Independent information for migrants in PortugalChecked 20/08/2026
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Home›Routes›I am an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen or family member
UE · route

Free movement has its own rules.

EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and their family members should not be treated as a standard third-country residence-permit case.

Checked 20/08/2026Official-source links
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Who this page is for

I am an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen or family member

  • Nationals of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Andorra and Switzerland.
  • Family members accompanying or joining those citizens.
  • Third-country family members and, in certain procedures, family members of Portuguese citizens.
Important

Do not mix legal routes

The EU citizen's Registration Certificate is issued by the municipality, not AIMA. A third-country family member uses a different residence-card procedure.
Your route, step by step

What to check first

01

Up to three months

Stay is governed by the applicable free-movement and identification rules.

02

More than three months and up to five years — EU citizen

The Registration Certificate is requested from the municipality of residence within the applicable period.

03

Third-country family member

For stays over three months, a third-country family member of an EU citizen uses a specific residence-card procedure with AIMA.

04

After five years

EU citizens and family members may enter permanent-residence regimes; from 1 July 2026, the permanent-document applications identified by AIMA use the Renewal Portal.