If you are a non-EU family member of a Portuguese citizen and AIMA's Article 15 appointment form will not submit, you are not the only person having trouble. One applicant recently found that switching from the English page to the Portuguese version allowed her request to go through. Others have described similar problems, particularly around the residency card number field.
Here is a walkthrough of the Portuguese form, with English explanations for each stage, plus what we know and what remains unclear.
Why we wrote this guide
On 2 November 2026, a member of our Moving to Portugal Facebook group shared an update to an Article 15 form problem. She holds a UK passport, is married to a Portuguese citizen and was trying to request her residence card appointment. The English version would not accept the residency card number field, even though the field did not appear to be mandatory. An attempt to enter 'Not applicable' was rejected.
She later tried the Portuguese version, followed the same steps and reported that the request was successfully submitted. Another member with a similar problem said they intended to try it too. The successful report did not explain what, if anything, was entered in the residency card number field.
This is not an isolated discussion. Applicants on multiple platforms have reported similar problems since at least September 2025. The reports include:
- September 2025: a Portuguese citizen seeking an appointment for a British spouse received an invalid card number message. Other applicants reported the same difficulty.
- January 2026: an applicant described an error involving the locked message field on the English form. Selecting Portuguese got past that error, but a separate warning then said the passport number had already been used.
- January 2026: another discussion described repeated residency card number errors, a document-type dropdown that did not always appear, and advice to try Chrome with the page in its original Portuguese.
- April 2026: an applicant advised others to keep the form in Portuguese after experiencing crashes when using English.
- July 2026 application, reported in October: an American married to a Portuguese citizen said they submitted the form in Portuguese on 12 July and received an appointment email the following day. That is one person's experience, not a typical waiting time.
These accounts are useful troubleshooting clues, but they are not evidence that every error has the same cause. We checked the Portuguese form ourselves on 3 November 2026. We could view its fields and instructions, but we did not submit a request, reproduce the reported error or test leaving the residency card field blank.
Before you start: what you need
Have your details and digital documents ready before opening the form:
- Your valid passport and the name, date of birth, nationality and passport number shown on it.
- Your email address and mobile number. AIMA sends a verification code by email before the full form opens.
- Evidence of the family relationship, such as a marriage certificate, or evidence of partner status where relevant.
- The Portuguese citizen's Cartão de Cidadão, in a clear digital copy. This is the identification document AIMA specifies where the person through whom you claim the right is Portuguese.
- Evidence of dependency or other qualifying circumstances if these apply to your particular relationship and application.
The general form instructions also refer to an EU citizen's registration certificate and, in particular cases, proof of a shared household or serious health reasons requiring personal assistance. For a Portuguese citizen, AIMA separately says to include their Cartão de Cidadão. See our explanation of AIMA's document rules for non-EU family members for further context.
Important: When we checked, the upload section displayed a minimum of five files and a maximum of six. That may not match the number of supporting documents needed for a straightforward application involving a Portuguese spouse. We have not verified how applicants resolve that mismatch, so do not create irrelevant or inaccurate documents just to reach the number.
Who is this form for?
This walkthrough is for non-EU family members of Portuguese citizens living in Portugal who need to request an Article 15 residence card appointment. It explains the appointment request, not the later decision on the residence card.
There is a wording problem worth knowing about. On 3 November 2026, the Portuguese form's instructions said it applied only to family members of Portuguese citizens. They also said that family members of beneficiaries of the Equal Rights and Duties Statute would not be considered for an appointment under that form. Yet the same instructions still listed documents for family members of EU citizens generally.
AIMA's published Article 15 appointment notice describes the form as available to non-EU family members of EU citizens. Its later clarification also discusses family members of EU citizens. A separate AIMA notice expressly confirms that the form is available to family members of Portuguese citizens.
We found no AIMA announcement explaining a change that reconciles the narrower on-screen wording with these broader published notices. The scope of the wording remains unclear. If your family member is a citizen of another EU country rather than Portugal, get advice about the correct procedure before relying on this form. We would not treat the on-screen wording alone as a definitive answer to your eligibility.
Step by step: completing the form in Portuguese
The screenshots in this guide have English annotations to help you recognise each field, but the form itself should remain in Portuguese while you try this workaround. Its layout or wording may change after the date we checked it.
Step 1: Open the form and choose Article 15
Visit contactenos.aima.gov.pt/contact-form. It opened in English in our browser on 3 November. Use the language menu at the top right to select Portuguese.
Under Tipo de Assunto (subject type), select Cartão de Residência UE (EU residence card). Under Subtipo de Assunto (subject subtype), select Pedido de agendamento - Cartão de Residência ao abrigo do artigo 15 (appointment request for a residence card under Article 15).
