  four options.  I've pressed  all four options  and  always get  the messages to the effect  that no appointment can be made at this time

Its not an easy process.  Just keep trying

Cheers

These stories about residency visa, SEF and AIMA let me suspect that there is intention behind this. On the one hand there are road shows in the USA inviting - preferably rich - Americans into Portugal. On the other hand the visa application and renewal process is making it very time consuming and complicated for applicants. Maybe there are conflicting interests here? Maybe immigrants are not that welcome? For many immigrants comes the driver's license transfer after they have obtained residency. That is the next drama for many. It could be easier, but it intentionally is not. You make of this whatever you want, but being welcome seems different.

@TGCampo,

There are no conspiracy theories between rich and poor here. The transfer of SEF to AIMA was a bad decision by the previous government. Unfortunately, those previous political decision-makers are out there and nothing is happening to them ... the ones who suffer are those who need to use this and other public services...

Unfortunately, those previous political decision-makers are out there and nothing is happening to them ... the ones who suffer are those who need to use this and other public services.   

    -@JohnnyPT

That's life and I don't know many (any?) places where this would be different. I wonder whether immigrants from the ex-Portuguese empire have advantages (like us EU citizens).

They can never have the same advantages as EU citizens. They will always be required to have a visa / residence permit.

But these citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries have advantages over other non-EU citizens, because they can apply for a residence permit in Portugal, as long as they have a work contract. For any other non-EU country, they must apply for a visa at the consulate of home country.

@JohnnyPT I just wonder whether (long time) residents (but not citizens) of Portugal have any advantages when applying for a residency in e.g. Brazil?

Hello! I also arrived at the end of May with no AIMA appointment on my D7 visa. I don't have much advice to give, except that I have found that I can actually can get to the phone tree right after 8 on most days, only to be told that there are no appointments for this highly sought after service and to try again later.

I can certainly sympathize with your predicament. I am located in Povoa de Varzim, and am contemplating going to the AIMA loja in Porto, but am discouraged by the reports that one must line up around 5 or 6 am even to get a number to possibly be seen. I am willing to do this if anyone has intel that this will actually get you somewhere, but I don't yet have a vehicle, so this would mean my traveling in the middle of the night on public transportation. There does not seem to be an office anywhere closer.

I understand that AIMA is in chaos right now, and there are people who have been trying to get through for a lot longer than I have. I know that it is all but impossible to get answers right now.

Does anyone know if they are even adding appointments to the system at this time, or is spending hours a day calling to get in a futile exercise?

It looks like there is a possibility to get appointments if you prepay the fees on the AIMA website (from news reports and other expat sources), but I have not even been successful in registering on the website. I fill out the form and submit, but nothing happens for days, and when I try to log on, there is no record of my email address.

I've been successful in registering and am able to log in on the SEF website and tried to update my email there using the link (which some have been successful then using those credentials to log into the AIMA website), but this has not worked for me.

I am also actively looking for a house, but I must admit that the inability to even get an appointment makes me wonder if purchasing property at this point is a wise decision.

I would love to hear updates or try any other methods that have worked for other people if you are willing to share.

I'm trying to stay positive, but some of the situations that could result from not being able to get appointments in a timely manner are concerning.

I wish everyone in this situation or any other that involves AIMA much luck, and would appreciate any thoughts on the matter. Thanks!

    Hello! I also arrived at the end of May with no AIMA appointment on my D7 visa. I don't have much advice to give, except that I have found that I can actually can get to the phone tree right after 8 on most days, only to be told that there are no appointments for this highly sought after service and to try again later.
I can certainly sympathize with your predicament. I am located in Povoa de Varzim, and am contemplating going to the AIMA loja in Porto, but am discouraged by the reports that one must line up around 5 or 6 am even to get a number to possibly be seen. I am willing to do this if anyone has intel that this will actually get you somewhere, but I don't yet have a vehicle, so this would mean my traveling in the middle of the night on public transportation. There does not seem to be an office anywhere closer.

I understand that AIMA is in chaos right now, and there are people who have been trying to get through for a lot longer than I have. I know that it is all but impossible to get answers right now.

