Work Visa for Portugal. Part 2.

In the first part I explained which documents we prepared and submitted to the Portuguese embassy in Belgrade, Serbia. We stopped at the point where we successfully submitted the documents on November 24, 2024, and all we had left to do was wait.

Waiting for a Response from AIMA

AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo) is the Portuguese migration service. If you want to obtain a residence permit, this is where you need to go. After we submitted our documents at the Portuguese embassy, they were sent to AIMA in Portugal a few days later for an immigration officer to review and decide whether to approve our visa. The consul assured us that the process could take up to 30 days. We were skeptical about this timeframe, as many people wait 2–4 months or even six months for a visa response. During the review process, the officer might request additional documents if they find something missing or unsatisfactory.

I checked my email every day. Each time a message arrived, it felt like a lottery—I hoped it would be from the Portuguese consulate. But most of the time, it was automated newsletters from services I had subscribed to.

The promised 30 days passed, but there was still no email. I was mentally prepared for this, especially with the New Year holidays approaching. I assumed the email would arrive, at best, after the holidays—sometime in mid-January 2025.

Then, miraculously, on January 8, I received an email. The phone notification showed it was from the Portuguese consulate, but I couldn’t see the full message. Those were some nerve-wracking seconds—I took a deep breath, opened the email, and started reading.

“This is to inform that your visa applications have been approved. One of you can bring the passports on Monday, January 13th, at 09:30h.”

There it was—the cherished words: “Your visa has been approved.” The email included the date and time for visiting the embassy to have the visa affixed to the passport. As you can see, we had only five days to appear at the consulate.

Back to the Portuguese Embassy

As I mentioned in the previous article, we live in Montenegro. The nearest Portuguese embassy is in Serbia. So we packed our things and headed to Belgrade. Again.

As usual, we traveled by car, which took about 7–8 hours. This time, we stayed near the consulate, within walking distance, to avoid getting stuck in traffic like last time and to ensure we arrived on time.

The next morning, 10 minutes before the scheduled time, we were at the embassy. By then, three other people had already arrived, presumably also there for visa “stamping.” In order of arrival, you could ring the intercom, and without any questions, they would open the door. At the entrance, they simply collected the passports and told us to return at 12:00.

We spent a few hours walking around and returned at 11:50, deciding to wait until exactly 12:00. However, at that moment, an elderly woman, who likely worked at the embassy, arrived at the gates and told everyone to come inside. The consul’s assistant came out into the courtyard and started handing out passports with visas. Most people were receiving tourist Schengen visas. However, she spent more time with us, as we also needed some instructions.

Obtaining the Visa

The most important thing to check when receiving your visa is that the visa must include a web link for an appointment with AIMA. As I mentioned earlier, the visa grants the right to enter the country, but it’s only part of the process to obtain a residence permit (VNZh). To get a residence permit, you need to book an appointment with AIMA to submit additional documents and apply for VNZh. However, under the new laws, it is only possible to book such an appointment from within Portugal under one category—for highly qualified workers. Even then, people use the help of special "callers" who, for a fee, spend days calling AIMA to secure an appointment for you. Moreover, at the time we were deciding how best to apply for a visa, appointments under this category were temporarily closed. When they would reopen was unclear (and as of now, it is known that such categories have been permanently closed). That’s why we chose the route of obtaining a visa outside Portugal.

For us, the visa itself wasn’t as important since we could enter Portugal through other means. What mattered was securing an appointment with AIMA. And yes, in the visa itself, in the passport, there was a printed link, which, when followed, showed the date and place of the appointment with AIMA. The consul's assistant also printed out additional sheets with the appointment details and stamped them for us.

Additionally, it’s important to verify that the visa contains the correct start and expiration dates. The total validity period is 120 days. At the same time, check the visa type—"D."

Our visa starts from the date of issuance because it was processed after the requested date stated in our application.

It’s done—we have the visa, granting us the right to enter Portugal and, most importantly, the appointment with AIMA to submit documents for the residence permit.

“A Spoonful of Tar”

While we were happily driving home, we noticed two problems:

1. The appointment date with AIMA is two weeks later than the visa expiration date.
2. All three of us had appointments on the same day, almost at the same time, but in three different cities.

As it turned out later, it’s not a big issue that the appointment date falls outside the visa's validity period. Nowadays, this is quite normal. According to the new legislation, even if the visa has expired and the AIMA appointment is still pending, it is not considered a violation of Portugal's residency laws. Previously, they tried to schedule appointments within the visa's validity period, but due to the inefficiency of the immigration service and the lack of available slots in AIMA, many couldn’t submit their documents on time. As part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs' restructuring, many individuals have expired documents through no fault of their own, and there have even been mass cases of securing AIMA slots through the courts. This is why the government issued a decree stating that all expired documents, including residence permits, visas, temporary statuses, etc., are considered valid until summer 2025.

AIMA appointment dates and locations are assigned automatically—each person gets a separate appointment with its own time and location. The system doesn’t distinguish between adults and children, which means a child may get an appointment in a different city, separate from their parents. Now it’s unclear how all three of us are supposed to submit our documents on the same day, at the same time, but in three different cities.

However, the consulate assistant explained to us that children can apply together with the primary applicant, even if their appointment is at a different location. Still, if Zhenya and I can apply in one place, Katya will have to be in another city at the same time to submit her application separately from us. These issues will need to be resolved in May 2025.

On the plus side, our appointments were scheduled in small towns, where the queues are much shorter than in Lisbon.

