How do you get EU long-term resident status in Portugal?

Checked on 2026-10-25

Portugal's immigration law grants EU long-term resident status to non-EU nationals with five years of legal, uninterrupted residence immediately before applying, stable and regular resources, health insurance, housing and basic Portuguese. AIMA must decide within six months, extendable by three; no decision within nine months counts as approval. The card is valid for at least five years.

Key facts

What	The law says	Source
Residence	Legal and uninterrupted residence in Portugal for the 5 years immediately before the application	Lei 23/2007, art. 126.1(a)
Money	Stable and regular resources for you and your family, without relying on social assistance; assessed against the minimum wage and pensions	Lei 23/2007, art. 126.1(b) and 126.6
Insurance	Health insurance	Lei 23/2007, art. 126.1(c)
Housing	You must have accommodation	Lei 23/2007, art. 126.1(d)
Language	Basic Portuguese	Lei 23/2007, art. 126.1(e)
Absences allowed	Under 6 consecutive months and no more than 10 months in total within the 5 years	Lei 23/2007, art. 126.4
Decision deadline	6 months, extendable by 3 months; no decision within 9 months counts as approval	Lei 23/2007, art. 129.4–6
Card	EU long-term residence permit, valid at least 5 years, renewable on request	Lei 23/2007, art. 130.1–2
Losing it	12 consecutive months outside the EU, or 6 consecutive years outside Portugal, unless justified	Lei 23/2007, art. 131.1–3

Who can apply

The status is for non-EU nationals who live legally in Portugal and meet the conditions (art. 125.1). You cannot get it if you are in Portugal on a residence permit for study, unpaid traineeship or volunteering; under temporary protection; only temporarily, as a seasonal worker, posted worker or cross-border service provider; or with diplomatic or consular status (art. 125.2).

Time spent on a study, unpaid training or volunteering permit counts at half towards the five years once you hold a permit that allows the status (art. 126.3). Time as a seasonal or posted worker or cross-border service provider doesn’t count (art. 126.2).

The conditions

The law says the status “is granted” to a non-EU national who:

has lived in Portugal legally and without interruption for the five years immediately before applying;
has stable and regular resources sufficient for themselves and their family members without using the social solidarity subsystem;
has health insurance;
has housing;
shows basic Portuguese.

Absences shorter than six months in a row, and no more than ten months in total within the five years, do not break the period (art. 126.4). The status can be refused on public order or public security grounds, but not for economic reasons (art. 127).

Applying and the decision

You apply at the AIMA office for your area of residence, with documents proving the conditions and a valid travel document (art. 129.1–2). The law says you must be notified of the decision in writing as soon as possible and within six months, which can be extended by three months in exceptional, complex cases. No decision within nine months counts as approval (art. 129.4–6). A refusal can be challenged in the administrative courts, with suspensive effect (art. 132.3).

The national permanent residence permit (art. 80) is a separate route with its own conditions, including five years on a temporary residence permit.

Sources

Lei n.º 23/2007, de 4 de julho (immigration law), arts. 125–132 (consolidated text as amended up to Lei n.º 62/2026, PGDL Lisboa) checked 2026-10-25

Change history

2026-10-25: Page created

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