Does anyone know if they are even adding appointments to the system at this time, or is spending hours a day calling to get in a futile exercise?

It looks like there is a possibility to get appointments if you prepay the fees on the AIMA website (from news reports and other expat sources), but I have not even been successful in registering on the website. I fill out the form and submit, but nothing happens for days, and when I try to log on, there is no record of my email address.

I've been successful in registering and am able to log in on the SEF website and tried to update my email there using the link (which some have been successful then using those credentials to log into the AIMA website), but this has not worked for me.

I am also actively looking for a house, but I must admit that the inability to even get an appointment makes me wonder if purchasing property at this point is a wise decision.

I would love to hear updates or try any other methods that have worked for other people if you are willing to share.

I'm trying to stay positive, but some of the situations that could result from not being able to get appointments in a timely manner are concerning.

I wish everyone in this situation or any other that involves AIMA much luck, and would appreciate any thoughts on the matter. Thanks!
   

    -@tdudgeon

@tdudgeon,

There is some confusion here. The problems you mention (eg.prepay the fees) concern illegal immigrants who arrived in Portugal without a visa and who want to present an "expression of interest" to AIMA so that they can remain in Portugal. Now, with the new legislation, this is no longer possible. This has nothing to do with the D7 visa and making an appointment for a residence permit interview.

Update mail

You re correct that I am confused about that, so thank you for the clarification on that matter.

The link that you posted is the one that I filled out on Sunday (they said successfully), and have not seen any response to so far. Is it usual that it would take several days? Is it something I should keep submitting, or wait a bit to see what happens?

And the question that I am most afraid to ask...is continuing to call the help center the only way to get an appointment?

I appreciate your response and any other help you can provide. There are so many of us in this situation (or similar ones), and it feels pretty precarious.

@tdudgeon,

/forum/viewtopic.p … 79#5920813

(Post #2 & #5)

@tdudgeon

Our lawyer is telling us that when you get approval from whatever Portuguese Embassy, you get a stamp in your passport to enter Portugal and an appointment date and time at AIMA.

Is that no longer true?

@mrcbmtho

It's not true consistently. In theory, it's true... you just have to see if you are a lucky one with the url or if you'll have to request an appointment via email, phone or trying in person. Email is recommended.

i didnt had an url in my visa, went to funchal aima and wanted a appointment, they said it will take 4-5 weeks. After 6 weeks my appointment came by email. Its in june. Maybe you can try same way.

Just to clear up my brain - as an EU citizen with property in Portugal - do I need to apply for a visa to stay more than 90 days before I arrive in Portugal or when I get there?

(Appreciate this may be a dumb question but every time I look I confuse myself more)

Thanks!

@egchelsea

If you are an EU citizen, you don't need a visa. After 3 months in the country, all you have to do is go to your local council (= junta de freguesia) and register as an EU citizen.

@JohnnyPT

Thank you! Appreciate your responses 👋

@egchelsea,

Registration for EU citizens:

@JohnnyPT

Thanks! So much simpler being in EU 🫠

We were in a similar position up to the second week in March, trying to get an AIMA appointment to avoid the close call with our D7 visas.  We worked out that if we called persistently early morning, and the last 1.5 hours before they closed, we'd always get through, and we did, but there was never an appointment available.  In one day, I counted calling 28 times.  Thankfully, our lawyer and her team were much more persistent and perhaps had a way in, and got one for us within a month of us getting our D7 visa. We were overjoyed!  It is certainly not the easiest place to get an appointment, however, I understand there is a vast backlog, hence the challenge of getting one, and I empathise with those workers.

We are in Lisbon, my appointment is in Faro, and immediately the next day, my husband's own will be in Aveiro.  Not the easiest travel, but we are aiming to make it work by all means possible.

You have some good tips here, I would try all of them and keep calling relentlessly, first thing in early mornings and last thing in the evenings. 

Best of luck as we root for you and others in a similar situation.

@mrcbmtho

We were told that by others, but realised that it is not consistent, and we did not get an AIMA on receiving our D7.  However, two individuals we know were lucky to have got theirs!  The roll of the dice and where it falls :-)