Family Reunification: How long does AIMA take to process children in 2026?
Your partner and kids are still abroad, or they are already in Portugal, and every week without a residence card feels like a month. You are refreshing the AIMA portal, checking your email, and wondering whether “processing” will ever turn into “approved.” This guide explains the legal deadline AIMA works under for children, what really drives your timeline, and how to avoid adding delays yourself.
What the Law Says About AIMA Processing Times for Children
When I helped a friend bring her two boys over from São Paulo, the first thing she asked me was “how long will this take?” The honest answer has two parts. The law sets a deadline, and real life happens around that deadline. Start with the law, because it is the one thing you can point to when you feel stuck.
The Nine-Month Decision Deadline
The rules for family reunification sit in the Foreigners’ Act, Lei 23/2007, which has been amended many times. Article 105.º was changed by Lei 61/2025 of 22 October 2025. As of October 2026, it says a family reunification request must be decided within nine months. That is the legal deadline for AIMA to decide on the request. It is not an estimate from an expat forum.
There are two practical points to take from this. First, nine months is a ceiling on the decision, not a promise that you will wait that long. Some families hear back sooner, especially when their file is complete. Second, the deadline covers the decision on the reunification request. It does not cover every step around it, such as getting a slot, sending documents, attending biometrics, or receiving the physical card by post.
Plan your school enrolment, your lease and your emotional energy around that nine-month ceiling.
Why Minor Children Skip the Two-Year Wait
The same reform added a new condition for many sponsors. The resident in Portugal who is bringing family over must have held a residence permit for at least two years before applying for reunification. For couples who just arrived, that is a hard pill to swallow.
Here is the good news for parents. Article 98.º n.º 3 a) exempts minor children who are in the sponsor’s care from that two-year rule. If you hold a residence permit and your minor child depends on you, you do not have to wait out the two years before applying for them.
Picture this scenario. Daniel arrives in Lisbon on a work-based permit. His wife and their seven-year-old son plan to follow. Under the reformed rules, his son’s application is not blocked by the two-year requirement because he is a minor in Daniel’s care. His wife’s situation should be checked separately against the current rules, ideally with a lawyer. Families in this position often split their planning: the child’s file moves first, and the adult’s file follows the conditions that apply to spouses.
Where the Clock Actually Starts
Families get confused about which day counts as “day one.” In practice, the deadline relates to the request being lodged with AIMA. The time you spend gathering apostilled birth certificates, chasing translations or waiting for a slot before the request is properly submitted does not count as AIMA’s processing time.
This matters for your expectations. If you spend months sorting out paperwork, that time is part of your timeline but not part of AIMA’s legal window. Keep proof of the date your request was submitted, such as the portal confirmation, the email, or the receipt from your appointment. If you ever need to argue that the deadline has passed, that date is your anchor.
For the bigger picture of who qualifies and how the visa route works, see Family Reunification Visa in Portugal: Bringing Your Spouse and Children.
The Stages That Shape Your Real Timeline
Think of your child’s case as a relay race. AIMA’s legal deadline governs one leg. The other legs depend on scheduling, logistics and, frankly, you. Here is how the stages break down.
| Stage | What happens | Who controls the timing | Legal deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Document preparation | Birth certificate, apostille, translation, proof of custody | You and foreign registries | None |
| Submitting the request | Online submission or appointment booking with AIMA | AIMA availability and your readiness | None |
| Biometrics and interview | Photos, fingerprints, document checks | AIMA branch scheduling | None |
| Decision on reunification | AIMA approves or refuses the request | AIMA | Nine months |
| Consular visa for children abroad | Child applies for the entry visa after approval | Portuguese consulate | Check with the consulate |
| Card issuance and delivery | Residence card printed and sent by post | AIMA and the postal service | Check with AIMA |
Getting the Appointment
Booking is where most families first feel stuck. Availability changes from branch to branch and from month to month. A Lisbon parent might find a slot open up quickly one week and see nothing for ages the next. A parent in a smaller city might have the opposite experience. Both outcomes can occur for different families within the same month.
Set up your AIMA portal account early. Check it at different times of day and register for any notifications on offer. For the step-by-step booking process, see How to Book an AIMA Appointment in Portugal.
