Portugal Immigration Agency Flooded with Complaints in 2025

A sudden swell of frustrations has put Portugal’s new immigration agency back in the spotlight. Between early April and late June 2025, grievances logged on the country’s official consumer-rights portal more than doubled, and each fresh post sketches the same storyline: long queues, crashed websites and residency cards that never arrive.

A Record-Breaking Second Quarter

April opened the floodgates with 225 formal complaints, May climbed to a year-high 275, and June closed the quarter on 249. Taken together, the second quarter generated 749 cases—a 103 percent jump on the first three months of the year. Portal managers say the curve is still pointing upward as July entries trickle in, although final figures for the month have yet to be consolidated.

Why Phones Keep Ringing Off the Hook

Digging into the database reveals five recurring pain points. Poor or nonexistent customer service tops the list at roughly one-third of all reports. Close behind are technical glitches that crash online portals or lose uploaded documents. Delays in issuing visas and residence cards account for about 17 percent of posts, while another 16 percent cite the impossibility of booking an appointment or getting an e-mail answered. Payment hiccups and sporadic accusations of staff misconduct round out the tally.

Lisbon Voices the Loudest Objections

Complaints originate overwhelmingly in the capital: roughly 35 percent come from Lisbon, with Porto supplying 18 percent and Setúbal just over 10 percent. The typical filer is in the 25-to-34 age bracket—young professionals who moved to Portugal for tech jobs, tourism or remote work—and men outnumber women by a slim margin.

Satisfaction Scores Hover Near the Floor

If volume looks bad, responsiveness looks worse. AIMA’s satisfaction rating sits at 18 points out of 100, and barely one in eight complainants receives any formal reply or resolution. The portal’s founder, Pedro Lourenço, argues that such numbers expose a “structural failure” rather than a momentary blip, warning that every unanswered ticket represents a family unable to renew a residence card or start a new job.

A Heavy Inheritance from the Old Border Police

Created in late 2023 to replace the much-criticised SEF border service, AIMA began life with an estimated 360 000 unresolved immigration files. The queue has since swollen above 450 000, according to the Justice Ombudsperson, who recently chastised the state for launching a major institutional overhaul at the height of a migration surge. A new online renewal tool went live this month, yet intermittent server outages suggest the digital fix still needs fine-tuning.

What the Delay Looks Like on the Ground

Booking an appointment in mid-2025 can mean waiting two to four months, depending on visa category. Even after biometric data are collected, the physical card may linger at the Casa da Moeda before creeping through postal delivery. The legal clock—90 working days for first-time permits, 60 for renewals—has become more aspiration than reality, prompting emergency decrees that keep expired documents valid as long as a renewal has been requested.

Government Promises Versus Daily Reality

Officials insist a rescue plan is under way: extra staff, closer coordination with town halls and fresh EU funding tied to the bloc’s new migration pact. Concrete timelines, however, remain elusive, and opposition MPs have called for a parliamentary hearing to explain missed summer benchmarks. The Ombudsperson’s latest memo urges better communication and the posting of clear information in every service centre while digital systems mature.

Coping Strategies for Foreign Residents

For newcomers and long-timers alike, the safest course is to bake additional time into every paperwork schedule. Double-check online uploads, keep copies of all messages and, if deadlines slip, file a formal complaint—historically, collective pressure has accelerated fixes in other Portuguese public services. Municipal immigrant support desks can sometimes escalate urgent medical, employment or family-reunification cases.

Outlook: Cautious Hope, Lingering Doubt

AIMA’s leadership maintains that backlogs will be “substantially cleared” by the end of the summer. Past pledges have missed the mark, yet incremental progress—such as faster bookings for EU-family permits—suggests that targeted improvements are possible. Until systemic fixes take hold, patience and meticulous record-keeping remain the most reliable allies for anyone trying to make Portugal home.