Key figures — as of 2026-08-19: Portal-renovacoes.aima.gov.pt opened for July and August 2026 expiries on 7 May 2026 — over three months' lead time; the portal now spans permits expiring after 1 July 2025 up to 31 December 2026; permits that expired on or before 30 June 2025 still route through the older services.aima.gov.pt, with an in-Portugal extension deadline of 15 April 2026 already passed; the September–October 2026 batch opened on 30 June 2026.
Why this matters right now
If your Portuguese residence card says "válido até" July or August 2026, AIMA opened the door for you months ago. In a social media post, AIMA announced the Renewals Portal is now available for those with Residence Permits expiring in July and August 2026, telling holders to visit portal-renovacoes.aima.gov.pt to request a permit renewal. That announcement landed on 7 May — so anyone with an August expiry has had roughly three and a half months to act. The risk isn't that the portal is closed; it's that people wait, assume they'll "get to it," and then discover their card has actually lapsed before AIMA has processed the renewal.
The portal itself has kept moving. By early July, AIMA had already pushed the eligible window forward again: those with Residence Permits set to expire between September and October 2026 must visit portal-renovacoes.aima.gov.pt to renew their Residence Permits, with the Renewals Portal, aimed at those expiring in September and October 2026, now open. As of early August, according to one legal-guide check dated against the live system, non-ARI residence-permit renewal is available for permits expiring after 1 July 2025 and up to 31 December 2026.
Who this affects — and who it doesn't
Not every expired-permit case belongs on this portal. There's an older, separate system still running for the backlog: for permits expired between 22 February 2020 and 30 June 2025, use services.aima.gov.pt rather than the Renewals Portal. Those cases were extended inside Portugal — but that grace period isn't open-ended. Permits in this category were extended until 15 April 2026 inside Portugal, and that deadline has now passed for most cases. If you're in that older bracket and haven't been notified or renewed, treat it as urgent — don't assume the July–August portal applies to you.
How to actually use it
Log in at portal-renovacoes.aima.gov.pt, submit the renewal request with supporting documents, and pay the fee through a generated payment slip. One practical snag worth flagging: the slip can only be paid 24 hours after it is issued, so factor that delay into your timeline rather than leaving payment to the last moment. Once approved, the system now issues an immediate downloadable proof of renewal — a real improvement over the old paper-appointment backlog, since it comes complete with a QR code for verification, ideal for travel or employment proof.
Document prep is where most people lose time. A renewal file typically needs your current or expired residence permit card, valid passport, updated proof of accommodation, current proof of financial means, valid health insurance, and a criminal record certificate from Portugal. The criminal record certificate is the trap: criminal record certificates typically have a three-month validity window, so obtaining them too early can result in them expiring before AIMA processes your renewal.
GrowIN's read on the timing: work backward from your expiry date, not forward from "today." Portuguese law technically lets you file up to 30 days before your current residence permit expires, but a criminal record certificate is only good for roughly 90 days. If you order it on day 30 and AIMA's queue runs long, it can lapse before a decision is made — forcing you to reorder it mid-process. Our recommendation: request your criminal record certificate and start the file around 60–75 days before expiry, not 30. That buffer absorbs processing delays without your paperwork going stale.
"A permit that's technically 'covered' by an extension and a permit that's actually renewed are not the same thing when you're standing at a border desk," as GrowIN Portugal Editorial puts it — and it's borne out by real cases: AIMA says you can still use expired permits, but other entities do not recognise the expired permit, and it is very risky to travel out of Portugal with one.
What to watch next
AIMA has signalled it intends to keep accelerating the rollout — the agency says it will gradually add additional months to the portal in the coming weeks to accommodate further expiries and avoid overwhelming the system. Expect November–December 2026 expiries to open sometime this autumn. If your card expires later this year, check the portal periodically rather than waiting for an email — and if your registered email address is outdated, fix it now through AIMA's contact form, since notifications and access both depend on it.
For a fuller walkthrough of AIMA processes and what each permit type actually requires, see our visas hub. If your renewal file is stuck or your dates don't fit neatly into either portal, our services team handles AIMA renewal casework day to day and can tell you fast which system you're actually meant to be using.
The bottom line for summer expiries: the portal is open, the paperwork is predictable, and the only real danger left is procrastination.
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