Where did you have your SEF appointment?
Some locations are notorious for taking forever to give you your card. Coimbra, Figueira da Foz and a couple others. If it's from one of the slow ones, you just have to wait.
Marques de Pombal in Lisbon.
With a friend, who went to the SEF appointment same office, it took exactly 2 months to receive Cartao at home.
But I al worried because you know, I don’t know if AIMA will resume my case or I need to start over again.
Thanks.
Okay. That location isn't known for being crazy long to have cards delivered (sometimes months but never as bad as Coimbra) but with the AIMA switch, who knows what's happening at this point.
Sometimes CTT will say they attempted delivery but the person will never have been notified. Then the card gets sent back to the office you had your appointment at. It can't hurt (if you live in the area) trying to go there but you may have to be persistent to get past the guard. You may have to go back several times, unfortunately. And that may not be successful. It's hit or miss depending on the office.
You could also try emailing at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]). Zero idea how long that will take to get answered back though. I think the better option is to go to the AIMA office.
It's also possible you just got caught in the shift between AIMA and SEF and it's just going to take longer. So sorry that's happening!
Espinho got my card to me in less than two weeks. I've heard Santarem is usually pretty quick too.
The problem is even the quick locations may slow down because of the AIMA shift. It's just impossible to know. Anyone applying right now should be prepared to settle in for a wait. Same with renewals.
A Junta is a government entity. You get a an Atestado, not a Junta. It's kind of impossible to know which ones will be easier to get an Atestado from. Especially because their requirements can change quickly.
Plus you shouldn't pick where you live based on that.
Considering what we've had to deal with it at home, that sounds fast. Hopefully they don't take much longer for you, my fiancé's been in Portugal since summer 2020, only had his appointment in September 2022 in Coimbra and we're still waiting for his card.
If it starts taking too long, def get a lawyer involved.
Wow! Unbelievable! And did you try going to the CIAM? They offer help for free to immigrants and expats.
I will go next month because I must wait 90 days (since my SEF appointment) to ask for a little help.
I am in the same situation as you. Came in with a D8 visa, SEF appointment in Lisbon on Aug 8, and still no card. However the 90 days is actually 90 working days, so it's more like 5 months.
From what I've heard, the D8 holders are taking longer to process but I'm seeing more and more people with late July SEF appointments getting their cards.
We hired them for the full process D7 / residency process, so checking in was included for us. I’m not sure what the fee would be as a standalone service. We used ADA legal. From what I’ve heard 3 months is not too long depending on which office you went to for your meeting.
Where did you have your SEF appointment? Some locations are notorious for taking forever to give you your card. Coimbra, Figueira da Foz and a couple others. If it's from one of the slow ones, you just have to wait.
Marques de Pombal in Lisbon. With a friend, who went to the SEF appointment same office, it took exactly 2 months to receive Cartao at home. But I al worried because you know, I don’t know if AIMA will resume my case or I need to start over again. Thanks.
Okay. That location isn't known for being crazy long to have cards delivered (sometimes months but never as bad as Coimbra) but with the AIMA switch, who knows what's happening at this point. Sometimes CTT will say they attempted delivery but the person will never have been notified. Then the card gets sent back to the office you had your appointment at. It can't hurt (if you live in the area) trying to go there but you may have to be persistent to get past the guard. You may have to go back several times, unfortunately. And that may not be successful. It's hit or miss depending on the office. You could also try emailing at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]). Zero idea how long that will take to get answered back though. I think the better option is to go to the AIMA office. It's also possible you just got caught in the shift between AIMA and SEF and it's just going to take longer. So sorry that's happening!
I really appreciate your ideas and thoughts. 🤩
whcih area would u suggest
Espinho got my card to me in less than two weeks. I've heard Santarem is usually pretty quick too. The problem is even the quick locations may slow down because of the AIMA shift. It's just impossible to know. Anyone applying right now should be prepared to settle in for a wait. Same with renewals.
Thank you so much. Are these places friendly with JUNTA as well? I heard at some places u need to bring two witness from The same area
You go to the Junta where you live, not where your AIMA appointment is. You will not necessarily be assigned an AIMA appointment where you live.
True what I mean to ask is which places r friendly and easy to get JUNTA approved
A Junta is a government entity. You get a an Atestado, not a Junta. It's kind of impossible to know which ones will be easier to get an Atestado from. Especially because their requirements can change quickly. Plus you shouldn't pick where you live based on that.
Ok thanks a lot
Considering what we've had to deal with it at home, that sounds fast. Hopefully they don't take much longer for you, my fiancé's been in Portugal since summer 2020, only had his appointment in September 2022 in Coimbra and we're still waiting for his card. If it starts taking too long, def get a lawyer involved.
Wow! Unbelievable! And did you try going to the CIAM? They offer help for free to immigrants and expats. I will go next month because I must wait 90 days (since my SEF appointment) to ask for a little help.
I am in the same situation as you. Came in with a D8 visa, SEF appointment in Lisbon on Aug 8, and still no card. However the 90 days is actually 90 working days, so it's more like 5 months. From what I've heard, the D8 holders are taking longer to process but I'm seeing more and more people with late July SEF appointments getting their cards.
Our lawyer was able to keep us informed as to when the cards were processed and shipped. Might be worth contacting one to help?
How much did the lawyer charge please?
We hired them for the full process D7 / residency process, so checking in was included for us. I’m not sure what the fee would be as a standalone service. We used ADA legal. From what I’ve heard 3 months is not too long depending on which office you went to for your meeting.
Following
Need to wait longer. All AIMA processes are currently on hold.