Family reunification

Hi Donald,

What is your nationality and that of your family members?

Good morning all
I need to make an appointment with SEF for a family reunification application
Does anyone know which is the correct number to call
Any help will be much appreciated
Many thanks
-@donaldtotton

You can make an appointment with SEF on the phone ( landline: 808 202 653, mobile: 808 962 690)

@JohnnyPT

Hey JohnnyPT

I am Irish and have my Portuguese residency

My wife is British(,UK passport)

Regards

Donald

@SimCityAT

Hey SimCity at

Thanks for the swift response

I have been calling both these numbers for the past 3weeks(over 300calls) and cannot get thru

Many thanks

Donald

From what I have heard, these appointments for family reunification are taking several months. You need to start phoning early in the morning and see if you get lucky.

https://www.sef.pt/en/pages/conteudo-de … spx?nID=12

Try to make an appointment in the first days of the month, it seems that they open monthly slots at the beginning of each month.

@donaldtotton

SEF directs you to their call center main number. We've written them to be told to keep calling. No online being taken. SEF still backlogged.

Thank you all

Will keep trying

@donaldtotton any luck? We are in the sand situation?

@donaldtotton I've heard that story dozens of times over 2-3 years.  Always told to call the two numbers that are rarely answered.

Unfortunately, I'm in a similar situation.  My partner was given permission to remain in Portugal after her visa expired - until 31/12/23.

I am already resident (UK Citizen) so we applied for Re-Unification in February but had to leave Portugal for personal reasons at end of June.

I was informed that our category was next to be considered and to wait for an email inviting us to an interview. Nothing received so far, six months later.

Any interview offer is now futile as we do not plan to return to Portugal until January 2024.

Yet another Schengen Visa application and hoop-jumping will be required before my partner can return to Portugal.

If we are fortunate, can schedule an interview early in return, if we are accepted, after we attain another Schengen Visa, the whole process will have taken a full year.

If fortunate.

If not, another application for reunification may be required in January/February.

Rinse & Repeat.

Hi all

Does anyone know how the new amendments to Portuguese immigration law will affect applications for family reunification

Many thanks

Donald

Hi Donald,

With the new immigration law, the aim is to allow AIMA staff to attend to other services that currently have very few (!) slots. This is the problem with family reunification for couples without children or with children abroad.

With regard to family reunification, in the coming weeks the age for minors will be extended from 0 to 18. Currently, children and young people aged between 5 and 15 have access to family reunification. There is still no exact date for this measure to begin.