No papers yet? Your route in Portugal

Portugal’s rules changed recently and are still moving. That is why this page carries more [VERIFY] marks than the others: we will not print something we cannot confirm, even if it used to be true. What follows is an order of steps, not a promise.

1. NIF and NISS

The NIF is the tax number and the NISS the social security number. In practice almost everything in Portugal starts with those two — work, a bank, a tenancy. [VERIFY] — ask a CNAIM which number you can get in your situation and with what documents; the conditions keep changing. One thing is certain: getting these yourself is free or close to it, and anyone charging you heavily for them is robbing you.

2. AIMA, and waiting for an appointment

Immigration is now handled by AIMA (formerly the SEF). Waits for an appointment can be long. [VERIFY] — we print no current procedure and no waiting time. What is true regardless: an AIMA appointment is not for sale. Anyone offering to sell you an “agendamento” is running the scam that gets reported most.

3. Being honest about the manifestação de interesse

For years Portugal had a route called the manifestação de interesse. The rules changed in 2024. [VERIFY] — we are not saying whether it is open or closed today, because we could not confirm it, and people have lost thousands of euros on exactly this question. Do not take an agent’s word — ask at a CNAIM, where asking is free.

4. Work, and the record of it

Keep your own record — hours, place, money, messages, and every recibo. Check on the Segurança Social website whether your employer actually registered you. That record supports a wage claim and helps show how long you have been here.

5. Before you pay anyone

The most common scams in Portugal are these: selling AIMA appointments, charging heavily for a NIF or NISS, and guaranteeing a permit. The answer to all three is the same — check first, pay second.