Moving to Portugal from China: Documents, Apostille and AIMA

If you started researching this move before 2024, some of what you read is now out of date — in your favour. Here is the current picture.

The Big Change: Apostille Replaced Legalisation

This is the most important practical development in years for Chinese applicants.

China acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention in March 2023, and it entered into force on 7 November 2023. Portugal has long been a member. That means documents moving between the two countries no longer need the old multi-step consular legalisation chain.

The old way: notarisation, then authentication by the Chinese Foreign Affairs Office, then legalisation at the Portuguese consulate. Weeks of work, significant cost, multiple intermediaries.

The new way: a single apostille certificate issued by the competent Chinese authority. One step.

This applies to the documents you will actually need — birth certificates, marriage certificates, criminal record certificates, academic qualifications, and notarised declarations.

Still required: a certified Portuguese translation of each document. The apostille removes the legalisation chain, not the translation requirement. Use a translator recognised by Portuguese authorities, and confirm requirements with the specific consulate or AIMA office handling your case, as practice can vary.

Choose Your Route

The Order of Operations

Realistic total, from first application to residence card in hand: six to eighteen months.

The AIMA Appointment Checklist

Bring originals plus two photocopies of everything:

The most common reasons people are sent home: an unregistered lease, a missing apostille, or proof of address that has gone stale.

Then Comes the Language

For citizenship you will need Portuguese at A2 level — the CIPLE exam — along with a clean criminal record, evidence of ties to Portugal, and financial self-sufficiency.

Note also that Portugal's parliament voted in 2026 to change the residency requirement for citizenship: those resident before 1 January 2026 remain on the five-year path, while newer arrivals face ten years. Confirm the current status of the law before making long-term plans.

Whichever timeline applies to you, the language requirement does not change — and it is the one part you can start today, from anywhere.

Start Before You Land

Portugal Lifestyle Pro teaches European Portuguese specifically — not Brazilian — with native audio, a structured A1 to C2 curriculum aimed squarely at learners working toward A2 and beyond, and a dedicated section covering AIMA and immigration vocabulary. Arriving with even basic Portuguese changes every interaction that follows.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Immigration rules change frequently — always verify current requirements with AIMA, the Portuguese consulate, or a qualified immigration lawyer.