🛂 25 Months of AIMA Silence: The Hack That Finally Worked

Happy Sunday, amigos 😎

Despite the continued bad weather and storms wreaking havoc across Portugal, we had a sliver of sun break through in the form of a residency renewal appointment for our daughter!

Those who've followed the newsletter for a while will know that we've been waiting since December 2023 for an opportunity to renew our daughter's residency card. My husband's and my renewal came through just before SEF dissolved into AIMA, but our daughter wasn't so lucky.

If you've been waiting for a renewal invitation with no glimmer of hope on the horizon, the little hack my friend at AIMA shared with me might just be the solution you've been praying for.

And speaking of prayers and helping out, if you'd like to get more involved in supporting communities affected by these storms, I've included some practical tips on how you can contribute, recently shared in Jorge Branco's newsletter, Portugal Weekly.

Let's dive in, shall we?

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Castro Laboreiro Castle crowns a 1,033‑metre peak on the edge of Peneda‑Gerês National Park, so visiting it feels more like hiking onto a rocky summit than walking into a conventional fortress. Its origins go back at least to the 10th century and it became a key border stronghold after Afonso Henriques took the area in the 12th century, guarding the northern frontier against León and later Castile. Today only ruined walls and gates remain, but from up there you get sweeping views over the Laboreiro valley and can clearly see why it was once such a strategic “watchtower” over the mountains.

Severe storms have caused widespread damage across parts of central Portugal, and local authorities are still asking for support. If you’re able to help, whether with donations, services, or simply sharing information, here are the most effective ways to do so.

According to Expresso, the highest-priority donations right now are essential, non-perishable food items, water, and hygiene supplies.

🫶 With thanks to Jorge Branco from Portugal Weekly for his consistently clear, well-researched, and timely reporting during the recent storms. I highly recommend subscribing to his weekly newsletter for news about Portugal, written in English and delivered straight to your inbox.

I want to share something that finally helped us break through a long-standing AIMA deadlock and secure an in-person residency renewal appointment for our daughter.

⚠️ This may not work for everyone.

But after 25 months of waiting, zero movement, and no lawyers* involved, this legal-free breakthrough felt too important not to share… just in case it helps someone else who's stuck where we were.

*(Side note: Yes, hiring legal help probably would've been faster. But between hospital emergencies and everything else life threw at us these past two years, this free hack was exactly what we needed.)

Also… a huge shoutout to my friend-in-high-places, Susana, for sharing this tip. You absolute lifesaver 💛

This worked for us because our daughter fell into the category of residency renewals due before 1 July 2025.

If you’re:

…but nothing ever actually happens, this might be worth trying.

Like many of you, we:

All we ever received was an automated email saying we’d be contacted with payment details.

We never were.

We were stuck in limbo, unable to move to the next step: making the payment of the renewal fee.

IMPORTANT: This process assumes you've never created an AIMA password. If you already have one, you might need to adapt these steps.

Assuming you've gone through the frustration described above, here's what to do:

Step 1: Go to the AIMA Services page and click on Renewal of Residence Permits and CPLP.

Step 2: Access the Personal Area

On the page that follows, do NOT click "I was not notified" (we know that doesn't work).

This time, click "Personal Area".

Step 3: The Login Screen

You'll land on a login screen asking for an email and password.

If you've never created a password on the AIMA portal (which in this case, obviously we haven't):

Step 4: Reset Your Password

Step 5: Log In

Return to the login page:

👉 https://services.aima.gov.pt/RAR/login.php

Log in with your email + new password.

✨ If the AIMA gods are smiling on you, this is where the magic happens ✨

You should now see the renewal fee amount due. Fireworks 🎆

📍 Take the reference to a Multibanco and complete the payment.*

*I was extra nervous about this step (25 months of waiting will do that to you), so I asked for help at Millennium BCP. The lovely banker walked me through it, and we successfully paid the fee.

👉 Keep the payment receipt safe.

Fair warning: The payment did not reflect on the AIMA system for four full days, during which I was quietly spiralling.

But then… The email arrived. We have an in in-person appointment. I did the floss… in public.

The portal indicates that any missing personal information must be updated and all required documents uploaded before the process is considered complete. And printed copies must still be presented in person.

What We'll Share After the Appointment

I'll do a follow-up update once we've had our appointment to confirm:

As I like being ready for anything (I mean, we've been here over 4 years, we know the red tape here gets thick), I'll be sure to share a complete update.

I hope this helps someone who, like us, has been waiting for a long time for a renewal appointment.

Are you in another boat completely? Please share your journey and frustrations with me. What's your experience been like? And if you've navigated it successfully, please share that too! Maybe we can help some more people figure out how to be legal residents. 😉

In this video, Mia explains the informal expression:

👉 “Dá-me um jeitinho.”

In European Portuguese, “dá-me um jeitinho” is an informal, spoken expression - closer to slang - that can be used as an informal “excuse me” in everyday conversations. It’s something you’ll mainly hear in spoken Portuguese, not in formal situations.

🗣 Curious to learn more about the Portuguese language and culture? Mia’s free starter course “Kickstart Your Portuguese - The Basics” is a great place to start.

💡 Mia from Mia Esmeriz Academy is a Portuguese teacher from Porto with more than 15 years of experience teaching foreigners. She helps expats become fluent in Portuguese in a clear and practical way. Alongside her courses, she also shares free content on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Thanks for reading! 💌

Hustle on!

Angelique🧞‍♀️

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