Residence Card Expired in 2026: What to Do

Has your residence card expired and the renewal still not come through? In 2026, this is one of the most common questions among Brazilians living in Portugal. The answer changed considerably over the past year: the cycle of automatic extensions, in place since 2020, ended on October 15, 2025. Today, what protects those whose card has expired is, as a rule, the renewal application filed and paid for and the receipt issued by AIMA. In this article we explain what the law says, how to identify your case from the card's expiry date and what to do in each situation.

The end of automatic extensions

Since the pandemic, the validity of expired residence documents was extended several times by decree. The last instrument in this series is Decree-Law 85-B/2025 (Decreto-Lei) of June 30, 2025. Its Art. 2 sets out two rules:

• residence permits whose validity ended between February 22, 2020 and June 30, 2025 were accepted, on the same terms, until October 15, 2025 (para. 1);
• after October 15, 2025, residence permit documents are accepted upon presentation of the receipt of payment for the renewal application, issued by AIMA, valid for 180 days from issuance (para. 2).

On October 15, 2025 itself, AIMA announced the end of automatic extensions: expired residence permits cease to be valid if the holder has not yet started the renewal process. When the application is registered and the fees are paid, a receipt valid for 180 days is issued. In other words, the expired card on its own is no longer enough. It is this receipt, which many call the "AIMA certificate," that accompanies the expired card.

What is your case? Identify it by the expiry date

The online renewal route depends on the date on which the card expired. According to the Renewals Portal, consulted on September 30, 2026, the division is as follows:

1. Card expired between February 22, 2020 and June 30, 2025

These cards (except CPLP permits, residence permits for investment and cards of European Union citizens) are renewed on the services.aima.gov.pt platform. According to AIMA, after the application the applicant is contacted by email to confirm the application and pay the fees; the receipt for the renewal application, the document provided for in Art. 2(2) of DL 85-B/2025, becomes available in the personal area within 10 business days after payment is confirmed.

• If you have already applied and paid: keep the receipt, check its issue date and monitor your personal area and email, because the appointment for the collection of biometric data, when required, is offered through those channels.
• If you have not yet applied: since October 15, 2025, the card is no longer accepted without the receipt. The law considers a stay unlawful when the residence card has expired (Art. 181(2)(c) of Law 23/2007 (Lei)). It is worth filing the application as soon as possible and, before doing so, assessing the specific situation: time elapsed, absences from the country and the renewal requirements.

2. Card expiring between July 1, 2025 and December 31, 2026

Renewal is done on AIMA's Renewals Portal. The law requires renewal to be requested up to 30 days before the end of the validity period (Art. 78(1)). An application filed after that deadline is still possible, but it constitutes an administrative offense punishable by a fine (Art. 201). According to AIMA, the applicant must have their social security and tax situation in order, pay the applicable fee in advance and attach the required documents; the collection of biometric data is scheduled only when necessary.

3. Card expiring in 2027

As of September 30, 2026, the portal only accepts cards expiring by December 31, 2026. For later expiry dates, AIMA indicates that it is necessary to wait for the portal to open for the following months. If the 30-day deadline before expiry approaches without the portal being open for your month, keep a record of your attempts (dated screenshots) and follow AIMA's notices.

4. CPLP permit and permit for investment

Renewal of the CPLP permit follows its own procedure, also on services.aima.gov.pt, according to AIMA. The residence permit for investment is renewed on the Renewals Portal, for cards expired between February 22, 2020 and December 31, 2026. Those who still hold the CPLP permit on the old paper certificate should check the specific situation of their document; see our page on residence permits.

If you are not sure about the right channel or the date that applies in your case, send us your case: the team reviews the history of your card and indicates the appropriate route.

The 180-day receipt: what it does and what it does not do

• What it does: under DL 85-B/2025, it allows the expired residence document to continue to be accepted by the Portuguese authorities, while the receipt is within its 180-day period.
• What it does not do: it does not replace the card for travel. AIMA clarified, in relation to the extensions, that they applied only before the Portuguese authorities and that entry into and movement within other Schengen countries are governed by the Schengen Borders Code (AIMA FAQ on residence cards). The receipt for an application for a grant of residence is not a travel document either.
• What if the 180 days pass without a decision? The decree-law does not expressly address this scenario. The Foreigners Act (Lei de Estrangeiros) provides that the receipt for the renewal application has the same effects as the card for 60 days, a period that may be renewed (Art. 78(7)). In this situation, it is advisable to ask AIMA to issue a new receipt and to document the request.

