Immigration Law · Portugal

No AIMA appointments
available?
The law has an answer.

Being in an irregular situation in Portugal without being able to schedule your appointment is not a dead end — it is a violation of your fundamental rights. There is a judicial mechanism that forces AIMA to act. We utilize it every day.

Secure My Appointment How it works →
Consolidated case law (STA) Registered Portuguese Lawyer 1st consultation free Response within 24h

The Problem

A wait that could compromise
your life in Portugal

Thousands of foreign citizens live in a bureaucratic impasse: they have the legal right to regularize their situation but cannot access AIMA’s scheduling system due to a lack of slots. The system's paralysis cannot be a burden on those who have fulfilled all legal requirements.

01

Platform unavailability

AIMA's online scheduling system systematically shows no available dates, completely blocking access to a legally enshrined right.

02

Involuntary irregular status

The absence of an appointment delays the formalization of residence permits, placing citizens in an irregular situation through no fault of their own.

03

Loss of employment & rights

Without a valid residence permit, employment contracts, access to healthcare, housing, and other fundamental rights are severely compromised.

04

Deadlines don't wait

As time passes, bureaucratic issues accumulate and judicial intervention becomes more urgent. Every week of inaction can worsen the legal standing.

Legal Grounds

The law is on your side.
The courts are too.

The consolidated jurisprudence of the Portuguese Supreme Administrative Court (STA) and Administrative Tribunals recognizes that AIMA's failure to provide appointments constitutes a breach of functional duties, legitimizing urgent judicial protection under the Administrative Courts Procedure Code (CPTA).

Art. 109 CPTA

Summons for the Protection of Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees

The most powerful procedural tool available to citizens: it allows the Court to urgently order AIMA to schedule an appointment with an immediate compliance deadline.

STA Doctrine

Consolidated jurisprudence on administrative omissions

The Supreme Administrative Court has reaffirmed that systemic inertia or impossibility of scheduling cannot constitute an obstacle to the exercise of rights legally granted to foreign citizens.

Duty to Decide

The Administration cannot ignore its obligations indefinitely

The law imposes specific duties on Public Administration to act within defined deadlines. When an obligation to act exists and is not fulfilled, the citizen has judicial mechanisms to compel services to comply.

Art. 20 CRP

Effective judicial protection — constitutional right

The Portuguese Constitution guarantees everyone access to effective judicial protection. The impossibility of securing an appointment cannot form a barrier to the exercise of fundamental rights.

"

AIMA's failure to schedule an appointment, when a legally enshrined right exists, constitutes an administrative illegality subject to urgent judicial remedy, and the Court must order the omitted act to be carried out as quickly as possible.

Consolidated Doctrine — Portuguese Administrative Courts

The Process

From the first consultation
to your guaranteed appointment

01

Free Consultation

We assess your situation confidentially and free of charge, identifying the most appropriate procedural mechanism for your specific case.

02

Document Collection

We guide you in gathering the necessary documents: proof of frustrated scheduling attempts, legal framing, and other evidentiary elements.

03

Urgent Legal Action

We draft and file the judicial injunction under the CPTA, structured upon the jurisprudence of the STA and Administrative Courts, with an urgent decision request.

04

Appointment Secured

By judicial decision, AIMA is forced to provide your appointment. The regularization of your situation finally enters legal tracks.

Dr. Luciano Rezende, Advogado
⚖ Bar Association · Porto Regional Council

Your Representative

Dr. Luciano Rezende

Lawyer specializing in Immigration Law and Constitutional Law

With academic excellence and a legal practice centered on defending foreign citizens in Portugal, Dr. Luciano Rezende is a reference at the intersection of Immigration Law and administrative judicial protection.

A graduate of the Faculty of Law of the Catholic University of Portugal, he deepened his training with a Master's in Constitutional Law from the University of Porto — a specialization that gives him a particularly sharp vision of the protection of fundamental rights in the migratory context. Registered with the Porto Regional Council of the Bar Association, he practices with full deontological and professional qualifications.

Over the past five years, he has dedicated his practice almost entirely to Immigration Law, handling hundreds of cases in diverse areas: visas, residence permits, family reunification, nationality, identification documents, status regularization, and, with increasing experience, the judicial acquisition of appointments with AIMA — an area where he has accumulated concrete and recognized results for his clients.

Law Degree — Catholic University of Portugal
Master in Constitutional Law — University of Porto
Registered with the Portuguese Bar Association
Over 5 years of experience in Immigration Law
500+
Cases Handled
5
Years of Practice
100%
Focus on Immigration

⚠ Don't waste time

Don't wait endlessly on AIMA.
Secure your appointment
and defend your fundamental rights.

Talk to our specialist — a lawyer focused exclusively on Immigration Law. The first consultation is strictly free and confidential.

Talk to our specialist Now

✓ Free first consultation  ·  ✓ Guaranteed confidentiality  ·  ✓ Response within 24 hours

Common Doubts

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can use this judicial mechanism? +

Any foreign citizen in Portugal who has a legal right to regularize their situation — via employment contract, family reunification, study, highly qualified activity, or other basis — and who cannot secure an appointment at AIMA due to a lack of system availability.

How long does it take to get an appointment via court? +

The injunction process under Article 109 of the CPTA is handled urgently. After the suit is filed, depending on the Court, it is possible to obtain a judicial decision in a few weeks, with a short deadline set for AIMA to comply. It is important to note, however, that this time frame may increase substantially due to the large volume of lawsuits currently filed against AIMA.

Do I need to prove that I tried to get an appointment unsuccessfully? +

Yes. It is important to document frustrated attempts to access AIMA's scheduling system. The specialist will guide you in properly gathering this evidence — screenshots, dates of attempts, and system messages — which will form part of the lawsuit.

Does this process definitively solve my situation? +

The judicial route guarantees the appointment — access to the in-person meeting at AIMA that was being denied. Following the appointment, the regularization process proceeds through normal channels. Our office can also assist you throughout the subsequent procedure.

What is the cost of the service? +

The initial consultation is completely free of charge.

Where We Are

The Office

In-person consultations and case steering are conducted at the facilities of PRAGMA Advogados, in Porto.