AIMA reminded that immigrants who obtained a visa at a Portuguese consulate abroad can request an earlier appointment to apply for a residence permit — even if an appointment was already scheduled for them when the visa was issued. This is not a new procedure in itself: AIMA began gradually opening appointment request forms for consular visa holders in mid-2025, but the agency clarified on social media that having an appointment already scheduled does not prevent applicants from submitting a request for an earlier date.

The measure applies to three categories:
• Citizens of CPLP countries (Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries)
• All other holders of a consular residence visa, including international students
• Highly qualified professionals.

The request can be submitted through the form on the AIMA website. There are a couple of important points to keep in mind: the request can only be submitted after entering Portugal, and an earlier appointment is not guaranteed — the agency will simply review the request. The procedure does not apply to short-stay Schengen visas or temporary-stay visas (for example, the D8 digital nomad visa issued for stays of up to one year, as opposed to the residence version of the same visa).