Sponsor-fit memo
A written view of sponsor residence status, family category, timing, financial support, accommodation, and whether the family reunion route is the right path.
Portugal Family Reunion
A Portugal family reunion visa lets a legal resident in Portugal bring a spouse, partner, child, parent or dependent relative, once AIMA approves the sponsor's request and the sponsor shows housing and means of at least EUR 920 a month in 2026, plus EUR 460 per extra adult and EUR 276 per child. Family reunion (reagrupamento familiar) is the Portuguese residence route for third-country family members of a legal resident, granted by AIMA before the family member's visa is issued.
Movingto is a Portugal-first immigration firm that puts a named, Bar-registered lawyer from its in-house legal team on your case and publishes its fees.
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First call: leave with sponsor fit, family scope, document gaps, timing, likely blockers, and the next decision clearly mapped.
What you get
Family reunion cases stall when the sponsor request, relationship proof, and consular file are treated as separate jobs. We take it end to end — confirming the route, then running one joined path through AIMA, the consulate, and the residence card.
A written view of sponsor residence status, family category, timing, financial support, accommodation, and whether the family reunion route is the right path.
A practical plan for marriage, partnership, birth, adoption, guardianship, dependency, study, and relationship records.
Passport copies, criminal records, family certificates, means of subsistence, accommodation proof, authentication, translations, and consent documents organized early.
A joined sequence for the sponsor request in Portugal, the family member visa file abroad, deadlines, appointment readiness, and authority follow-up.
Arrival, AIMA residence steps, permit duration, renewal planning, and independent-residence questions kept visible after the visa decision.
The official route starts with the resident sponsor's family reunification request before the family member lodges the residence visa request.
The case depends on clear family, dependency, accommodation, and financial support evidence, especially where documents come from more than one country.
A favorable sponsor decision creates the next filing window. We keep the consular file ready so timing does not become the problem.
Movingto's in-house lawyers handle the residency case. Movingto's in-house tax counsel advises on Portuguese and cross-border tax. Family-law disputes such as custody or adoption stay with a family lawyer.
Who this fits
A family reunion file can stall if the sponsor status, family category, document authentication, accommodation proof, means of subsistence, or consular sequence is unclear. Movingto is useful when you want those pieces handled end to end, from the AIMA sponsor request to the residence card.
Service scope
You get a managed case plan. Your Movingto lawyer handles the residency legal work. Movingto's in-house tax counsel advises on Portuguese and cross-border tax. Family-law disputes stay with a family lawyer.
We map the resident sponsor, family member category, route sequence, nationality, timing, documents, likely blockers, and practical next decision.
We organize sponsor residence proof, passport copy, family-tie evidence, accommodation proof, means of subsistence, criminal-record requirements, and authenticated documents.
We prepare the family member's visa file, appointment readiness, document translations, and deadline tracking once AIMA recognizes the reunification request.
We keep arrival, AIMA residence steps, permit duration, renewals, and independent-residence planning visible after the visa stage.
For Portugal, Movingto's in-house licensed Portuguese immigration lawyers handle legal analysis, filing strategy, preparation, filing, representation, and authority responses within the agreed professional scope.
Divorce, custody, adoption, guardianship disputes, housing search, government decisions, and approval outcomes are handled by the relevant professionals, providers, or authorities.
Case path
Each stage ends with a decision or output so the case keeps moving from sponsor filing to family evidence and consular submission.
Confirm residence status, family category, dependency or partnership questions, nationality, timing, and whether family reunification is the right route.
Organize family certificates, dependency records, study proof, accommodation, means of subsistence, criminal records, authentications, translations, and consent documents.
Movingto's in-house Portuguese immigration lawyer prepares the legal strategy and AIMA request, while the dedicated Case Lead keeps the sponsor-side package and authority correspondence on track.
Once the reunification right is recognized, keep the family member's visa package ready for the consular filing window and appointment process.
Coordinate arrival steps, AIMA residence-card workflow, permit duration, renewals, and independent-residence questions after entry.
Fees and thresholds
| Item | Amount or rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsor means, first adult | €920 a month (100% of the minimum wage) | AIMA means of subsistence and DGERT 2026 minimum wage, checked 16 October 2026 |
| Each further adult in the household | +€460 a month (50%) | AIMA means of subsistence, checked 16 October 2026 |
| Each child under 18 or dependent adult child | +€276 a month (30%) | AIMA means of subsistence, checked 16 October 2026 |
| AIMA family reunion permit | €99.80 analysis + €85.80 grant, per person | AIMA fee table applied from 1 March 2026, checked 16 October 2026 |
| Movingto family reunion fee | From €750 | Movingto pricing page |
Means are the AIMA family reunion percentages applied to the EUR 920 minimum wage for 2026. Golden Visa families follow the ARI fee table instead.
Evidence
Scope, professional ownership, and credential claims stay tied to source pages instead of sitting as unsupported marketing copy.
Portuguese Ministry of Foreign AffairsChecked 16 October 2026
Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
AIMAChecked 16 October 2026
Ordem dos Advogados
AIMAChecked 16 October 2026
DGERTChecked 16 October 2026
AIMAChecked 16 October 2026
Common questions
The service covers sponsor-fit review, family-category mapping, relationship and dependency evidence planning, the AIMA sponsor request, consular visa workflow, authenticated document tracking, the legal filing by your Movingto lawyer, and residence-card follow-up. Family-law disputes stay with a family lawyer.
This page covers the service commonly described as Portugal's D6 or family reunification route: a resident sponsor requests family reunification in Portugal, and the family member applies for the residence visa after the right is recognized.
Official guidance lists spouses, certain partners, minor children, adopted children, dependent adult children studying in Portugal, dependent first-degree ascendants, and minor siblings under guardianship. The exact category and evidence need to be checked before filing.
Yes. MNE guidance says the resident sponsor should first request family reunification from AIMA. After a favorable decision, the family member can lodge the residence visa application.
AIMA lists the sponsor's residence permit, authenticated passport copy for the family member, family-tie proof, accommodation declaration, means of subsistence, criminal record, and specific records such as marriage, birth, adoption, dependency, guardianship, or de facto union evidence where relevant.
MNE states that the visa application for family reunification must be submitted within 90 days after recognition of the right to family reunification. Actual timing depends on AIMA, the consular post, document readiness, and the facts of the case.
No. MNE states that this national visa route is not intended for family members of EU/EEA, Swiss, or UK citizens under the Withdrawal Agreement. Those cases need a different route review.
Private advisory call
Bring the sponsor permit, family relationship, documents issued abroad, accommodation, financial support evidence, and timing. We will map whether the route is ready and what your Movingto lawyer needs to review.
Leave with a clearer filing path, not a generic checklist.