Note: This post was originally published on March 29, 2026. Policies and timelines change frequently. For the latest updates, subscribe to the weekly newsletter at remotelifept.com or apply for a free Discovery Call at start.remotelifept.com for current guidance.
As of March 1st, 2026, every immigration fee at AIMA went up by up to 33%. If you have a renewal, a pending application, or any active process right now, whatever you budgeted is already wrong.
That's the headline. But other things are happening in April that are just as important, and most people don't know about any of them.
📺 I broke down everything in this video. If you prefer watching over reading, start here. Don’t forget to subscribe for more updates!
The fee increase is already in effect. Here's what it actually costs you.
A residency renewal that costs €59.40 now costs €79.10. A work visa extension that was €53.30 is now €66.60. For a family of four, that's roughly €80 extra on the renewal fee alone, before translations or anything else.
The trap most people don't see coming: if you have an old DUC sitting in your email that you haven't paid yet, that amount is now wrong. AIMA can reject it for insufficient payment, which means starting the queue from scratch. Before you pay anything, generate a new DUC and verify the amount on aima.gov.pt.
One more thing on the budget. Visa applications and residency renewals often require proof of insurance coverage. If you haven't sorted that yet, don't leave it until the last minute. This is what I recommend. It covers Portugal and works in 180+ countries.
For how these fees fit into your overall monthly budget, see how much money you really need to live in Portugal in 2026.
The IRS trap that catches foreigners every April.
If your NIF still shows as Non-Resident and you spent more than 183 days in Portugal in 2025, you will be taxed at a flat 25% rate on your global income, with no deductions. That single oversight can cost thousands.
The mistake that catches most people isn't the filing itself. It's what they forget to declare. Foreign bank accounts, rental income from properties back home, investment returns, and pension payments. In 2026, information exchange between global tax authorities and Finanças is close to instantaneous. If it exists and you didn't declare it, they likely already know. The fine that arrives in September will be significantly larger than any tax you would have owed in the first place.
If you are going in circles on your NIF status, your filing obligations, or a visa situation you are not sure is being handled correctly, that's exactly what the free Discovery Call is for. One conversation, your specific situation, no generic answers.
📞 Apply for a free Discovery Call
This is a free 20-minute conversation to map your situation and help you think clearly before making decisions.
There is a notification sitting in your AIMA portal right now.
AIMA is no longer sending renewal notifications by email. They go exclusively through your personal area on their portal. To access it, you need an active Chave Móvel Digital linked to your current phone number. If you changed your number and didn't update it, AIMA has been trying to reach you through a door you can't open.
This is not a hypothetical. Residencies are being cancelled because people missed notifications they didn't know existed. Not because they broke any rules. Not because their paperwork was wrong. Because they changed their phone number and didn't update one digital account.
Set aside one hour this week. Log into the AIMA portal, check your personal area for any pending notifications, and confirm your Chave Móvel Digital is linked to your current number. That one hour could be the difference between a routine renewal and starting your entire process from scratch.
April 2026 is not a normal month. Fees just went up, a strike isn't resolved, the IRS deadline doesn't move, and the second half of the month is effectively closed for business between the 15th and the 27th. The people who get through this cleanly are the ones who acted in the first week.
That window is still open. Barely.
For where things stood a few months later, see what actually changed at AIMA in July.
Tchau, Danilo
Free tools
Portugal Cost of Living Calculator. Enter your city and lifestyle, then see real monthly costs in 60 seconds. Calculate your costs.
Free Portugal Relocation Checklist. The visa sequence most people get wrong, laid out in the right order. Get the checklist.
The Portugal Resource Guide
The step-by-step plan I built from six years on the ground: visa paths by nationality, city breakdowns, real rent ranges, tax traps, and scam warnings. Get the Portugal Resource Guide.
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