When do you have to renew a temporary residence permit in Portugal?

Checked on 2026-10-25

Portugal's immigration law says you must apply to renew a temporary residence permit up to 30 days before it expires. You need means of subsistence, housing, tax and social security obligations met, and no prison sentences totalling over one year. The renewal receipt has the same effect as the residence card for 60 days, renewable.

Key facts

What	The law says	Source
Deadline to apply	Up to 30 days before the permit expires	Lei 23/2007, art. 78.1
Who applies, and where	You or your legal representative, at AIMA; in Madeira, at the competent regional services	Lei 23/2007, art. 81-A
Conditions	Means of subsistence, housing, tax and social security obligations met, no prison sentence(s) over one year in total	Lei 23/2007, art. 78.2
While you wait	The renewal receipt has the same effect as the residence card for 60 days, renewable	Lei 23/2007, art. 78.7
Decision deadline	60 days	Lei 23/2007, art. 82.6
Can be refused for	Public order or public security reasons	Lei 23/2007, art. 78.3

The 30-day rule

The law says renewal “must be requested up to 30 days before” the permit expires. In other words, the application should be in at least 30 days before the expiry date on your card.

What you must show

The law lists four conditions for renewal. You must:

have means of subsistence, as defined by the ministerial order (portaria) the law refers to;
have housing;
have met your tax and social security obligations;
not have been sentenced to prison terms that, alone or together, exceed one year. For some serious crimes listed in the law, this applies even if the sentence was suspended.

A person declared a fugitive from justice (contumaz) cannot have the permit renewed until they prove that status has ended (art. 78.5).

The law also says an illness that appeared after your first residence card was issued is not enough reason to refuse renewal (art. 78.4).

While the renewal is pending

The receipt you get when you apply to renew counts as your residence card for 60 days, and that period can be renewed. The law says AIMA must decide a renewal within 60 days.

How long the renewed permit lasts: renewals of a temporary residence permit are for three years at a time (Lei 23/2007, art. 75.1).
If the renewal is refused: the refusal must be notified to you with the reasons and with your right to challenge it in court and the time limit for doing so (Lei 23/2007, art. 82.8).

Sources

Lei n.º 23/2007, de 4 de julho (immigration law), arts. 78, 81-A and 82 (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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