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Family reunification — qualifying family member already in Portugal

PortugalFamily

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

Official link

Which family relationships qualify?

Only family members exempt from the waiting period who entered Portugal and remain there on the date of the request: dependent minors or incapacitated persons; a spouse or equivalent who co-parents a dependent minor or incapacitated person with the sponsor; and family members of holders of permits under articles 90, 90-A or 121-A.

See recorded sources

Who may sponsor or bring the family member, and what immigration/citizenship status must that person hold?

The sponsor is a residence-permit holder living in Portugal (the holder of the right to family reunification). The official source does not state a minimum period for the sponsor's permit.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Minimum permit duration or other sponsor status details are not stated in the cited source.

What is important for proving marriage, partnership, parentage, custody, dependency or another qualifying relationship?

Proof of legal entry into Portugal and authenticated proof of the family links, e.g. marriage certificate, incapacity report or court decision, adoption decision, birth certificate, parental authorisation or custody decision, proof of economic dependency.

See recorded sources

What important financial, accommodation, insurance or maintenance responsibilities apply?

The sponsor must have accommodation considered normal for a comparable family in the region and meeting safety and health standards, and sufficient means of subsistence for all family members without recourse to social support.

See recorded sources
  • https://www.pgdlisboa.pt/leis/lei_mostra_articulado.php?ficha=101&artigo_id=&nid=920&pagina=2&tabela=leis&nversao=&so_miolo=
    1 - Para o exercício do direito ao reagrupamento familiar deve o requerente dispor de: a) Alojamento, comprovadamente próprio ou arrendado, considerado normal para uma família comparável na mesma região em território nacional, e que satisfaça as normas gerais de segurança e salubridade, tal como definido por portaria dos membros do Governo responsáveis pelas áreas das migrações e da habitação; b) Meios de subsistência suficientes para sustentar todos os membros do agrupamento familiar, sem recurso a apoios sociais,

How does the application work at a high level, what rights does the family member receive, how long does the status last, and how can it become independent or longer-term where officially stated?

The request is filed by appointment, in person, and can be submitted at any AIMA store; the family member must always attend an AIMA store for biometrics. The family member whose request is approved receives a residence permit of the same duration as the resident's. In exceptional cases (separation, divorce, widowhood, death of an ascendant or descendant, domestic-violence charge, reaching adulthood) an autonomous permit valid for two years, renewable for three-year periods, may be granted.

See recorded sources

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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