Biometrics, Decision, and the Card
On the day, you will usually bring your child, their passport and the original documents. Younger children often need both parents’ authorisation if one parent is not present, so check this before you go. Arriving with a missing custody document is the single most painful way to lose an appointment you waited weeks for.
After biometrics, the case moves to the decision stage, which is the part covered by the nine-month deadline. Once your child is approved, the card is produced and sent by post. Track the delivery and make sure your address is current. To follow your case online, see AIMA Residence Permit Processing Times and How to Check Your Status.
When Your Child Is Still Abroad
If your child lives outside Portugal, the route usually has an extra step. AIMA decides on the reunification request, and then the child applies at the Portuguese consulate, or through its visa centre, for the entry visa. Consular timelines are set by each post, so check the consulate’s own page and book as soon as approval arrives.
Once your child lands, they still need the residence card. Do not book a family holiday outside Portugal until you understand your child’s travel status at each stage.
How to Keep Your Child’s Application Moving
You cannot make AIMA faster, but you can make sure your file never becomes the reason for delay. Here is the order I wish someone had given me.
- Confirm eligibility: check that your child is a minor in your care and that your own residence permit is valid.
- Order the child’s full birth certificate showing both parents’ names, then get it apostilled in the issuing country.
- Gather custody proof if parents are separated, plus written consent from the other parent where needed.
- Arrange a certified translation into Portuguese for any document not already in Portuguese.
- Get a NIF for your child if you will need one for school, banking or health registration.
- Sort health coverage so your child is protected from day one.
- Submit the request or book the appointment through AIMA, and save every confirmation.
- Attend biometrics with originals and copies of everything.
- Track the decision, the visa step if your child is abroad, and the card delivery.
Documents That Cause the Most Delays
In my experience, three things trip parents up: short-form birth certificates that omit a parent’s name, apostilles placed on the wrong document, and translations that do not meet the format Portuguese authorities expect. Any of these can turn a smooth case into a request for more documents.
Online services like RushTranslate can be handy when you need certified translations of birth certificates or custody orders quickly. Before you order, confirm that the type of certification you are buying will be accepted for your specific AIMA or consular file. For the full rules, see Apostilles and Certified Translations for Portuguese Visas.
If you need a NIF for your child and you are not yet in Portugal, Bordr is one of the services expats use to get one remotely. A NIF makes later steps, such as school paperwork, much easier. For the vaccination book many schools and health centres ask about, see How to get your child’s Boletim de Vacinas (Vaccination book) translated.
Life While You Wait: Health, School, and Travel
Waiting is not passive time. Most of the work of settling a child happens during these months.
Health first. Once your child is legally present, look into registration with the national health service. See Health Coverage for Dependents: Registering Children and Spouses in the SNS. While that is pending, many families carry private international cover. Cigna Global is one option parents look at so a child is covered for doctor visits and emergencies while public registration is sorted out. Compare plans yourself, and check the provider’s own pages for current terms.
For a feverish toddler at midnight, use the SNS 24 helpline. As of October 2026, the number is 808 24 24 24. Clinical triage runs 24 hours a day, and calls cost the same as a call to a landline. See SNS 24 Helpline (808 24 24 24): Triage, Advice, and Sick Notes.
School next. Talk to your local school cluster early and bring whatever proof of the pending application you have. The process is explained in How to enroll your child in a Portuguese public school (Agrupamento).
Travel last, and carefully. Leaving Schengen while a child’s status is unresolved can create re-entry headaches. Get specific advice before you book flights.
When the Nine Months Pass
If nine months pass from the date your request was lodged and you still have no decision, you are outside the deadline set in article 105.º. This is when written follow-ups matter. Send a formal enquiry through the AIMA channels, keep copies, and note every contact.
Some families then turn to a lawyer to file a court action asking AIMA to decide. Whether that suits your case depends on your file, so read Using a lawyer for AIMA delays: Does filing a lawsuit (intimação) actually work? before you commit.
If a parent’s own card is expiring while the child’s case is pending, deal with that in parallel. See Dealing with AIMA Backlogs: What to Do If Your Card Expires.
I won’t pretend the wait is easy. The family I mentioned spent many evenings convinced their file had vanished. It hadn’t. They had a complete file, a dated submission and a legal deadline to point to, and that is the strongest position any parent can be in.
Disclaimer
This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Laws, prices and regulations vary by location and change over time. Consult a qualified professional for guidance on your specific situation.
