What is AIMA and what happened to SEF?

SEF, Portugal's immigration and border service, was dissolved in 2023. AIMA, the Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo, took over its civilian functions including residence permits and citizenship processing, while border and enforcement work went to the PSP and GNR. The handover brought a large backlog.

Updated September 2026 · 2 min read

What changed

SEF (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras) handled residence permits, citizenship applications, border control and immigration enforcement for decades. In 2023 the government dissolved it as part of a restructuring, following years of criticism over processing delays and conditions.

AIMA was created to take on the civilian side: integration, migration management and asylum. Its mandate is framed around integration rather than enforcement. Border control and law enforcement moved primarily to the PSP and the GNR.

Why you may still feel the transition

The handover was not instantaneous. It involved transferring a large volume of pending cases, integrating staff from multiple agencies, and building new operational procedures.

AIMA also inherited a substantial backlog of pending residence permit and citizenship applications, accumulated in the final years of SEF. The government has acknowledged it and announced measures including additional staff, streamlined procedures and digital tooling. Progress has been made, and the backlog remains a real factor in processing times.

What it means for your language requirement

The language requirement itself did not change because the agency did. A2 remains the level, and CIPLE and DGERT-certified PLA certificates remain the standard proofs.

What the transition affects is timing. If processing is slower than you planned for, that is an argument for getting the language document done early rather than late, so it is not the thing holding your file when everything else is ready.

Verify before you rely on this

AIMA processes are actively evolving, and specifics shift. Treat this as orientation, and confirm current procedures through official AIMA channels or a qualified immigration lawyer. We are an exam preparation tool, not an immigration adviser, and we are not affiliated with AIMA.

Are children exempt from the Portuguese language requirement?

Young children are generally exempt. Minors above roughly age ten may need to demonstrate language knowledge depending on the specific pathway. The age threshold has varied between interpretations, so confirm your child's position through official channels or a qualified immigration lawyer rather than relying on a general summary.

Do Brazilians need to prove Portuguese for Portuguese citizenship?

Generally no. Citizens of countries where Portuguese is an official language, including Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, East Timor and São Tomé and Príncipe, are normally exempt from the formal language requirement. A Conservatória may still ask for documentation if your file raises questions.

Does a CIPLE certificate expire or have a validity period?

The certificate is not issued with an expiry date as a language qualification. The deadline that does exist is on replacement: a lost certificate can only be replaced within 2 years of the exam, and after that window there is no replacement at all. Scan it the day you collect it.