An holder of a residence permit in Portugal has the possibility of extending their right to move and stay in the national territory to their family members through family reunification. This means that, upon meeting certain requirements, the family members of a foreign citizen residing in Portugal can also apply for their Portuguese residence permit.
This possibility arises as soon as the primary resident receives their residence card and can be initiated in two different ways:
- It can occur if the applicant’s family is already in Portuguese territory, in which case the entire process of regularizing the migration status of these citizens takes place with AIMA, OR
- If the applicant’s family is in their home country, in which case the process is coordinated between AIMA and the Portuguese Consulate with jurisdiction in the home country.
Regulatory Decree No. 1/2024 introduced a new possibility for the family members of residence permit holders who are in national territory, promising to speed up the process of regularizing migration status.
Family reunification – how to apply?
Thus, the application for family reunification can now be submitted on the AIMA online platform when there is a child aged between 5 and 15 years in the applicant’s family. In this case, the possibility of online submission applies not only to the mentioned child but to the entire family of the family reunification holder.
Once the first residence card is granted to the reunited citizen, their migration course proceeds autonomously, meaning that even if the family bond is broken, the right to reside in Portugal remains.
To learn more about this subject or to start your family reunification process, do not hesitate to contact our team of lawyers.
