Portugal family reunification: stages and waiting times

Who needs which branch?

• For procedures started from 23 October 2025, the ordinary Article 98(1) sponsor condition is a valid residence authorisation held for at least two years, subject to the statutory exceptions.
• Article 98(2) is a 15-month condition for the specified spouse or equivalent who cohabited with the sponsor for at least 18 months before the sponsor entered Portugal. It is not the general in-country filing branch.
• Article 98(3) removes the ordinary waiting period for specified dependent minors or incapacitated family members, or for a spouse or equivalent who, with the residence-permit holder, is the parent or adopter of a dependent minor or incapacitated family member. It also covers specified family of holders of permits for teaching, highly qualified or cultural activity (Article 90), investment (Article 90-A) or an EU Blue Card (Article 121-A); Article 98(4) provides a separate exceptional waiver or reduction route.
• For a spouse or equivalent, Article 99(6) requires the relationship to be valid and recognised under Portuguese law and both partners to be at least 18 on the application date.
• An in-country request is not generally available to an ordinary spouse who entered as a visitor. Current Article 103(2) concerns Article 98(3) family members who are in Portugal and entered and remain there at the date of the request; the AIMA operational checklist separately asks for proof of legal entry. The 180-day transition from Law 61/2025 has expired.
• If the sponsor or applicant has refugee or subsidiary-protection status and the family member is outside the EU, stop before applying the ordinary resident-sponsor test. UNHCR describes a separate status-sensitive family-reunification route; an asylum seeker should not be treated as eligible through that route before protection is granted.

Document readiness by relationship

For the sponsor-led Article 98(1) filing with family outside Portugal, use this preparation checklist. AIMA asks for authenticated evidence; confirm the authentication, translation and consular-post instructions for each document.

Separate the stages

1. 1

   1. Confirm the legal branch and procedure start date

   Owner: Applicant and resident sponsor

   Before any authority clock

   Record whether the family member is outside Portugal or is in the narrow Article 103(2)/98(3) in-country cohort. Record whether the procedure began before or after 23 October 2025; do not apply the amended waiting rules automatically to an earlier pending procedure.

   Diario da Republica - Law 61/2025AIMA - operational page titled family member in Portugal
2. 2

   2. Prepare and submit the AIMA family-reunification request

   Owner: Resident sponsor / authorised applicant

   Appointment and document preparation: not centrally published

   The AIMA outside-Portugal page describes scheduled, in-person filing at an AIMA Loja with the sponsor authorisation, authenticated relationship and passport evidence, housing declaration, means of subsistence and criminal record. These preparation and appointment steps are separate from the Article 105 decision clock.

   AIMA - family member outside Portugal (Article 98(1) page)Portaria 1563/2007 - means of subsistence
3. 3

   3. Wait for the AIMA decision

   Owner: AIMA

   Nine months in law; not a typical range

   Article 105(1) states that the request must be decided within nine months. Article 105(2) allows an equal extension for exceptional complexity with notice, except for cases covered by Article 98(1) and Article 98(2). No current central median is published here.

   Diario da Republica - Law 61/2025
4. 4

   4. Submit the residence-visa request after approval

   Owner: Family member and competent consular post

   10 days for visa issuance after the Article 65(3) submission

   For the outside-Portugal route, AIMA communicates the favourable decision to consular authorities. Article 65(3) states that the residence visa is issued within 10 days after the request is submitted at the competent post. Appointment availability, document correction and travel are separate practical steps. MNE also publishes a general 60-day residence-visa deadline subject to legal exceptions; do not merge it with this family-reunification issuance rule.

   Diario da Republica - Article 65, as amended by Law 18/2022MNE - family reunification, general informationMNE - national visa deadlinesMNE - national visa fees
5. 5

   5. Enter Portugal and complete the residence-authorisation step

   Owner: Family member and AIMA

   Appointment/card timing: not centrally published

   The AIMA outside-Portugal instructions say that after approval and entry with the residence visa, the family member applies to AIMA for the residence authorisation. Do not treat the 10-day consular period or the nine-month AIMA decision period as a residence-card delivery promise.

   AIMA - family member outside Portugal (Article 98(1) page)