AIMA has scheduled approximately 30,000 biometric appointments and processed 6,000 of 46,000 pending Golden Visa applications. While appointment scheduling has improved, the next challenge is converting those appointments into decisions.
Portugal Golden Visa processing system is showing signs of progress, although a substantial backlog remains.
On October 7, 2026, Portugal’s Minister of the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro, told a parliamentary committee that the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) had processed approximately 6,000 of 46,000 pending Golden Visa applications, or around 13%. The agency has also scheduled approximately 30,000 biometric appointments.
These figures point to an important distinction: scheduling an appointment is not the same as approving an application or issuing a residence permit.
For investors, the key question is no longer simply how quickly AIMA can schedule biometric appointments, but how efficiently it can process applications once those appointments have taken place.
The Processing Bottleneck Has Shifted
According to Werner Gruner, Partner at Get Golden Visa, the latest figures suggest that biometric appointment scheduling is becoming less of an obstacle.
“With roughly 30,000 appointments booked against 6,000 decisions, the constraint has moved to the stage between biometrics and the decision itself,” Gruner explains.
This is a meaningful operational change. Applicants who have already secured biometric appointments may see shorter waiting times, provided AIMA assigns sufficient resources to reviewing and deciding their applications.
However, the volume of scheduled appointments alone does not indicate how quickly the outstanding applications will be resolved.
The Portuguese government previously committed to clearing the Golden Visa backlog by the end of 2026. With approximately 40,000 of the reported 46,000 applications still awaiting processing as of October 7, meeting that target will depend on the pace of decisions over the remaining months.
How Long Does a Portugal Golden Visa Application Take in 2026?
For investors submitting new applications under AIMA’s reorganized procedures, Get Golden Visa currently advises planning for approximately 18 months from application submission to issuance of the first residence card.
This is a planning estimate, not a guaranteed processing time, and assumes that AIMA maintains its current focus on Golden Visa applications.
The situation differs for investors whose applications are already part of the backlog. Some have been waiting for more than two years, making their remaining timeline dependent on when biometric appointments are scheduled and how quickly AIMA issues decisions afterward.
Gruner also identifies incomplete or outdated documentation as a recurring source of additional delays.
Investors should ensure that their applications and supporting documents are complete and current before attending biometric appointments. Requests for additional documentation can extend processing times, particularly at the stage where applications are awaiting review and decision.
Are Applicants Seeing Improvements?
We have also observed a material increase in biometric appointments for its investors, alongside a steady flow of approvals.
AIMA has also introduced operational changes aimed at improving the process.
Since February 16, 2026, Golden Visa renewals have been handled online through AIMA’s renewal portal, reducing the need for in-person renewal appointments.
More recently, applicants have also gained the ability to follow their application progress online, providing greater visibility into the process.
These developments indicate improvements in accessibility and administration. They do not, however, eliminate the outstanding backlog or establish a fixed timeline for individual decisions.
What Should Investors Expect Next?
The latest AIMA figures show progress in appointment scheduling, but the number of completed decisions remains considerably lower than the number of appointments booked.
For existing applicants, the most relevant milestones are now the biometric appointment, the subsequent application decision, and the issuance of the first residence card.
For new applicants, the approximately 18-24 months planning estimate provides a working timeframe, subject to AIMA’s continued processing capacity and the circumstances of each application.
As Gruner notes, investors have already taken steps to make their applications as complete and straightforward as possible. Sustained progress now depends largely on AIMA’s ability to convert its growing volume of scheduled appointments into decisions.
The next meaningful measure of progress will be the number of applications AIMA actually decides, rather than the number of appointments it schedules.
