Visas issued by Portugal to citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries will expire by June 30th.
Here are the key points:
1. Visas issued by Portugal to nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries (CPLP) will expire by June 30, 2024.
2. Brazilians, who are citizens of a CPLP member country, constitute the largest nationality group in Portugal.
3. The measure will affect thousands of nationals from CPLP countries.
Nationals of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP) will see their long-term visas expire by June 30, 2024, as announced by the Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum (AIMA). This decision impacts citizens of nine countries who received such permits in March 2023 under a mobility agreement signed by Portugal.
AIMA has communicated this new measure to individuals whose residence permits are expiring, outlining options for extending their permits through email notifications. While these permits are not being automatically renewed, they will remain valid until June 30 under the legal provisions of a decree-law enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This law extends the validity of documents and visas related to long stays in Portugal until June 30, 2024, among other provisions.
Despite previous indications from government officials about a solution for visa renewal, no official announcements have been made thus far. CPLP nationals seeking to obtain a residence permit online must have expressed interest in obtaining the document by December 2022 or have obtained a CPLP consular residence visa issued after October 2022.
According to LUSa, over 93,000 CPLP nationals obtained residence permits within a month, with the majority being Brazilians (86.5%) followed by Angolans (3.8%). This measure has contributed to population growth in Portugal, particularly among Brazilians, who constitute the largest foreign nationality group in the country, with 233,138 residents by the end of 2022, representing approximately three percent of the Portuguese population.