How it works
The application runs in 9 steps, from tax number to renewal. Each one shows who does it and what you need to do.
Who's who
- You
- Decide on a route, make the investment, sign what's needed and attend one appointment in Portugal.
- Us
- We coordinate the whole process: orientation on the official routes, introductions to licensed providers, documents, translations, scheduling, travel and renewal deadlines.
- Lawyer
- An independent, licensed Portuguese lawyer you engage directly. Legal advice, registration and filing on Portal ARI sit with the lawyer.
- AIMA
- Portugal's Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum reviews each application and decides on it.
- Other providers
- Banks, fund managers, translators and other licensed providers carry out their own part, such as the investment transfer.
Step 1: Get a Portuguese tax number (NIF)
Who: Other provider or a lawyer · With support from us
Portal ARI asks for your NIF when it generates the payment slip for the analysis fee.
What you do
Send us the details and copies needed for the request. We'll tell you exactly what's required.
Source: AIMA — Portal ARI (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026
Step 2: Make the qualifying investment
Who: You and another provider · With support from us
Make the investment and get proof of it, such as a declaration from a credit institution authorised or registered with Banco de Portugal confirming the transfer.
What you do
Make the investment through your bank or the provider for your route, then share the confirmation with us.
Source: AIMA — Autorização de Residência para Investimento (Art. 90.º-A) (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026
Step 3: Register on Portal ARI
Who: Lawyer
Online registration on Portal ARI is mandatory. It can be done by the investor or by a duly mandated legal representative.
What you do
Sign the mandate the lawyer needs to act for you.
Sources: AIMA — Portal ARI (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026, AIMA — Autorização de Residência para Investimento (Art. 90.º-A) (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026
Step 4: Complete the application and upload documents
Who: Us, then a lawyer
The application is completed on Portal ARI, with documents uploaded as PDFs of up to 4 MB each.
What you do
Send us your documents. We check them, arrange certified translations where needed, and prepare the files for the lawyer's review.
Source: AIMA — Portal ARI (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026
Step 5: Pay the analysis fee
Who: Lawyer or you
After the NIF is entered, a payment slip (DUC) for the analysis fee is generated. It must be paid by the deadline shown.
What you do
Pay the analysis fee by the deadline, unless the lawyer pays it on your behalf.
Sources: AIMA — Portal ARI (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026, Portaria n.º 307/2023, de 13 de outubro — Diário da República n.º 199 (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026
Step 6: AIMA reviews the application
Who: AIMA
AIMA emails to say either that the application has been accepted and can go to scheduling, or that it has errors to correct and resubmit.
What you do
Nothing at this step.
Source: AIMA — Portal ARI (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026
Step 7: Attend one in-person appointment
Who: You · In person · With support from us and AIMA
AIMA schedules the appointment and emails the details. You attend at an AIMA office to deliver the required documents and give biometric data. The process is designed around a single visit, and each family member is scheduled for their own appointment.
What you do
Travel to Portugal and attend in person. Each family member who is applying attends their own appointment.
Sources: AIMA — Portal ARI (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026, AIMA — Perguntas frequentes: ARI (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026
Step 8: Add family members
Who: Lawyer
Family reunification is added on Portal ARI once the investor's analysis fee has been paid. Each family member has their own fee, review and appointment.
What you do
Provide each family member's documents. Each family member attends their own appointment.
Source: AIMA — Portal ARI (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026
Step 9: Renew the permit
Who: You or a lawyer · With support from us
Since 16 February 2026, ARI renewals are filed online only, through AIMA's Renewals Portal. An in-person appointment is needed only if AIMA asks for new biometric data after the request is submitted.
What you do
Keep your investment and your stay days on track. We track your renewal dates and refresh documents; you or a Portuguese lawyer file the renewal online.
Source: AIMA — Portal ARI (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026
Who does each step reflects how we work with you and a Portuguese lawyer. The steps themselves come from AIMA.
One in-person visit per person
We plan the trip and prepare your document set with you, so you arrive with everything the appointment needs.
AIMA advises allowing time to prepare your trip to Portugal for the appointment, including getting a visa where one is needed, arranging travel and certifying foreign documents.
If you need a Schengen visa to enter Portugal, plan one for the AIMA appointment. Your coordinator will confirm whether this applies to you.
Source: AIMA — Perguntas frequentes: ARI (opens in a new tab), verified 19 Sept 2026
Start with your routes
See which routes are worth discussing for you, then talk it through on a call.
Private and without obligation · reply within two business days · enquiries stored in the EU