Step 2: Verify your email address
Enter your email address, then click Enviar Código (send code). AIMA sends a six-digit Código de Validação (validation code) by email. The message we saw came from noreply@aima.gov.pt.
Copy the six digits into the validation field and choose Validar Código (validate code). If the message is not in your inbox, check your spam or junk folder. On our visit, the resend timer was approximately five minutes; this may vary.
Step 3: Read the instructions before entering your details
After email verification, the full form opens with an instructions box. It says the form is for family members of Portuguese citizens and excludes family members of beneficiaries of the Equal Rights and Duties Statute from appointment consideration through this form.
The document list covers a valid passport, proof of your relationship to the EU citizen or partner status, and the EU citizen's registration certificate. Depending on the family relationship, it also calls for evidence of dependency, a competent authority's document confirming dependency or a shared household, or evidence of serious health reasons requiring personal assistance. Where the rights holder is Portuguese, their Cartão de Cidadão is the specified proof of nationality. The instructions warn that requests outside the subject's scope will be disregarded.
Read the notice on the live website carefully rather than relying only on a screenshot. If its requirements conflict with your situation, ask for help before sending the request.
Step 4: Enter the applicant's details
Next, complete the details of the non-EU family member applying for the residence card. The following labels appeared on the Portuguese form:
| Portuguese label | Meaning in English |
|---|---|
| Tem mobilidade reduzida * | Do you have reduced mobility? Select Sim (yes) or Não (no). |
| Nome Completo * | Full name. |
| Data de Nascimento * | Date of birth. |
| Nacionalidade * | Nationality. |
| Número de Telemóvel * | Mobile phone number. |
| Número do Passaporte * | Passport number. |
| Número do Cartão/Título de Residência | Residence card or permit number. No asterisk was shown beside this field. |
An asterisk (*) identifies a field marked as required on the form. Check names and numbers against your documents, and use the date format requested by the website. Do not assume that a generic error message tells you which field is wrong.
The Número do Cartão/Título de Residência field is the one that has caused particular confusion. We explain the uncertainty separately below rather than recommending an unverified entry.
Step 5: Enter the Portuguese family member's details
The form calls the person through whom you claim the residence right the Titular do Direito (holder of the right). For this guide, that is your Portuguese family member.
| Portuguese label | Meaning in English |
|---|---|
| Nome Completo do Titular do Direito * | Full name of the rights holder. |
| Nacionalidade do Titular do Direito * | Nationality of the rights holder. |
| Tipo de Documento do Titular do Direito * | Type of identification document held by that person. |
| Documento do Titular do Direito * | Document details for the rights holder, as requested by the form. |
For Tipo de Documento do Titular do Direito, the options we saw were Cartão de Cidadão and Cartão Residencia União Europeia. For a Portuguese citizen, the relevant identity document is their Cartão de Cidadão. Check the live form's instructions and the document itself when completing the associated details.
The Mensagem (message) field was already filled with the Article 15 subtopic text and could not be edited. A report from January 2026 described a validation error involving this locked field when the English interface was used.
Step 6: Upload documents and review the request
Choose Selecionar ficheiros (select files) and attach the documents relevant to your application. This upload control was marked with an asterisk.
On 3 November, the upload box displayed 1024MB per file and Mínimo: 5, Máximo: 6 (minimum five files, maximum six). These are the figures displayed on the form, not a guarantee that every large file will upload successfully.
The minimum of five files is especially confusing when a Portuguese spouse's situation appears to require fewer distinct supporting documents. We do not know how applicants are resolving this requirement. We cannot recommend inventing extra documents or using duplicates simply to satisfy a file counter. If it blocks a genuine application, ask AIMA or seek individual assistance.
Before you select Submeter Pedido (submit request), check the spelling of all names and document numbers, review your attachments and make sure you are still on the Portuguese version of the site. Some applicants have reported fewer upload problems after reducing file sizes or using simple filenames without unusual characters, but those are practical suggestions from users, not confirmed technical requirements from AIMA.
The residency card number field, explained
Número do Cartão/Título de Residência means residence card or residence permit number. It sounds straightforward, but it can be confusing for somebody applying for their first card through a Portuguese spouse.
In an October 2025 clarification, AIMA described the requested number as the number of the EU citizen's family member who already holds a valid residence title. Other reports have treated the field as asking for the EU citizen's number. The independent Portugalist guide advises entering the EU family member's CRUE registration number rather than the applicant's number.