Personal Account in the Online AIMA Service

You can check your appointment in the online AIMA service. Appointment dates and locations are often rescheduled, and you might not be notified. You can find out about changes in your personal account in the AIMA online service.

Registering an Account in the Online AIMA Service

To register, first follow this link. It’s better not to change the language for reliability.

• On the page, find and click “Login.”
• A form to log into your account will appear. Since you don’t have an account yet, there will be a registration link “registe-se” above the form. Click on it.
• A registration form will appear.
• Visa number - This is the number in the top-right corner of your visa in the passport. It consists only of numbers.
• Password - It must include special characters. Your usual passwords likely don’t meet this requirement. When you create a new one, you may forget it after two years. This is a common problem. People often cannot recall their passwords when renewing their residence permits later. So, make sure to reliably memorize or even write down your password.
• Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive an email with a link. You need to confirm your registration by clicking on it.
• After that, you can log into your account via the “Login” form.
• Once logged in, you’ll see the navigation menu in your personal account. Choose AGENDAMENTOS (appointments).
• If you see appointments, you’re in luck.
• If no appointments are listed, this is common. We faced the same issue. Appointments are manually rescheduled, which takes a lot of time. In this situation, you need to call AIMA operators and provide your personal email and visa number, so they can link your email to your visa (appointment). If your appointment is rescheduled, you’ll receive a notification via email.

Documents for Residence Permit (ВНЖ)

After receiving your visa and having an appointment scheduled, you need to bring specific documents on the day of your residence permit (ВНЖ) application.

The document list in this article may undergo changes. Our appointment is scheduled for the end of May 2025. By that time, we will gather the necessary documents, and I will add detailed information for each one.

Main Applicant

Fill out the official residence permit application form.

Rental agreement registered with the tax authorities

This means you need an official agreement where the landlord pays taxes. Alternatively, you can obtain a residence certificate. The landlord accompanies you to a specific organization and confirms that you live at their property on a permanent basis, and you can get this certificate there.

Sole Proprietorship (ИП/FOP)

For a D2 visa, you need to provide documents confirming that you already have a registered sole proprietorship (ИП/FOP) in Portugal.

Contract with a Portuguese company

To obtain a residence permit under a D2 work visa, you need to present a contract with a Portuguese company.

“Recibos” (Invoices)

To prove your sole proprietorship (ИП/FOP) is operational, you must show that you receive payments for your services. “Recibos” are invoices issued by your employer (client).

Proof of sufficient funds

This is the same requirement as when applying for the visa. Provide a bank statement, preferably in English, showing you have enough funds to live. Details are in the link above.

Note: Starting January 1, 2025, the amount is calculated based on the minimum wage of €870 instead of €840.

Portuguese bank account

You must open an account with a Portuguese bank. As of the time of writing, it’s easiest to do this with Novo Bank. Other banks may require additional documents (e.g., a tax office statement) or even refuse.

Social Security Number

Obtaining a social security number can be challenging. You need a residence permit to get one, but you also need the number for the permit application. To apply for the number, you must have a sole proprietorship (ИП/FOP), a rental agreement, and a visa. Approval is not guaranteed. If you are denied, you need to explain and provide proof of the rejection during your residence permit application.

By the way, this number is easily issued under “protection” status.

Tax Identification Number (NIF)

I obtained this during the visa application stage. Details here.

One-year health insurance

Simply purchase a local one-year health insurance policy that suits your needs.

Proof of legal entry into the country

The visa serves as proof, but in the past, they sometimes asked for airline tickets, hotel receipts, or passport stamps. Keep these documents just in case.

Family Members

Most documents are the same as for the main applicant. If the entire family applies at the same location, a single document may suffice. Otherwise, each family member must have their own copy.

Fill out the official residence permit application form.

Rental agreement registered with the tax authorities

Details here. >

Birth and marriage certificates

Ideally, obtain new duplicates with apostilles and translate them into Portuguese. For Portugal, our certificates are treated as temporary documents valid for three months. However, the same certificates used for the visa application may suffice if newly translated and notarized. Often, they consider the notarization date, not the certificate date.

Statement of financial responsibility

Termo responsabilidade is a declaration where I, as the main applicant, assume financial responsibility for each family member. You can download a template online. Be sure to notarize your signature.

School enrollment certificate (Matricula)

Obtain a certificate from the school confirming the child is officially enrolled. This is not mandatory if the application is submitted at the end of the school year, as schools may not accept new students during that time.

Proof of sufficient funds

Details here.

Sole proprietorship, contract with a Portuguese company, and “Recibos” (invoices)

Family members must also present these documents from the main applicant for their residence permit application.

Tax Identification Number (NIF)

All adult family members must obtain a tax identification number.

Social Security Number

Details here.

Additional Information.

Other documents that were submitted at the visa stage are no longer required. However, due to the incompetence of immigration service workers, they may demand some of these documents again. For example, a criminal record certificate. In this case, the law is on your side, but sometimes it is easier to just prepare another certificate in advance and hand it over than to argue.

Criminal Record Certificate.

I have written about this in detail here. Since we are from Ukraine, we need a criminal record certificate from Ukraine, for all adult family members as well. Additionally, we lived in Montenegro for over a year, so they might ask for one from Montenegro as well.

Conclusion.

It is now January 2025. We are preparing for the move. Out of the entire list of documents, in Montenegro, we will only obtain the criminal record certificates from Montenegro and a tax certificate from the Montenegrin tax office, to make it easier to open a bank account in Portugal. All other documents will be handled once we are in Portugal. In the next part, I will describe how the actual process of submitting documents for a residence permit took place, which will happen at the end of May 2025.