The June 29 Announcement: What AIMA Said
On June 29, 2026, AIMA published an announcement confirming that the Renewals Portal is now open for residence permits expiring in both September and October 2026. The Portugal News reported: the agency states that those with Residence Permits set to expire between September and October 2026 must visit portal-renovacoes.aima.gov.pt to renew their Residence Permits. AIMA added that it would "continue working towards bringing forward the opening of the Portal to the coming months, in order to meet the needs of citizens."
Two things stand out in that phrasing. The first is the scope: this is a single announcement covering two calendar months simultaneously — September and October together. Earlier cohort openings were announced one month at a time. Opening two months at once represents an operational expansion of the portal's capacity. The second is the forward commitment: AIMA explicitly describes "bringing forward the opening of the Portal to the coming months" as an ongoing objective, which is a more specific institutional signal than its earlier generic statements about reducing processing times. It implies that November and December cohorts can expect earlier-than-historical access — likely in July or August 2026 based on the current trajectory.
For holders of permits expiring in September or October 2026, this announcement means the renewal window is now live and the practical action is to log in to the portal and submit. Many in this cohort will have been waiting for this opening, particularly those with October expiries who, under the historical pattern, would not have expected portal access until July or August 2026. They now have three to four months of lead time — more than enough runway for a complete renewal cycle even accounting for post-summer staffing pressures at AIMA in September.
Who Qualifies for This Cohort
The September–October 2026 cohort covers any holder of a Portuguese residence permit — regardless of permit type — whose current card carries a printed expiry date falling between September 1 and October 31, 2026. This includes D7 passive income permits, D8 digital nomad permits, family reunification authorizations, Golden Visa (ARI) permits, student residence authorizations, work-related residence permits (D1, D2, D3), CPLP-specific permits, EU family member cards (Article 15), and the temporary protection authorizations issued since 2022. Permanent residence cards, which do not expire in the same manner, are not processed through this portal.
The qualifying date is the printed expiry on the physical card, not the date the application was submitted or the date the biometric appointment was held. If your card says September 30, 2026, you are in the September cohort and the portal is open for you today. If it says October 15, 2026, you are in the October cohort — also open today. If it says November 1, 2026 or later, you are not yet eligible; check the portal again in July 2026.
The portal does not distinguish between first-time renewable permits and subsequent renewals: both are processed through the same portal-renovacoes.aima.gov.pt system. Holders renewing for the second or third time go through the same submission process as first-time renewers, with the key difference that returning applicants will typically have an existing AIMA portal account from their previous renewal, while first-time portal users need to create credentials before accessing the submission form.
How to Access the Portal and Check Eligibility
The portal URL is portal-renovacoes.aima.gov.pt. The portal is geo-locked to Portuguese IP addresses, which means it will refuse to load properly or will display an error if you attempt to access it from a non-Portuguese IP. If you are currently in Portugal, this is not an issue — access the portal directly from any browser. If you are travelling or living temporarily outside Portugal, you will need either a Portuguese VPN endpoint (available on most major commercial VPN services by selecting Portugal as the server location) or a trusted representative in Portugal with a procuração who can complete the submission on your behalf. Our detailed guide to the geo-lock mechanics and workarounds covers each option with the specific steps.
Once on the portal, you log in with the NIF (tax identification number) and the credentials associated with your AIMA file. If you have forgotten your credentials from a previous portal interaction, there is a password-reset option on the login page that sends a recovery link to the email on file with AIMA. If the email address on file is outdated, the credential reset does not work without first updating the contact email through the AIMA contactenos form — a process that currently takes two to five business days. Factor this in if your access credentials are uncertain.
After logging in, the portal displays your active files. If your permit is within the eligible expiry window, a "Submeter renovação" (Submit renewal) option will appear next to the relevant file. If the option is absent, one of three things is true: your expiry date falls outside the current eligible window (in which case wait and check again in July or August); your file has a flag that requires manual AIMA review before the portal accepts a renewal submission (in which case you will see an informational message); or there is a data mismatch between the portal and the underlying AIMA database (in which case contact AIMA through the contactenos form referencing your process number and the error message displayed).
Documents Required for the Renewal Submission
The portal requires the same core documentation set for all permit types, with type-specific additions. The universal documents are: a valid passport (biographic page scan), proof of current address in Portugal (rental contract or Finanças registered address certificate dated within the last three months), proof of sufficient means of subsistence (varies by permit type — see below), and a criminal record certificate from your country of origin dated within the last three months if you have been a resident of that country for more than six months in the preceding three years. A Portuguese criminal record check is conducted automatically by AIMA against the domestic register; you do not need to obtain this separately.
The type-specific documents that generate the most confusion at the portal submission stage: for D7 holders, the means-of-subsistence proof is typically three to six months of bank statements showing the passive income (pension, dividend, rental income) plus the original income source documentation (pension letter, rental contract, dividend statement). For D8 digital nomad holders, the requirement is evidence of remote employment or freelance income at or above the 2026 minimum threshold — the specific income figure and how to document it for dependants is covered in our D8 family income guide. For Golden Visa holders, the investment documentation must show the ARI-qualifying investment remains in place. For CPLP holders, the CPLP certificate or equivalent nationality proof is required alongside the standard package.
