Portugal Golden Visa renewal: how to organise your proof of stays
For a Portuguese investment residence permit (ARI) renewal, build a travel record for each permit holder. Start with the dates on their residence documents, then list when they actually entered and left Portugal and what records support each trip. This is especially useful when relatives travelled separately or first entered the Schengen area in another country.
Match your trips to the relevant period
Article 65-C of Portuguese Regulatory Decree 84/2007 sets a minimum stay of seven days in the first year and fourteen days in each subsequent two-year period. The days may be consecutive or split across trips. The Portuguese immigration authority, AIMA, says the temporary ARI card is generally valid for two years from issue, subject to any special provisions that apply. Record the dates on the card, when it arrived, and any renewal notices separately. Ask the person handling your renewal to confirm the applicable period where the dates or status are unclear.
AIMA says family members holding an associated permit must meet the requirements applicable to their own permit and renewal. The assessment may depend on age, family circumstances, permit dates and the information already on file. Give each person their own row even if everyone originally travelled under the same booking.
Keep a record of actual travel
For each trip, enter the arrival and departure dates in Portugal, the route, and the documents available. If you flew to another Schengen country and took a later flight or train to Portugal, keep the two legs separately. Boarding passes, carrier records and dated receipts can help you reconstruct the itinerary. Flag cancelled bookings, unused tickets and changes to the original schedule.
AIMA says it may ask for suitable proof of presence in Portugal where reasonable doubts arise. Its FAQ does not specify a universal set of documents that will satisfy every request. Use the instructions and deadline in any notice you receive. Flag a same-day trip or a journey crossing two review periods and confirm the relevant calculation before adding it to your total.
Keep the renewal records with the travel log
AIMA states that ARI renewals have been handled electronically through its Renewals Portal since 16 February 2026. Save the submission receipt, payment record and any request for more information for each applicant. Check for the actual decision separately. A travel log helps address the stay requirement. Investment maintenance and the other renewal documents need their own checks.
For an initial consultation with 卓越移民 Premiervisa Group, a list of permit dates, trips and missing records is a useful starting point. It gives the people handling the case specific questions to check with the relevant Portuguese professionals.
Sources checked 11 November 2026
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