What the Proof of Approval Document Is and When AIMA Issues It
AIMA introduced the digital proof of approval document in early 2026 to address one of the most disruptive gaps in the residence permit process: the period between a formal approval decision and the arrival of the physical residence card. When AIMA approves your permit, the card must be produced, printed, and physically delivered by CTT, Portugal's postal service. This process typically takes four to eight weeks after approval. During that window, you have an approved permit but no card to show for it — which creates problems when you need to prove legal status to an employer, open a bank account, sign a lease, or deal with any counterparty that asks for your permit card.
The proof of approval is AIMA's solution to this gap. It is a digital document, accessible and downloadable at services.aima.gov.pt, that confirms your application has been approved and your permit is in the production or delivery pipeline. The document includes a QR code that any third party can scan to verify your status directly on AIMA's system. AIMA introduced it with the explicit purpose of providing "greater security for those who already have their application approved and awaiting receipt of their residence permit," and it is available across all permit types — initial permits, renewals, and family reunification cards.
The document does not retroactively cover the period before approval. If your portal still shows Decision Pending or Under Review, the proof of approval is not available to you because AIMA has not yet made a formal decision. It is specifically and only for the post-approval, pre-card-delivery gap. The document is also not the same as the QR code that appears on some interim renewal documents — those are separate and serve a different purpose at the renewal stage.
Who Is Eligible to Request the Proof of Approval
Any applicant whose AIMA portal status has moved to Approved (Aprovado or Deferido, depending on the context) and whose biometric collection has already taken place is eligible to request the proof of approval. Biometric collection is a prerequisite because the residence card requires your biometrics — until those are collected, there is no card to be in production, and the proof of approval stage has not technically begun.
This eligibility applies across permit types: D7 passive income permit holders, D8 digital nomad permit holders, work permit holders, family reunification permit holders, and others. The process is the same regardless of which permit type you hold. If you received an approval decision at your AIMA appointment and your biometrics were taken on the day, you can request the proof of approval immediately after the appointment. If biometrics were taken at a separate appointment, you can request it after that appointment confirms in your portal as complete.
Applicants who went through the online renewal portal rather than an in-person AIMA appointment are equally eligible, provided the portal shows an approval status and any biometric requirements have been fulfilled. The AIMA services portal where you request the proof of approval is separate from the renewal portal, but the eligibility condition — approved status in AIMA's system — is the same.
How to Request the Proof of Approval at services.aima.gov.pt
The proof of approval is requested through AIMA's dedicated services portal at services.aima.gov.pt — not through the main AIMA website, not through the renewal portal, and not through the contactenos form. To access it, you will need the same login credentials you use for your AIMA case portal account: the email address and password you registered with when creating your AIMA online account. If you do not have an online account because your application predates the portal, you will need to register first at services.aima.gov.pt before you can access this service.
Once logged in, navigate to the section for approved applications or residence permit status. The proof of approval should appear as a downloadable option once your status shows as approved. Download and save the document as a PDF — it contains your name, case reference, the approval date, the permit type, and the QR code. Print a copy to carry with you when you need to present it in person. Some banks and employers will accept the PDF on a phone or laptop screen; others require a printed copy. The QR code functions in both formats.
If the proof of approval does not appear as an option even though your portal shows an approved status, there are a few possible explanations. Your biometrics may not yet have been confirmed in the system, even if you attended the appointment. Your portal account may not be correctly linked to your approved case file. In either situation, contact AIMA via the contactenos portal with your case reference and explain that you are trying to access the proof of approval document — AIMA can confirm whether the document is available and what may be preventing the option from appearing.
What the Document Confirms and What It Does Not Replace
The proof of approval confirms, in formal terms, that AIMA has made a positive decision on your residence permit application. It confirms your approved status in AIMA's administrative system, the type of permit approved, and the case reference number tied to your file. The QR code allows real-time verification against AIMA's database — a third party scanning the code can confirm that the document is genuine and that the status it reports matches AIMA's current records.
What the proof of approval does not replace: the physical residence card itself, for any situation where law or regulation specifically requires the card. Border crossings within the Schengen area are the clearest example — Schengen rules require a valid residence card or visa, and the proof of approval does not satisfy that requirement. AIMA's own guidance on the document notes that "the limits of the measure" mean it is "supportive rather than substitutive" — a practical tool for domestic situations where you need to demonstrate legal status to a private counterparty, not an equivalent of the card in law.
In domestic contexts, the document has strong legal backing. Portuguese law requires counterparties — employers, landlords, banks — to recognise documentation confirming lawful immigration status, and the proof of approval from AIMA's own portal satisfies this in law. The practical problem is that not all counterparties are aware of the document or their legal obligation to accept it. Banks in particular, given their compliance requirements for customer identification, sometimes refuse it because their internal KYC processes do not yet accommodate it. This is a policy gap at the institutional level, not a legal deficiency in the document itself.
The QR Code: How Employers, Landlords, and Banks Can Verify It
The QR code embedded in the proof of approval links directly to AIMA's verification system. Scanning it with a standard smartphone camera or QR reader will direct the scanner to an AIMA verification page showing your approved status and the permit details that match the document. This is the fastest way for a third party to independently confirm that the document is genuine and current rather than a modified or expired copy.
When presenting the proof of approval to an employer, show them the document alongside the QR code and offer to let them scan it themselves. HR departments and compliance officers at larger employers tend to be the most willing to engage with the QR verification process, because they understand administrative documentation and can see the link to the official AIMA portal. Counter staff at banks or estate agents who are unfamiliar with the document are more likely to refuse at first instance — escalating to a manager or compliance officer, and explicitly citing the QR code verification option, significantly improves the acceptance rate.
If you are presenting the proof of approval for a situation that requires formal documentation — for example, registering with the tax authority (AT) or with the health centre (Centro de Saúde) — these public bodies are generally more straightforward about accepting it, since they interact regularly with immigration status documents and understand what an AIMA approval document represents.
Practical Uses and Known Limitations in 2026
The most common situations where the proof of approval is used in 2026: starting a new job where the employment contract is contingent on confirmed immigration status, opening a bank account or upgrading an account from non-resident to resident status, registering an NIF (tax identification number) as a resident rather than non-resident, signing a rental contract, and enrolling children in school. In each of these situations, the counterparty needs to see that you are legally present and authorised to be in Portugal — the proof of approval provides that confirmation while your card is in transit.
Known limitations as of 2026: Uber and similar platform-based gig work apps have in some cases refused the proof of approval for driver registration, citing their own compliance requirements for identity documentation. This is technically incorrect under Portuguese law but reflects a gap between AIMA's document and the automated KYC systems used by some platforms. Certain banks, particularly those with strict automated compliance screening, have similarly required the physical card before opening or upgrading accounts. Airlines and car rental companies operating in the Schengen context treat the document as insufficient for travel-related purposes, which is consistent with its legal scope.
If you experience a refusal that you believe is unjustified — for example, an employer refusing to proceed with your employment contract, or a bank refusing to open an account — consider obtaining a brief legal letter from an immigration lawyer citing the relevant legal basis for the document's validity. This adds credibility in institutional contexts and often resolves the refusal at the management level without needing to escalate further. The cost of a one-page letter is typically modest relative to the practical problem of being without formal status documentation for weeks while waiting for a card.
Frequently Asked Questions
See the Q&A panel above for answers to the most common questions about the AIMA proof of approval: what it is, when you can request it, whether it allows Schengen travel, how long card delivery takes after approval, and what to do if it is rejected by your employer or bank.