Decision deadlines and what to do if the renewal stalls

The renewal application must be decided within 60 days (Art. 82(6) of Law 23/2007, as amended by Law 62/2026). In practice, many applications take longer. When the legal deadline ends without a decision, there are administrative remedies, such as a complaint against failure to act (Arts. 184 and 191 of the Code of Administrative Procedure), and judicial remedies, such as an administrative action to compel AIMA to decide. Since Law 61/2025, the summary injunction to protect rights (intimação) against AIMA is admissible only in limited situations, and it is worth assessing carefully before choosing the remedy.

How an expired card affects other applications

• Family reunification: the right to family reunification belongs to the holder of a valid residence permit, as a rule held for at least two years (Art. 98(1), as amended by Law 61/2025). An expired card without a renewal in progress may hold up the application for a spouse and children. See our page on the D6 visa and family reunification.
• Citizenship: for naturalization, legal residence under cards, visas or permits counts (Art. 15(1) of the Nationality Act (Lei da Nacionalidade)). Periods without a regularized status may be left out of the count. See our page on citizenship by length of residence.
• Absences from the country: a temporary permit may be canceled if the holder, without justified reasons, is absent for six consecutive months or eight non-consecutive months during the validity period (Art. 85(2)(a)).

Document checklist for renewal

The exact list depends on the type of permit but, as a rule, it is advisable to have on hand:

1. a valid passport;
2. your current residence card, even if expired;
3. NIF and social security number, with your social security and tax situation in order;
4. proof of accommodation (lease agreement, deed or statement from the person providing accommodation);
5. proof of means of subsistence (employment contract, pay slips, IRS return or bank statements, as applicable);
6. proof of payment of the fee and the receipt for the renewal application;
7. updated email and address on file with AIMA, so as not to miss notifications.

The substantive requirements for renewal are those of Art. 78(2): means of subsistence, accommodation, compliance with tax and social security obligations and no convictions exceeding one year of imprisonment.

Common mistakes

• Assuming the expired card is still valid on its own. The rule of acceptance until October 15, 2025 has ended; after that date, what counts is the receipt for the paid renewal application.
• Generating the payment slip and not paying. According to AIMA, the receipt is issued upon registration of the application and payment of the fees. Without payment, there is no receipt.
• Using the wrong channel. Cards that expired by June 30, 2025 go to services.aima.gov.pt; those that expired from July 1, 2025 onward, to the Renewals Portal. The CPLP permit has its own procedure.
• Traveling outside Portugal with only the receipt. The receipt is not a travel document for the Schengen area.
• Letting the receipt expire without taking action. Keep track of the issue date and document your requests for a new receipt.
• Forgetting tax or social security debts. Having your social security and tax situation in order is a requirement for renewal.

When it is worth talking to a lawyer

Not every expired card requires legal assistance. But it is advisable to seek guidance when:

• the card expired before July 1, 2025 and the renewal application was not filed by October 15, 2025;
• the legal decision deadline (60 days) has already passed and the renewal has stalled;
• AIMA has requested documents, scheduled a prior hearing or rejected the application;
• there have been long absences from the country or a change in the purpose of residence (for example, from study to work);
• the expired card is holding up family reunification, an employment contract or a necessary trip.

Sene & Araújo has lawyers in São Paulo and Albufeira and assists Brazilians with renewing their residence in Portugal, from choosing the channel to responding to delays. The decision on each application rests with AIMA or the court. Talk to our team or see the page on residence permits in Portugal.

• Decree-Law 85-B/2025 (Decreto-Lei) of June 30 (Art. 2 — extension of validity)
• Law 23/2007 (Lei) — Foreigners Act (Lei de Estrangeiros), consolidated version (Arts. 78, 82, 85, 98, 181 and 201)
• Law 62/2026 (Lei) of September 10 (Art. 4 — Arts. 78, 81-A and 82)
• Law 61/2025 (Lei) of October 22 (Arts. 87-B and 98)
• Code of Administrative Procedure (Código do Procedimento Administrativo) — Decree-Law 4/2015 (Arts. 184 and 191)
• Law 37/81 (Lei) — Nationality Act (Lei da Nacionalidade), consolidated version (Art. 15)
• AIMA — Renewal of Residence Permits: End of Automatic Extensions (October 15, 2025)
• AIMA — Residence Permits expired between February 22, 2020 and June 30, 2025 (September 26, 2025)
• AIMA — Residence Permits valid until October 15, 2025
• AIMA — Renewals Portal (consulted on September 30, 2026)
• AIMA — services.aima.gov.pt, renewal application
• AIMA — Frequently asked questions: residence cards

Sene & Araújo Sociedade de Advogados team. Content prepared and reviewed by the firm's lawyers, admitted to the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) and the Portuguese Bar Association (Ordem dos Advogados), with offices in São Paulo and Albufeira. The provisions cited were checked against the official sources listed above. Meet the team.