"I'm in Portugal, I already have a NIF, a NISS and I'm working, but I haven't submitted an Expression of Interest."

This is one of several reports received by Via Portugal in recent days, following the end of the possibility of submitting new Expression of Interest requests.

The measure, which came into force a few hours after the announcementtook many immigrants by surprise, especially Brazilians, who would have used the mechanism to obtain a Residence Permit (RA) in Portugal. In recent years, the famous "MI" has become the main means of regularization for those who entered without a visa and stayed in the country for more than 90 days.

As Via Portugal has reported, this route has become so popular that "it almost felt like it was the only way people could regularize their administrative situation". However, there are other options, even for those already in Portugal.

Article 122 of the Aliens Act could be a viable option. This is the "Residence Permit in special situations". Some of the specific examples provided for in the law are foreigners with minor children in Portugal, for whom they are responsible. Another situation is those who suffer from an illness that requires medical treatment and cannot return to their country of origin.

Article 123 of the same law, entitled "Exceptional regime" is broad: "They must be based on reasons of national interest, humanitarian reasons, or reasons of public interest arising from the exercise of a relevant activity in the scientific, cultural, sporting, economic or social field."

A regulatory decree, i.e. a publication that details a law, provides for another situation that can benefit those who are already working in Portugal and have not yet submitted an Expression of Interest. The "specific circumstances of the case, such as humanitarian reasons, insertion into the labor market for a period of more than one year" can be taken into account, says Decree Reg. no. 84/2007 of November 5.

However, having worked in Portugal for more than a year is not the only rule. Unlike expressions of interest, "there is no right to a residence permit". In practice, this means that each case will be analyzed and decided by a member of the government.

Regarding the CPLP visa for those already in the country, there is still no forecast for it to come into force, nor what the requirements will be.

As you can see, there are solutions within the legislation. The challenge can be to get an appointment at the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) to make the request. The appointment options available are telephone and e-mail. However, AIMA itself acknowledges that it cannot cope with all the requests. Complaints from immigrants who are unable to contact the agency are common. Some people try to go in person to the AIMA offices around the country. However, apart from the appointments that have already been made, there are few vacancies for other services.

In Porto, for example, some people arrive in the early hours of the morning to try to be seen. There is a notice on the door highlighting the "limitation" on the number of tickets available due to "strong demand". The creation of an online portal for applying for visas is planned, but is not expected to come into effect. 

Another possibility is to appeal to the Administrative Courts - which already have 4,000 cases to be decided.

Who is in Brazil or the country of origin

"I've sold everything, my bags are packed and I've bought a ticket to Portugal." This is also one of the many reports received by Via Portugal following the announcement of the end of the Expression of Interest. In these cases, there are many options available.

Although MI has become the rule of immigration, especially for Brazilians, visas in the country of origin have always existed. The package presented last week makes no changes to the types of visas that already exist. In fact, this is the form of immigration that the current government wants to promote: visas applied for before travel.

The application must be made at the Portuguese consulates in the country of residence of the person concerned.

One of the visas most sought after by Brazilians and PALOPs (Portuguese-speaking African countries) is the "work-seeker" visa. Created in 2022, its aim is to make up for the lack of manpower in key sectors of the country, especially in the tourism sector. With this visa, the citizen is allowed to enter Portugal and look for a job with a contract (green receipts are not valid in this case).

The deadline for signing the contract is 120 days, with the possibility of extending it for a further 60 days. If, at the end of this period, the immigrant has not found a job with a contract, they must leave the country. One of the requirements is to have the value of 2460 euros (around 12,300 reais) for approval.

There is also the work visa itself, one of the oldest in the law. It is intended for those who already have an employment contract in Portugal.

 Check out the other types of visas here.

The most popular residence visas in Portugal are:

✔ Study or Internship Visa
✔ Work Visa
✔ Entrepreneur Visa
✔ Self-Employed or Retired Visa
✔ Golden Visa
✔ Startup Visa

Want advice on visas? 

Talk to us: VIA PORTUGAL

To reside legally in Portugal, you must apply for a visa before traveling. 

You'll find out with the Orientation: 

What types of visas are available;
Which visa is right for you;
What are the procedures;
What are the steps for obtaining a visa.

Instagram: @vp_viaportugal
Email: viaportugal@veportugal.com 

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