Family Reunification in Portugal
If your family belongs with you in Portugal, the first job is to use the right legal route and build the file correctly before AIMA sees it.
How our legal service works
Practical legal support in Portugal for international clients.
Portuguese legal expertise
Our Portuguese lawyers provide legal support tailored to each case.
Registered with the Portuguese Bar Association
Our lawyers are fully qualified and registered with the Portuguese Bar Association, operating within the official legal framework.
Structured and controlled process
Each case follows a defined process with clear steps, expectations and ongoing communication.
The rules changed. The right starting point matters.
Family reunification in Portugal no longer works on one simple rule for every residence holder.
For many ordinary family-reunification cases, the sponsor must now have held a valid Portuguese residence permit for at least two years before filing.
For a spouse or partner who lived with the sponsor for at least 18 months immediately before the sponsor entered Portugal, the waiting period is reduced to 15 months.
Some families do not have to wait. The two-year period does not apply to certain cases involving dependent minors or incapacitated family members, a spouse or partner who is also the parent or adoptive parent of that minor or dependent, and family members of holders of certain highly qualified, investment and EU Blue Card residence permits.
Exceptional cases can also justify a shorter period or a waiver.
We identify the rule that applies to your family before documents are ordered or appointments are chased.
Who can qualify
Depending on the sponsor's residence status and the family situation, the ordinary family-reunification route can cover:
- a spouse;
- a qualifying unmarried partner;
- minor or dependent children;
- adopted children in qualifying cases;
- certain dependent adult children;
- dependent parents of the resident or the resident's spouse;
- minor siblings under the resident's legal guardianship.
The relationship is only one part of the file. Some categories also require proof of dependency, study, custody, guardianship or prior cohabitation.
Is your family member abroad or already in Portugal?
This question now changes the procedure.
Family member outside Portugal
Where the family member is abroad, the resident in Portugal normally starts the family-reunification process with AIMA.
We prepare the family relationship evidence, residence-status evidence, financial file, accommodation file and the documents required for the family member.
Family member already in Portugal
The current law limits the ordinary in-country family-reunification route to specific categories covered by the statutory exceptions to the general waiting period.
That means a family member being physically present in Portugal does not automatically mean the case can be filed from inside Portugal.
We check this point first. It can completely change the strategy.
What we handle
Eligibility and waiting period
We identify whether the two-year rule, the 15-month spouse/partner rule, an exemption or an exceptional reduction applies.
The correct family category
We classify each person correctly: spouse, partner, child, adult dependent child, parent, adopted child or another eligible category.
Civil documents
We review marriage certificates, birth certificates, adoption records, guardianship decisions and other civil-status evidence before submission.
Dependency and parental authority
For parents, adult children and children from previous relationships, we prepare the additional evidence the relationship alone does not prove.
Income
We calculate the household requirement and review the documents that show the means relied on for the family.
Accommodation
We prepare the evidence showing the family's lawful housing position in Portugal.
Authentication and translation
We identify which foreign documents need apostille or legalisation and which need translation, so you do not spend money preparing documents the case does not need.
AIMA procedure
We prepare the application, organise the evidence and handle the procedural steps and follow-up with AIMA.
What is included
- legal assessment of the sponsor's residence status;
- assessment of the current waiting-period rules and exemptions;
- classification of each family member;
- decision on the correct abroad/in-Portugal procedure;
- tailored document checklist;
- review of family and civil-status documents;
- review of dependency, custody or guardianship evidence where relevant;
- household income calculation;
- accommodation evidence review;
- authentication and translation instructions;
- preparation of the application file;
- AIMA procedure support and follow-up within the agreed scope.
Legal support starts at €500.
How the process works
1. We check whether you can file now
Send us your residence permit and tell us who you want to reunite with and where that person is currently living.
We check the waiting period, exemptions and correct route.
2. We build the evidence around the family
A spouse, a minor child, a dependent parent and an adult child do not need the same proof.
We give you a document list for the actual family you are bringing, not a generic list copied from the internet.
3. We prepare the application
We review the civil documents, income, housing and supporting evidence before filing.
4. We handle the AIMA stage
We manage the application and procedural follow-up and respond to requests connected with the file.
The most common cases we handle
Spouse joining a resident in Portugal
We check the waiting-period rule, marriage evidence and whether the spouse should proceed from abroad or can use an in-country route.
Children joining a parent
We check parentage, custody, consent from the other parent and any documents needed for a child from a previous relationship.
Dependent parents
We build both sides of the proof: the family relationship and the real financial dependency.
Unmarried partners
We prepare evidence of the relationship and the required period of cohabitation instead of relying on a declaration alone.
Mixed family cases
Where one household includes a spouse, minor children, adult children or parents, we classify each person separately and build one coherent plan.
Family of a Portuguese or EU citizen?
That may be a different residence route.
A non-EU spouse, child or dependent parent of a Portuguese or another EU citizen can fall under the EU-family residence framework rather than ordinary family reunification.
We identify that immediately so the case does not start under the wrong procedure.
Related guides
Portugal Family Reunification 2026: Who Can Join You and How It Works
Portugal family reunification in 2026: see who can qualify, how cases differ when family is abroad or already in Portugal, and what AIMA needs.
Read More6 min read
Family Reunification in Portugal: Spouse, Children and Parents
Who can qualify for family reunification in Portugal? See the rules for spouses, partners, children, parents and other family members.
Read More5 min read
Portugal Family Reunification: Documents, Income and Accommodation
Prepare a Portugal family reunification file: documents, 2026 income calculation, accommodation evidence, authentication and translations.
Read More6 min read
Non-EU Spouse of a Portuguese or EU Citizen: Residence in Portugal
Residence in Portugal for a non-EU spouse of a Portuguese or EU citizen: who qualifies, AIMA residence-card steps, documents and long-term status.
Read More6 min read
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to wait two years before bringing my family?
Many sponsors under the ordinary family-reunification regime now need two years of valid residence before filing. There are important exceptions, and some spouses or partners can use a 15-month period. We check the rule against your exact residence permit and family composition.
Can my spouse apply after 15 months?
A 15-month period applies where the spouse or equivalent partner lived with the sponsor for at least 18 months immediately before the sponsor entered Portugal. We verify the dates and the evidence before relying on that route.
Can I file if my family member is already in Portugal?
Only certain categories can currently use the ordinary in-country family-reunification route. Physical presence in Portugal by itself is not enough. We check eligibility before the case is filed.
Can I bring my parents?
Dependent parents of the resident or the resident's spouse can qualify. The file needs to prove both the family relationship and the dependency.
Can an adult child qualify?
In specific cases, yes. The ordinary rules can cover a dependent, unmarried adult child who is studying in Portugal, and some residence categories have additional rules. We check the child's position against the sponsor's exact residence status.
How much income do I need?
The family-reunification calculation uses percentages linked to Portugal's minimum monthly remuneration. For 2026, the reference is €920 for the first adult, €460 for each additional adult and €276 for each child or dependent adult child. We calculate the household requirement and review the evidence supporting it.
How long does AIMA have to decide?
For applications under the current regime, the statutory decision period is nine months. We prepare the file to avoid losing time to preventable document and eligibility problems.
How much does legal support cost?
Our legal support starts at €500. The fee depends on the family composition, route and work required.
Bring your family case to us before you start collecting documents
Send us:
- your residence permit;
- who you want to bring;
- where each family member is now;
- how long you have held Portuguese residence;
- whether you have children together;
- the civil documents you already have.
We will tell you which route applies, whether you can file now and what the file needs.