A recurrent submission error that delays processing: uploading documents in unsupported formats or at insufficient resolution. The portal accepts PDF and JPG files only, with a maximum file size per document of 5MB. Documents must be legible — blurred scans are flagged by AIMA's document review team and returned with a request for resubmission, which adds two to four weeks to the timeline. Scan all documents at 300 DPI minimum. If a document is in Portuguese and requires translation, the translation must be certified by a sworn translator registered with the Portuguese Order of Translators or by a consular official.
What Happens After You Submit
Once you complete the portal submission, the system generates a submission receipt with a unique process reference number. Save and screenshot this receipt — it is the only proof that the submission occurred on a specific date, and AIMA does not send a confirmation email at the point of submission. The process number is what you will use to track the file's status in the portal and to reference in any subsequent contactenos messages or legal correspondence.
After submission, the file moves into AIMA's document review queue. Reviewers check that all required documents are present, legible, and within validity dates. If the document set is complete, the file advances to the assessment queue where a case officer evaluates the substantive renewal criteria. If a document is missing or expired, AIMA sends a notification through the portal's messaging system requesting the specific correction — you typically have 10 working days to respond before the file is placed into a suspension state. Check the portal's message inbox at least once a week after submission.
After the document review and assessment phases clear, AIMA schedules a biometric appointment if one is required for your permit type. Most first-time renewals require a biometric update; subsequent renewals for holders who have not changed their biometric data significantly do not always require an in-person appointment. When a biometric appointment is required, you will receive a convocation notice through the portal and by email specifying the date, time, and office location. After the biometric appointment, the new card enters the production and delivery queue. Under the current AIMA operating pace in mid-2026, the total timeline from portal submission to card delivery is running at approximately eight to twelve weeks for straightforward renewal cases.
If your current card expires before the renewal process completes, AIMA issues a paper renovação certificate (sometimes called a comprovativo or declaração de residência) that functions as the legal evidence of your continued residence status. This document is generated automatically when your card expires while a renewal is pending — you do not need to request it separately. The certificate contains a QR code that can be scanned by border officials, airlines (specifically TAP, Ryanair, and Vueling, which are the three carriers that most frequently inspect residence documentation), and Portuguese banking institutions. Keep the certificate accessible in digital and paper form during the gap period. For detail on which carriers accept which document format, see our guide on travelling with an expired permit and the AIMA QR code.
AIMA's Signal: Earlier Access for Future Cohorts
The most strategically significant element of the June 29 announcement is not the opening itself but the phrasing that accompanies it. AIMA's stated intent to "continue working towards bringing forward the opening of the Portal to the coming months" is a departure from its earlier communications about the portal rollout. Previous cohort openings — covering July and August 2026 — were announced without any forward-looking commitment. The inclusion of the "bringing forward" language in the September–October announcement signals that AIMA intends to reduce the gap between the cohort's expiry month and the date the portal becomes accessible, which means holders of November and December 2026 permits may gain earlier-than-historical access.
The pattern so far: the July 2026 cohort gained portal access in April 2026, approximately three months before the expiry month opened. The August cohort opened in May 2026. The September and October cohorts opened simultaneously on June 29, 2026 — roughly three to four months before October's expiry month. If AIMA continues this trajectory and actively "brings forward" access, the November cohort could become eligible in July or August 2026 and the December cohort in August or September 2026. These are projections based on the current pattern, not AIMA commitments. Monitor the portal from July 2026 if your permit expires in November or December.
For context on why earlier access matters: the further in advance you submit, the more buffer exists between the submission date and the card's expiry date. A submission made four months before expiry virtually guarantees that the renewal card arrives before the current card expires, eliminating the need for a paper renovação certificate entirely. A submission made six weeks before expiry creates a real risk of the certificate gap. The convergence of earlier portal access and AIMA's improved processing pace in 2026 — the agency processed 525,000 files through its combined task-force and regular operations by June — means the renewal experience for September and October holders who submit now is likely to be materially smoother than it was for cohorts that went through the portal in late 2025 and early 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
My permit expires in September or October 2026 — can I apply to renew it now?
Yes. AIMA confirmed on June 29, 2026 that the Renewals Portal at portal-renovacoes.aima.gov.pt is open for residence permits expiring in both September and October 2026. Log in with your NIF and credentials and the renewal option will appear if your file is within the eligible window.
Does submitting early in the window hurt my application in any way?
No. Earlier submission is always advantageous. The renewal queue runs from the submission date, so an earlier submission produces more buffer before your current card expires. There is no penalty for submitting months ahead of expiry, and the renewal does not shorten or alter your current card's validity.
What is the portal URL and why does it block me from abroad?
The URL is portal-renovacoes.aima.gov.pt. The portal is geo-locked to Portuguese IP addresses. Access it from within Portugal or via a Portuguese VPN server. Our geo-lock guide explains the workarounds in detail, including how to submit via a procuração representative if you cannot access a Portuguese IP.
When does the portal open for permits expiring in November or December 2026?
AIMA has not announced a specific date. Based on current trajectory and AIMA's stated intent to bring forward portal access, July or August 2026 is a reasonable expectation for the November cohort. Check the portal monthly starting July 2026.
My card will expire before my renewal is processed — what document covers my residence in the meantime?
AIMA automatically generates a paper renovação certificate when your card expires while a renewal is pending. This certificate is legally equivalent to the residence card for employment, banking, and Schengen travel purposes. It contains a QR code accepted by TAP, Ryanair, and Vueling at boarding. Keep both a digital copy and a paper copy during any travel while the certificate is in force.