We will analyze your case, prepare the evidence and documents, draft the claim, submit it to court, and ensure the outcome — securing an AIMA appointment date.
If you live in Portugal and need to apply for or renew a residence permit, you cannot proceed without an appointment with AIMA — the Agency for Migration and Asylum. However, for many applicants, getting a slot at AIMA is a serious challenge: all available appointments are often booked instantly, and the online scheduling system regularly malfunctions or displays no availability.
What to do in such a situation? One legal option is to request an AIMA slot through the court. This is an extreme measure, but a working legal tool to restore your rights and ensure your protection.
A slot is the date and time of an appointment with AIMA. Without it, you cannot:
Due to high demand and a lack of available slots in the system, even applicants with the legal right to submit documents often cannot do so on time, which leads to loss of status or legal uncertainty.
As of today, getting a slot at AIMA is becoming increasingly difficult. The reasons are several:
All of this results in a situation where even a person with full legal residency rights (residence permit) cannot exercise those rights simply due to a lack of access to administrative services. This violates the principle of equality and access to public services enshrined in the Constitution of Portugal.
Requesting a slot through the court is an administrative legal procedure in which a foreign national formally asks the court to compel AIMA to assign them an appointment date. It is a completely legal and effective way to ensure that the government fulfills its obligations.
Legal Basis:
The purpose of this procedure is not to punish the authorities, but to obtain a specific appointment date. It is a legal method of defending one’s civil rights when other means have failed.
The procedure includes several stages:
Situation Analysis
Specialists assess on what basis you are requesting a slot and whether you have documents confirming your legal right to it.
Document Preparation
Evidence of your attempts to book an appointment is collected (screenshots, correspondence, inquiries), copies of all applications, identity documents, etc.
Claim Drafting and Filing
A lawyer prepares an administrative claim and files it with the appropriate court. The claim demands that a date be assigned.
Court Proceedings
The court reviews the case and may request information from AIMA. In some cases, the matter is resolved in 1–3 months.
Outcome
Most often, the court compels AIMA to assign a date within a set timeframe. There may be compensations, but the main goal is to obtain the appointment.
Many are afraid of going to court, but with AIMA this is not about conflict — it is about exercising your lawful rights. Here are the benefits:
Requesting a slot through the court is a reasonable solution, especially if all documents are ready, but appointments are still unavailable.
MoveToCascais specializes in comprehensive support for clients on immigration matters. In the case of requesting a slot through the court, you receive:
MoveToCascais takes care of everything, relieving the applicant from stress and uncertainty, allowing them to legally continue their residence application while awaiting a decision.
At MoveToCascais, we strive for transparent and clear pricing. The cost depends on your specific situation and includes:
Attorney work;
Translation support and communication with the court;
Experience
We work with clients from different countries and understand the specifics of Portuguese immigration law.
Team
Our team includes lawyers, translators, and consultants who speak Russian, English, Ukrainian, and Portuguese.
Support
We don’t just process documents — we guide our clients all the way to the result.
Reliability
We act strictly within the law and work only with licensed attorneys.
Trust
We are recommended by friends and families — and that’s the best proof of quality.
You have the right to timely service, and the court can help you exercise it. MoveToCascais offers a safe, legal, and effective way to seek justice — requesting a court-ordered slot with full legal support.
If you’re facing an inability to book an AIMA appointment — don’t wait for your deadline to expire. Contact MoveToCascaisfor a consultation, and we will help you find the best solution. Reach out to us today.
Some services can be challenging to handle on your own. Trust our team of professionals to guide you through every step.
Theoretically yes, but in practice it’s very difficult. Portuguese administrative courts require strict compliance with legal formalities and knowledge of the language. MoveToCascais works with licensed attorneys to ensure the request is processed correctly and successfully.
In most cases, the court reviews the claim within 1–3 months. Timing depends on the court's workload and the complexity of the case. The court's goal is to compel AIMA to assign a slot within a reasonable time — usually within weeks of the ruling.
This risk exists if the claim is incorrectly drafted or lacks evidence of prior attempts to schedule an appointment. With MoveToCascais’s support, the likelihood of rejection is minimal: we prepare all documents thoroughly and monitor each step of the process.
If the AIMA appointment date falls outside a reasonable timeframe, it may be possible to file a new claim with additional arguments. We will help assess the situation and, if necessary, submit a new request with supporting evidence.
You will need: a passport copy, NIF, documents confirming your legal status (visa, previous residence permit, etc.), evidence of attempts to get an appointment (screenshots, emails), and a brief explanation of the situation. The MoveToCascais team will help you gather and correctly prepare all required documents.
The cost depends on your case but always includes legal support, filing the claim, and assistance at every stage. We offer transparent pricing.
Conducting an Initial Case Review
We analyze your case to determine if there are grounds to file a legal claim and which steps to take first.
Preparing the Necessary Documents
We gather and organize the full package of documents needed to file with the court — without errors or delays.
We assign a licensed Portuguese lawyer specializing in AIMA cases and administrative legal matters.
We prepare the claim, submit it to the court, track the progress, and keep you informed at every stage.
All court documents and communications will be translated and explained to you in simple terms — without legal confusion.
We guide the client to the result — until the official appointment date is assigned and a confirmed slot is obtained.
A legal way to protect your rights and speed up the appointment process — with the support of the MoveToCascais team.
Fill out the form and we’ll contact you to review your situation and offer the best solution. We handle all documents, translations, filings, and tracking — so you get your AIMA appointment date.
If you have an in-person visit to the immigration service (AIMA) — for a visa, residence permit, or renewal — we will provide a lawyer to accompany you, ensuring that your interests are protected and taken into account.
We handle court cases of various categories: from immigration and civil to administrative. We protect our clients at every stage, carefully prepare documents, and represent your position in court.
If it is impossible to book an AIMA appointment through standard means, we submit an official court request to set a date. This is a legal way to speed up the process.
Received a refusal from the immigration service? We will prepare and file a legal complaint to challenge an unfair decision and defend your rights.