The President of Portugal has enacted new regulations to facilitate and expedite immigration procedures.
The measures aim to modernize and simplify administrative processes for foreign nationals staying in Portugal.
New Regulations Expedite Immigration Procedures
On January 11th, Portugal’s President promulgated updated rules for the entry, stay, exit, and removal of immigrants within Portugal.
The reforms include initiatives to accelerate family reunification requests.
The Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) will unveil a digital portal for submitting residency applications.
Quicker Family Reunification
“In the days following the entry into force of this normative instrument there will be news on this matter,” AIMA stated.
The agency consolidated functions of the now-defunct Foreigners and Borders Service and the former High Commission for Migrations.
AIMA inherited 347,000 pending cases. Streamlining family reunification is a priority to resolve before the year's end.
“We intend for the new Agency to have a new paradigm that focuses on what should be digitalization, greater efficiency and more human resources,” said Ana Catarina Mendes, Minister of Presidency.
ETIAS Fast-Track for EU Visitors
The new digital portal and streamlined procedures could enable qualifying European Union (EU) citizens to obtain pre-travel authorization under the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) more rapidly once it launches in May 2025.
This can benefit EU visitors and immigrants ranging from families and digital nomads to investors and students.
Ripple Effect on EU Immigration Policy
By expediting immigration processing in Portugal through digitization and added resources, the reforms could pressure other EU states to follow suit and prioritize immigration cases pre-ETIAS.
This relates to Schengen visa procedures as well as longer-term immigration policies affecting all EU countries.
The ability to resolve immigration bottlenecks can have a ripple effect across the region.
Resolving Bottlenecks to Streamline Process
The goal is “not only to improve its technological service but also to respond more easily to the needs of citizens. Issues of family reunification are absolutely essential,” Mendes emphasized.
AIMA will collaborate with municipalities in early 2024 to allocate more resources toward resolving existing immigration cases.