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Portugal Revamps AIMA Procedures to Tackle More Than 55,000 Golden Visa Related Applications

Raquel de Matos Esteves and Safak Nervo welcome AIMA's new measures, but caution that implementation will determine the program's success

Portugal’s Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) has launched comprehensive measures to resolve 55,000 pending Golden Visa applications by transforming its paper-based system into an electronic process.

Şafak Nervo, Chief Commercial Officer at Optylon Krea, revealed that during a presencial meeting with AIMA, the government disclosed that the immigration authority is currently facing a backlog of approximately 55,000 Golden Visa applications (including main applicants and family members for both initial and renewal visas).

She points to the commitment to resolve matters by 2025 as a promising sign. She says it is “encouraging to finally see a concrete response from the Immigration Office AIMA, not only through communication but also by physically meeting with over 40 law firms to acknowledge the delays and discomfort experienced by investors.”

The immigration authority has established new documentation requirements.

RME Legal founding partner Raquel de Matos Esteves sees the dedicated approach to Golden Visas as a crucial improvement. She says she is “particularly enthusiastic” about the “specific attention finally being given to Golden Visas.”

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She explained that the program’s unique characteristics demand specialized processing. The transition to digital processing should “drastically accelerate the analysis phase and expand the number of service centers across the country,” streamlining the biometric collection stage.

AIMA began scheduling biometric appointments automatically in mid-January. Applicants must now update personal documents, including Criminal Records and Tax IDs.

It will assign appointments between 30 and 90 days after document submission, requiring €6,045.20 for certified documents or €8,060.20 for uncertified documentation.

The authority allocates appointments based on family unit size and processing flow, eliminating applicants’ ability to select preferred office locations.

Card validity extends two years for fund-based investments and three years for property investments.

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Documents properly certified during initial submission maintain validity throughout the process.

AIMA now accepts English, Spanish, and French documentation without translation requirements, though exceptions apply.

The five-year period for citizenship applications now begins with online submission. “The confirmation that the five-year period for the citizenship application commences with the online application submission is another reassuring clarification,” Nervo notes.

Market impacts concern stakeholders. “The 2023 program changes, coupled with ongoing delays, have undoubtedly impacted market growth and conversion rates,” Nervo adds, emphasizing implementation will prove crucial in rebuilding investor confidence.

AIMA processes 6,000 cases (all migration routes and renewals) daily, though 15% of appointments remain unfilled, according to Schengen News.

The Portuguese government allocated €5.97 million to support the authority’s goal of clearing all pending cases by June 30, 2025.

AIMA will abandon applications that remain inactive for six months, requiring applicants to resubmit under new guidelines.

De Matos Esteves urges applicants to submit accurate documentation to avoid errors and delays while AIMA completes its ARI Procedure Manual.

AIMA launched a portal for applicants who expressed interest before June 3, 2024, allowing them to update their credentials and support the backlog reduction effort.

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