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From SEF to AIMA: Portugal's 2023 Institutional Restructuring Explained
Portugal completed its immigration administration restructuring on 29 October 2023 by creating AIMA, dissolving SEF and redistributing competencies across multiple entities.
On 29 October 2023, Portugal completed the long-planned restructuring of its immigration administration with the formal creation of AIMA—Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo—following publication of Decree-Law no. 41/2023 in the Diário da República. This reform dissolved SEF (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras) in its previous format and redistributed its competencies across multiple entities.
AIMA assumed responsibility for immigration processing, residence permits, integration policies and asylum procedures. Border control functions were transferred to the PSP and GNR police forces, while criminal investigations moved to the Judiciary Police. The reform aimed to modernise services, reduce administrative bottlenecks and improve the treatment of migrants.
For foreign nationals—particularly Americans, British, Brazilians, Israelis and Canadians—this institutional shift had immediate practical consequences. AIMA inherited SEF’s backlog of residence applications, but also introduced digitalisation initiatives and promised more streamlined processes. Some applicants experienced transitional delays, but early signs suggested a broader push toward modern, user-friendly immigration services.
The reform also created clearer institutional separation between immigration control and migrant integration, aligning Portugal with best practices in other EU states.
Official source: Diário da República, Decree-Law no. 41/2023, 29 October 2023 (https://dre.pt)