AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo) is the Portuguese government agency responsible for immigration, integration, and asylum. It replaced SEF in October 2023.
AIMA — the Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo (Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum) — is the Portuguese government agency that handles all residence permit applications, biometrics appointments, and immigration enforcement in Portugal. It replaced the former SEF (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras) in October 2023 as part of a broader restructuring of Portugal's immigration system.
AIMA is responsible for: issuing and renewing residence permit cards, conducting biometrics appointments, processing Golden Visa (ARI) applications, registering EU citizens exercising free movement rights, and handling asylum applications.
AIMA operates regional offices (delegações) across Portugal. The Lisbon office handles the highest volume and has the longest processing times. Regional offices in the Algarve, Centro, and Alentejo typically process permits faster due to lower application volumes.
Based on Visas.pt case data from 2023–2026, average AIMA processing times (from biometrics to card delivery) are:
These times have improved significantly from the 11+ month peak seen at AIMA's launch in late 2023, when a large backlog from SEF was inherited.