Claims against AIMA to be filed in the court of the applicant’s residence
The Government announced in the Council of Ministers a package to decongest immigration litigation: urgent claims against AIMA are to be filed in the court of the applicant’s seat or residence, ending the concentration in the Lisbon Administrative Court, where more than 130 thousand cases came to be pending. Also envisaged are specialised immigration courts and a simplified procedure for administrative actions up to €15,000. The Superior Council of the Administrative and Tax Courts welcomed the measure on 28/07. Note: these are proposals still to be submitted to Parliament — for now the current rules stand.
Ref.: Council of Ministers announcement and CSTAF position, 28/07/2026 (Lusa).
Judicial task force issued 22,436 rulings in a quarter — August pause
According to the CSTAF’s report released on 28/07, the 27 judges assigned to AIMA litigation issued 22,436 rulings and 47,563 procedural acts between April and June — around 18-20% of the initial backlog. Activity is suspended during the August court vacation and resumes in September, in the second phase of the six-month plan. The overwhelming majority are urgent claims over AIMA’s failure to schedule appointments or decide. Anyone who filed recently should not expect a decision in August.
Ref.: official CSTAF report (April-June 2026), via Lusa, 28/07/2026.
Social security number now issued automatically at AIMA appointments
Since late July, anyone starting a regularisation process at AIMA automatically receives their Social Security Identification Number (NISS), issued in real time at the appointment itself, through a digital link between AIMA and Social Security. A follow-up trip to a Social Security desk is no longer needed — in 2025, around 250 thousand people visited those services just to request a NISS. Direct impact on hiring foreign workers and starting contributions. Since 1 July, the Renewals Portal also accepts applications for permanent residence certificates and cards for EU citizens and their family members.
Ref.: official announcement via Lusa, 15/07/2026; aima.gov.pt.
Nationality: implementing rules for the new law not yet published — deadline expires mid-August
Organic Law no. 1/2026 of 18 May, in force since 19 May, raised residence periods for naturalisation (7 years CPLP/EU; 10 years for others) and created new language, culture and means-of-subsistence requirements — but pending applications follow the old law. The statute gave the Government 90 days to revise the Nationality Regulation (Decree-Law no. 237-A/2006), a deadline expiring in mid-August; as at 1 August, the new regulation had not yet been published. In practice, new rules such as the language and culture tests await implementation, which counsels caution in preparing applications over the coming weeks.
Ref.: Organic Law no. 1/2026, Official Gazette, 1st series, no. 95, 18/05/2026 (art. 4).
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