These explanations are not easy to reconcile, and the CRUE advice does not obviously fit a Portuguese spouse. A Portuguese citizen holds a Cartão de Cidadão, not a CRUE. That is why we are not providing a universal answer for this field.
What we can confirm is limited:
- When we viewed the Portuguese form on 3 November 2026, this field had no asterisk.
- Applicants have reported validation errors involving the field even when they believed it should not apply.
- The member whose Portuguese-language submission succeeded did not say what she entered in the field.
- We did not test leaving it blank and did not reproduce the error.
For an application involving a Portuguese spouse, we would rather examine the specific documents and error than tell you to enter a number we cannot verify. Our team can help through an immigration consultation.
If the form still will not submit
There is no single proven solution to every Article 15 contact form error. These checks are worth trying, in order, without changing information to something inaccurate:
- Keep the AIMA page in Portuguese. Use the website's own language menu rather than an English version or automatic page translation. This has helped some applicants, but it is not an official fix.
- Try Chrome. Some applicants have reported better results there. If you change browsers, return to the original Portuguese page and carefully recheck your details.
- Check the document type selection. Confirm that the rights holder's document type is visible and correctly selected. Some users said the dropdown appeared inconsistently. If you cannot see the required option, do not guess at an unrelated document type.
- Check your files. Make sure they are legible, relevant and within the limits actually shown on the page. Smaller files and simple filenames have helped some users, but the unexplained five-file minimum remains a separate issue.
- Read the exact error and record it. Check the date format, passport number and other entries. If the system says a passport number was already used, or keeps rejecting a residence number, do not change an identity number just to bypass validation.
Take a screenshot of the error for your records, but avoid sharing passport numbers or personal documents publicly. If you are still stuck, you can ask Visas.pt for help with your particular application.
What happens after you submit?
The Article 15 contact form is a way to request an appointment with AIMA. It is not the final residence card application decision, and a successful submission does not mean a residence card has been granted.
If the website gives you a submission acknowledgement or email, keep a copy. Watch the email address you provided, including the junk folder, for further messages from AIMA. Applicants have reported very different intervals between submitting the request and receiving an appointment, so an account of a next-day response is not a reliable estimate for your case.
When an appointment is offered, read the email carefully for its location, date and any documents requested. The documents you need at an appointment may extend beyond what you initially uploaded. For more background, see our guide to AIMA appointments in 2026.
If you would prefer assistance throughout the wider residence process rather than help with a single form, you can also explore our full visa assistance service. We can assess which support is appropriate for your circumstances.
Common questions
Does switching to Portuguese fix the AIMA Article 15 form?
Some applicants say it helped them submit, but AIMA has not confirmed a language bug and it does not work for everyone.
What do I enter in Número do Cartão/Título de Residência if my spouse is Portuguese?
AIMA's form showed no asterisk beside this field when we checked. The successful applicant report does not say what was entered, and we have not tested leaving it blank. The published guidance does not clearly explain what to enter for a Portuguese spouse holding a Cartão de Cidadão, so seek individual advice rather than guessing.
Is the residency card number field mandatory?
It had no asterisk on the Portuguese form checked on 3 November 2026, but applicants have reported validation errors anyway. We have not confirmed whether the form can be submitted with it blank.
Why does the Article 15 form ask for at least five files?
On 3 November 2026, the upload area displayed a minimum of five files and a maximum of six. This may not match the documents needed for an application involving a Portuguese spouse. We have not confirmed how applicants deal with the discrepancy.
Can family members of other EU citizens use this form?
AIMA's published notices describe an Article 15 form for family members of EU citizens, but the live Portuguese instructions we saw on 3 November 2026 said it applied only to family members of Portuguese citizens. The wording is unclear, so take individual advice before relying on the form.
Does submitting the form mean my residence card has been approved?
No. Submitting the form requests an AIMA appointment. An appointment request is not approval or issuance of a residence card.
Sources
We checked the Portuguese form on 3 November 2026 without submitting it. Official AIMA information and the following first-hand applicant discussions informed this guide:
- AIMA: contact form.
- AIMA: Article 15 appointments for non-EU family members of EU citizens.
- AIMA: clarification on EU family member residence card appointments.
- AIMA: Article 15 appointments for family members of Portuguese citizens.
- Moving to Portugal: applicant's Article 15 form update, 2 November 2026.
- r/PortugalExpats: contact form problems, September 2025.
- r/PortugalExpats: Article 15 form and appointment confusion, January 2026.
- r/PortugalExpats: residence card number field, January 2026.
- r/PortugalExpats: Article 15 process update, April 2026.
- r/PortugalExpats: July 2026 submission experience, shared October 2026.
- Portugalist: non-EU family members and Article 15.