Renewing residence permits has become particularly difficult since the pandemic. As a result, the Portuguese Government has been extending the validity of residence permits since 2020, considering them valid even if the expiry date shown on the residence card has passed.
Currently, all residence permits that expired on or after February 22, 2020, are considered valid until October 15 of this year. This measure has been successively extended over the past five years.
To determine how a residence permit can be renewed, some distinctions must be made.

First, let’s look at the specific case of CPLP residence permits—those issued to citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries who had a pending expression of interest but chose not to wait for the process to conclude and requested this document instead. This document was a simple sheet of paper containing the holder’s data, which often raised doubts about its authenticity when presented in other EU countries.
To resolve this issue, the CPLP residence permit now follows the same model as any other temporary residence permit—the standard EU format.

So how is this replacement from the paper sheet to the standard model carried out?
The Task Force for Resolving Pending Cases at AIMA (the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum) is notifying all holders of this type of residence permit by email, according to the order of issuance. This email requests registration on a dedicated online platform.
Next, the permit holder must generate a Single Payment Document (DUC) on the platform to pay the applicable fees within 10 business days. After payment is confirmed, the applicant receives a proposed appointment date, time, and location for in-person attendance and biometric data collection. Closer to the appointment, they will receive instructions to resubmit updated information and documents to ensure the analysis is based on current data. Original documents must be presented at the appointment.
After the appointment, the holder only needs to wait for the new residence card to be mailed to their home.

For other types of residence permits, the process depends on the expiration date.
For residence permits valid until June 30, 2025, renewal is also managed by the same Task Force.
Holders are notified by email in chronological order based on the expiration date—from February 2020 to June 2025. Once notified, they must access the platform, generate a DUC for payment within 10 business days, and await confirmation. Afterward, they may be called for a biometric data update if needed (for example, if biometric data or passport has expired).

For residence permits valid after June 30, 2025, holders must request renewal themselves through the Renewal Portal, which is now available.
In this portal, they must generate the DUC, pay the required fees, and submit the legally required documentation.
Once the application is approved, they will be called to an AIMA service center for biometric data collection only if their passport or biometric data has expired. Otherwise, they simply wait for the new residence permit to be delivered.
Currently, the portal is available only for permits expiring between July and September 2025, but it is expected to gradually cover later expiration dates.