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Asylum Application Process

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Description

Applying for asylum (also called international protection) means asking a country other than your own to protect you because you face danger, persecution, or a serious, generalized violation of human rights in your home country.

International Protection in Portugal can take one of two forms:

Refugee Statusyou qualify if you are persecuted, or have a well-founded fear of persecution, because of your race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership of a particular social group, and you cannot return to your country of nationality or habitual residence.
Subsidiary Protectionyou qualify if you cannot return to your country because of a systematic violation of human rights, or because you face a real risk of serious harm (e.g. armed conflict, torture, inhuman or degrading treatment).

Both statuses are governed in Portugal mainly by Lei n.º 27/2008 (as amended), which transposes the EU's Common European Asylum System directives into Portuguese law.

Applying for Asylum

Where?At AIMA, or at any police authority (they are legally required to forward your request to AIMA within 48 hours). You can also apply at a border post (e.g. an airport) when entering the country.
When?As early as possible after arriving in the country.
How?In writing or orally, in a language you understand — you have the right to an interpreter throughout the whole process, free of charge, including for translating supporting documents if you can't afford to.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Apply at AIMA or at a police station

CNAR (Centro Nacional para o Asilo e Refugiados / AIMA's National Centre for Asylum and Refugees) is the unit within AIMA responsible for the whole international protection procedure: registering your application, interviewing you, analysing your case, and deciding on it. CNAR must also notify CPR (the Portuguese Refugee Council), which acts on behalf of UNHCR in Portugal, whenever an application is registered.

At registration, you'll fill out a preliminary form covering your identification, travel route, entry date into Portugal, the grounds for your application, supporting evidence, and any witnesses.

There are two stages to the procedure:

Stage 1 — Admissibility (at CNAR)

Timeframe: 30 working days (a legal benchmark for CNAR to decide — see the FAQ below for what happens if it's missed).

CNAR intervewyou get to explain the reason for your application. It must be conducted in a language you understand and speak, with a translator if needed.
Interview with CPRCPR may also interview you, in its role supporting UNHCR and providing you with independent legal guidance.
CNAR's decision:
  • If negative — you can request a judicial review.
  • If positive (admitted) — you move to Stage 2, and you are issued a temporary residence permit valid for 6 months (renewable), a change from the older "DCPPI" declaration model, reflecting how the admissibility stage is now formally structured
Documents issued at this stage:a declaration proving that your application for international protection has been presented (DCPPI), typically valid for around 2 months while your admissibility is assessed — check the exact validity printed on your own document, as this can vary by case.

Stage 2 — Detailed Examination (at CNAR)

Timeframe: No strict legal deadline (commonly quoted around 6–9 months in practice, but this is not a mandatory limit and can run longer given current caseloads).

  • Detailed examination of your case file.
  • CNAR's proposal of decision.
  • Your response to CNAR's proposal — this step matters: you should comment on, correct, or add any information needed before the final decision is made.
  • Final decision:
If negativeyou can request a judicial review, and you have the right to free legal support for this.
If positive - you receive either:
  • Refugee Status → residence permit valid for 5 years, or
  • Subsidiary Protection → residence permit valid for 3 years
Documents issued at this stage:before the final decision, you're issued a provisional residence permit (ARP — Autorização de Residência Provisória), generally valid for 6 months and renewable while your case is pending.

About supporting documents

During the procedure you may be asked to provide documents supporting your case — ID documents, school records or certificates, news reports from your country of origin, medical reports, photographs, and similar evidence.

If you don't have these documents, or getting them would put you or your family at risk, this will not block your application from being processed.

⚠️ Important: Only try to obtain documents from your country of origin if it is safe to do so. If it isn't safe, you don't need them — and shouldn't put yourself at risk trying to get them.

☎️ Key Contacts

Conselho Português para os Refugiados (CPR) — the Portuguese Refugee Council, an independent NGO providing free legal and social support to asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection, and UNHCR's representative in Portugal.

📍 Key Locations

CPR — Quinta do Pombeiro, Casa Senhorial NorteAzinhaga do Pombeiro, s/n, Lisboa, Portugal
AIMA — Lisbon asylum applicationsapply at AIMA's Lisbon office as directed by AIMA/CNAR.
Outside Lisbonapply at your local Loja AIMA.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — every asylum seeker is interviewed at some point, whether in the first or second stage.

Where we are

Rua Carvalho Araújo 66-B
1900-140 Lisboa
Portugal

How to Get Here

  • Metro: Linha Verde (Green Line) - Alameda Station
  • Bus: 708, 730, 742, 794

Opening hours

Mon, Tue, Thu
10:00–12:30 & 14:00–17:30
Wednesday (Extended)
Until 19:30
Friday
Until 18:30
No appointment needed. Just walk in.

Contact info

+351 964 809 959