Portugal Permanent Residency

At the end of the 5th year of having a legal title of residence, the applicant is entitled to apply for Portugal Permanent Residency.

A permanent residence card is not subject to minimum stay requirements. But it may be cancelled if the holder is away from Portugal for a period of 2 consecutive years. Please also note that the residency card will have to be renewed each 5 years.

If the citizen has dependent family members - spouse (or common law spouse of at least 3 years), dependent children or dependent parents - who are not entitled to the EU freedom of movement, they may apply for a permanent residence card after having possessed for 5 years a residence card of non-EU dependent relatives of an EU citizen.

As part of the Portugal residency program, the application for a Portugal permanent residence permit must be submitted to AIMA, the Portuguese Agency for Integration, Migrations and Asylum, and under the Foreigners' Law, permanent residency shall be granted to someone who cumulatively

• Holder a temporary residence permit for at least 5 years
• During the last 5 years the individual has not been convicted of a crime punishable by a prison sentence of more than 1 year
• Sufficient subsistence/financial means
• A place of abode in Portugal
• Proof of basic Portuguese language

Notwithstanding, the card must be renewed every 5 years or whenever there is a change of details, such as changes to address and marital status.

A permanent residence permit may be cancelled if the holder, without an acceptable justification, is away from Portugal for a period of 24 consecutive months, or for a period of non-consecutive 30 months over 5 years. However, it is explicitly deemed acceptable to be away for any period of time in one's country of origin in order to carry out a professional, entrepreneurial, cultural or social activity. 

In practice, AIMA will only demand to see proof of the holder having actually lived in the country or of a justification of absence from the country in the event the renewal of the card is requested after its expiry date. As such, provided the renewal of the permanent Portugal resident's ID card is applied for before the expiry date, Portugal's minimum stay requirements should not be a major concern.

Proving basic knowledge of the Portuguese language is required from someone who applies to become a Portugal permanent resident.

Under the Foreigners' Law, the applicant for a permanent residence permit must prove a foundational knowledge of "basic Portuguese". AIMA (Agency for Integration, Migrations and Asylum) declare that if an applicant cannot pass the basic Portuguese test, they can only be granted a temporary residence permit. This provides the applicant with the right to stay in Portugal until they can meet the requirement.