Permanent residence and long-term resident status

After some years on a temporary residence permit, Portuguese law offers two routes to a situation with no end date: the permanent residence permit and long-term resident status. They look alike, but they count years differently and have different requirements and different cards. This guide explains each, compares them and says how to apply. For the general picture of AIMA, see the guide on the residence permit.

The law in force

Both regimes sit in Lei 23/2007: the permanent permit in article 80 and long-term status in articles 125 to 131. In the PGDL consolidated text these articles show only earlier amendments (article 80 by Lei 29/2012; articles 125 to 131 also by it and, in some cases, by Decreto-Lei 41/2023). Lei 61/2025 and Lei 62/2026 changed other articles of the law, but not these.

Permanent residence permit (article 80)

The law requires all of these together:

1. five years as a holder of a temporary residence permit;
2. no conviction in the last five years of residence in Portugal to a sentence or sentences that, singly or together, exceed one year in prison. A suspended sentence also counts where the conviction is for an intentional offence under the foreigners law or connected to it, terrorism, or violent, especially violent or highly organised crime;
3. means of subsistence, as defined by the applicable ministerial order (see the guide on means of subsistence);
4. accommodation;
5. basic Portuguese.

Residence before the law came into force in 2007 also counts.

Documents for the permanent permit

According to AIMA, the application includes:

• a valid passport or other travel document;
• proof of means of subsistence;
• a sworn declaration of your address and the basis on which you occupy the home (owner or usufructuary: land registry certificate or access code; tenant or other occupant: a declaration from the landlord or the entity providing the home);
• proof that you are in good standing with the Tax Authority and Social Security;
• proof of basic Portuguese;
• Modelo 1 and, only if it applies to your case, Modelo 4 (declaration of responsibility). See the guide on AIMA forms.

Holders of an investment-activity residence permit, and their family, can receive a permanent permit of the same kind if they meet article 80. Separate rules and fees apply, which AIMA sets out on its page; the residence by investment guide explains the regime.

Long-term resident status (articles 125 onwards)

This status is for third-country nationals who reside legally in Portugal. Article 126 requires all of these together:

1. legal, uninterrupted residence in the five years immediately before the application;
2. stable and regular resources enough for you and your family, without relying on the solidarity subsystem. They are assessed by nature and regularity, taking account of the minimum wage and pensions before the application;
3. health insurance;
4. accommodation;
5. basic Portuguese.

Who is excluded

Article 125(2) excludes, for example, people with a permit for study, unpaid traineeship or volunteering; people under temporary protection (or awaiting a decision on it); people in Portugal only for temporary reasons (seasonal workers, posted workers or cross-border service providers); and people with diplomatic or consular status. AIMA also says EU Blue Card holders can reach the status if they meet the conditions of article 121-I.

How years and absences are counted

• If you later obtained a permit that allows access to the status, time as a student, unpaid trainee or volunteer counts at half (article 126(3)).
• Absences from Portugal of under six consecutive months and, in total, up to ten months within the five years do not break the count. Absences for work postings are also taken into account (article 126(4) and (5)).
• Continuous time in Portugal on a work visa or stay permit under the earlier law also counts (paragraph 7).

Documents for the status

AIMA’s list is similar to the permanent permit’s, with these differences:

• a health insurance contract or proof that you are covered by the SNS;
• proof of legal, uninterrupted residence in the five years before the application;
• proof of absences for work, where relevant;
• proof of basic Portuguese appears on AIMA’s page as required where applicable. Ask AIMA whether your case is exempt.

Decision, title and loss of status

AIMA must notify its decision in writing as soon as possible and, at most, within six months, extendable by three more in complex cases. If nine months pass with no decision, the law treats silence as approval (article 129(4) to (6)). The status can be refused on public order or public security grounds, but not on economic grounds (article 127).

The status is permanent, based on a renewable title. The EU long-term residence title is valid for at least five years and is renewable on request at the end of its validity. If the title lapses, the status remains.

Article 131 lists the cases of loss of status, including: 12 consecutive months outside EU territory, six consecutive years outside Portugal, fraudulent acquisition, expulsion, and acquiring the status in another Member State. Long absences for specific or exceptional reasons, such as work or cultural activity in your country of origin, do not mean loss. If you lose the status through absence, you can apply for it again, as long as you still have resources, health insurance and accommodation.

Permanent or long-term: what changes

	Permanent (art. 80)	Long-term (art. 125 onwards)
Years	5 as holder of a temporary permit	5 of legal, uninterrupted residence immediately before the application
Criminal record	No sentence above 1 year in prison in the last 5 years	Public order and security can justify refusal
Money	Means of subsistence	Stable and regular resources, without the solidarity subsystem
Health insurance	Not a requirement of article 80	Required
Card	Residence card, issued for 5 years	EU long-term title, at least 5 years

For many people both routes are open at once. The choice depends on which requirement is easier for you to prove (for example health insurance, which only the status asks for) and on the type of title you want. If you are unsure, ask AIMA which one applies to your case.

How to apply

1. Gather the documents above and complete Modelo 1, signed by you or your legal representative.
2. Book an appointment with AIMA. The application is made in person at an AIMA shop, which may then send the file on to the office for your area of residence. To find the nearest shop, use the Where to be served page.
3. Fees are in the fee table AIMA publishes on its website. Check the current amount before paying.

Renewing the card

• Permanent: the right to reside has no expiry, but the card lasts five years and is renewed every five years, or sooner if identification details on it change. See the guide on renewal and ask AIMA which channel applies to your case.
• Long-term: the EU title is renewable on request at the end of its validity, and the title expiring does not make you lose the status.

Keep your address the same at AIMA, Social Security and the Tax Authority.

Before you apply: checklist

• How many years do I have on a temporary permit and of uninterrupted legal residence?
• Have I had any convictions in the last five years?
• Do I have proof of basic Portuguese?
• Do I have health insurance or SNS cover, if I choose long-term status?
• Can I prove means and accommodation with current documents?

To see how these years weigh on citizenship, see the guide on nationality, where legal residence is counted under its own rules.