Right of Residence – Deadlines for the Renewal of Expired Residence Permits

Pursuant to the regulation of the Foreign Nationals Law, foreign citizens who are nationals of third countries still hold their right of residence for a period of 6 (six) months following the expiry date of their residence permit.

Accordingly, even if they have not yet submitted their application for the renewal of the said residence permit, those citizens will only be considered irregular if:

• they fail to submit their application for renewal until 15 April 2026, regarding residence permits that were valid until 30 June 2025 – which the validity was extended until 15 October 2025; or
• they fail to submit their application for renewal within 6 (six) months of the expiry date for residence permits that expired after 30 June 2025.

Additionally, AIMA recommends that foreign citizens who have already applied for the renewal of their residence permits carry both the expired residence permit and the proof of application for the renewal.

For more information, please contact our associate lawyer Inês Hassane Borges at ihb@ccsllegal.com

[Photo by: Gabrielle Henderson, available at unsplash.com]