Eligibility Quiz
Requirements
To qualify for the CPLP mobility pathway, you must meet specific criteria regarding your nationality and legal standing.
Nationality: You must be a citizen of one of the eight CPLP member states listed above. Eligibility is based on your current passport and nationality, not your place of birth.
Clean Criminal Record: You must not have been convicted of a crime that, in Portugal, would carry a prison sentence of more than one year. You are also ineligible if you are currently subject to an entry ban in the Schengen Area.
Legal Entry with Proper Visa: As of October 2025, you must enter Portugal holding a valid CPLP Consular Visa issued by a Portuguese consulate in your home country or country of legal residence. Entering on a tourist visa, visa exemption, or any other short-stay status and then attempting to convert to a CPLP residence permit at AIMA is no longer permitted under Law 61/2025. This applies to all CPLP nationals without exception.
Proof of Legal Residence: You must demonstrate that you have legally entered Portugal with the appropriate visa documentation. Regularization for those who entered without proper authorization is not available under the current framework.
Conditions & Warnings
Older digital CPLP permits issued before 2025 may not be recognized for Schengen travel; holders must exchange them for the new physical EU-format card.
While the process is simplified, AIMA faces significant backlogs, though residency years for citizenship now count from the date of application submission.
Qualifications
Usually satisfied by passport or education certificates from a CPLP country.
Fees
Fees for the new physical EU-format card are approximately €70–€100; previously €15 for digital versions.