Meridian · Freshness tracker

What's changed.

Dated updates to visa, tax, residency, citizenship, housing, and labour policy across every country tracked. Every entry cites its primary source and the date we last verified it.

Subscribe via RSS ↗ · 4 entries shown

Country All countriesAQAntarcticaAUAustraliaBRBrazilCACanadaCNChina (Mainland)EGEgyptFRFranceDEGermanyHKHong KongIEIrelandITItalyJPJapanMXMexicoMAMoroccoNLNetherlandsNZNew ZealandPTPortugalSGSingaporeZASouth AfricaKRSouth KoreaESSpainAEUnited Arab EmiratesGBUnited KingdomUSUnited States
Category All categoriesVisa & immigrationResidencyCitizenshipTaxationLabourHousingHealthcareOther
In force 4 Jun 2024
In force Residency

Lei dos Estrangeiros reform — "expressão de interesse" route ended

Decree-Law 37-A/2024 ended the Article 89(2) "manifestation of interest" (expressão de interesse) route — under which non-EU nationals could enter Portugal on a tourist visa and legalise their status from within the country after starting employment and registering with Segurança Social. New applications must now go through a consular visa in the country of origin. Transitional rules protected applications filed before the reform date; the change materially tightened the immigration route most heavily used by Brazilian and Asian workers.

Who it affects: Non-EU nationals planning irregular-to-regular transition from within Portugal, particularly from Brazil, Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

AIMA — Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo ↗ · Portuguese Government Portal ↗ · Diário da República ↗ · verified 2026-04-18

In force 3 Jun 2024
In force Residency

AIMA backlog resolution plan announced (400,000+ pending files)

The Montenegro government announced a structured plan to clear the backlog of roughly 400,000 pending residence-permit cases inherited from the SEF-to-AIMA transition. The plan included dedicated processing task-forces ("Grupo de Missão") and later automated-decision procedures for specified application categories. Processing times for residence-permit renewals remained well above AIMA's target throughout 2024 and into 2025.

Who it affects: Non-EU residents awaiting residence-permit issue or renewal; an important context for arrival planning.

AIMA — Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo ↗ · Portuguese Government Portal ↗ · verified 2026-04-18

In force 29 Oct 2023
In force Residency

AIMA replaces SEF as the immigration administrative authority

The Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (SEF) was dissolved and its administrative immigration functions transferred to the newly-created Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo (AIMA) from 29 October 2023. Border-security functions moved to PSP, GNR, and Polícia Judiciária. The transition has been accompanied by substantial processing backlogs for residence-permit applications and renewals throughout 2023–2025.

Who it affects: All non-EU residents applying for or renewing Portuguese residence permits.

AIMA — Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo ↗ · Portuguese Government Portal ↗ · Diário da República ↗ · verified 2026-04-18

In force 7 Oct 2023
In force Residency

Golden Visa real-estate route abolished under Mais Habitação

The Mais Habitação housing-reform law (Lei n.º 56/2023) abolished the residential real-estate investment route of the Autorização de Residência para Investimento (ARI, "Golden Visa") from 7 October 2023. Remaining qualifying routes include regulated investment-fund subscriptions (€500,000), qualifying business creation, cultural-heritage donation, and R&D investment. Pending applications submitted before the cut-off were processed under the prior rules.

Who it affects: Non-EU high-net-worth applicants to the Portuguese Golden Visa.

AIMA — Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo ↗ · Diário da República ↗ · Portuguese Government Portal ↗ · verified 2026-04-18