Citizenship exam mock tests — CIPLE, DELE, DELF, CELI, DTZCIPLE A2 mock test online — Portuguese citizenship and residencyDELE A2 mock test online — Spanish citizenship and nationalityDELF B2 (France) mock test online — French citizenship and residencyCELI 2 (B1) mock test online — Italian citizenship and residencyDTZ B1 (Germany) mock test online — German permanent residence and citizenshipCAPLE — Portuguese language certificationInstituto Cervantes — DELE Spanish examsContact Prep2go — support@prep2go.study
Prep2Go.study
View plans
All news
FlashPortugalSeptember 4, 2026

Portugal's AIMA to Boost Staff by 17% in 2026, Aiming to Reduce Visa and Residency Backlogs

PublishedEditorial policy

Portugal's immigration agency, AIMA, is set to increase its staff by 17% in 2026. This expansion aims to accelerate the processing of visas, residency permits (ВНЖ), and renewals for expats, digital nomads, and investors, potentially easing current backlogs.

Portugal immigrationAIMAResidency PortugalVisa PortugalDigital Nomad PortugalПортугалия

Key takeaways

  • The 17% staff increase is a direct response to existing queues, not a marketing tactic. It is expected to help address long waiting times for applicants.
  • While processing times may shorten, this is not a guarantee for every individual case. AIMA will continue to verify applications thoroughly; the additional staff primarily means cases will not remain unprocessed for months.
  • Applicants planning to submit new residency, visa, or renewal applications should manage expectations. While the system is becoming less overloaded, it's important to remain patient and prepared.

AIMA Staff Expansion Targets Processing Delays

Portugal's Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) announced plans to increase its workforce by 17% in 2026. This strategic expansion is designed to address the accumulated backlog of cases and significantly accelerate the processing of visas, residency permits (ВНЖ), and renewals.

The agency explicitly states that this initiative focuses on improving both the speed and quality of service, aiming for reduced waiting times and faster decision-making for applicants. This development could lead to a tangible reduction in processing times for individuals currently in the application process or those planning to submit documents in key cities such as Lisboa, Porto, or Braga.

The additional staff are expected to manage the existing volume of applications, leading to a smoother operational flow within the system. This is particularly relevant for expats, investors, and digital nomads, who collectively contribute significantly to the agency's workload.

Sources

Based on Emigro corridor reporting. Primary links below.

Was this brief helpful?

Turn policy news into a study plan

Browse language decks

Keep vocabulary moving while your residence or citizenship timeline changes.

Start here