Portugal’s immigration system continues to face significant pressure in 2026, with visa and residency backlogs still affecting thousands of foreign applicants.
The issue dates back to the transition from the former immigration authority, SEF, to the current AIMA in late 2023. The restructuring created operational disruptions that are still being felt today.
At the peak of the transition, hundreds of thousands of pending cases were reported, including residence permits, renewals, and family reunification processes.
Since then, the Portuguese government has introduced a series of measures aimed at reducing the backlog, including:
Automatic renewals for certain residence permits
Extended validity of expired documents
Task forces to process pending applications
Digitalisation efforts to streamline procedures
According to reporting by Público and Expresso, progress has been made, but delays remain substantial — particularly for new applicants and more complex cases.
For foreign nationals planning to move to Portugal, the practical implications are clear:
Processing times are still unpredictable
Administrative steps may take significantly longer than expected
Legal status can depend on temporary extensions rather than finalized approvals
This uncertainty has also started to influence decision-making among potential movers. While Portugal remains attractive, some applicants are factoring in longer waiting periods before committing fully to relocation or property purchases.
From a market perspective, this creates a quieter but important shift: demand is still there — but timing is less certain.
In other words, the bottleneck hasn’t disappeared. It’s just moving more slowly.
Source: AIMA; Público; Expresso
Date: 2024–2026 ongoing reporting (post-SEF transition backlog)