Portugal Family Reunification
Bring your family to Portugal by sponsoring their residence authorization.
For: Family members of legal residents or Portuguese citizens.Estimated Timeline
4-8 months
The Application Process
Step by step, from start to approval.
AIMA Application
The sponsor (the family member with a Portuguese residence permit or Portuguese passport) files the family-reunification request through AIMA's online portal. The procedure is sponsor-driven: the family abroad doesn't act yet.
- Sponsor uploads proof of relationship (apostilled marriage, civil partnership, or birth certificates) along with sworn translations into Portuguese.
- Income evidence: AIMA looks at the IAS (Indexante dos Apoios Sociais), with the sponsor needing income at or above 100% IAS, plus 50% per additional adult and 30% per child.
- Adequate housing: rental contract or property deed in the sponsor's name, with documentation showing the home is suitable for the whole family.
- Family members must hold a clean criminal record from every country where they've lived in the past 5 years.
Approval
AIMA examines the file and issues a decision. By law, decisions should arrive within 90 days, although delays are common during periods of high case volume. An approval is communicated to the relevant Portuguese consulate abroad.
- If denied, the sponsor can appeal within 30 days. Most denials hinge on insufficient income, weak housing evidence, or unclear documentation of the relationship.
- Approval is usually valid for 90 days at the consulate: the family must apply within that window or risk lapse.
- Spouses and registered partners follow the standard timeline; dependent parents over 65 require an additional financial-dependency demonstration.
Consular Visa
Once approval is in place, the family applies for the residence visa at the Portuguese consulate covering their country of residence. This is the visa that allows them to enter Portugal for the AIMA stage.
- Each family member files individually, with original passports, biometric photos, and apostilled civil documents.
- Consular fee is approximately €90 per applicant.
- Visa decisions usually take 4 to 8 weeks once the AIMA approval is on file at the consulate.
- Issued visas are valid for 4 months and allow two entries into Portugal.
Residence Permit
Family members enter Portugal during the visa window and attend their AIMA appointment for biometrics and final card issuance. The permit is valid for the same duration as the sponsor's permit, typically 2 years initially.
- Register at the local parish council (junta de freguesia) immediately after arrival to obtain a residency address record.
- Children of school age should be enrolled at a local school: AIMA reviews this at renewal time.
- After 5 years of joint legal residence, family members can apply for permanent residence or Portuguese citizenship independently of the sponsor.
- Reunified spouses and adult children are entitled to work, study, and access the Serviço Nacional de Saúde on the same terms as the sponsor.
Core Requirements
What you need to qualify for this visa.
Sponsor must hold a valid Portuguese residence permit (or be a Portuguese citizen)
Proof of family relationship (marriage/birth certificates, apostilled and translated)
Sponsor must demonstrate income based on the IAS (approximately €509/month for the sponsor, plus ~€255/month per additional family member)
Adequate housing for the family
Health insurance or access to the Portuguese National Health Service
Do You Qualify?
Answer a few quick questions to see if you meet the key requirements for this visa.
Do you have a close family member who is a legal resident in Portugal?
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