Portugal ARI — the 2026 biometrics surge

Biometrics appointments logged for 2026 ran 4.4× the 2025 pace. This page tracks how many of them have turned into residence cards. Source data last edited 1 Sep 2026.

The card-issuing frontier

Cards are reaching people who gave biometrics on 8 Jan 2026.

That is the newest appointment date in the 2026 cohort known to have a card in hand. It took 230 days from biometrics to card, and 3 people who gave biometrics on or before that date are still waiting — the queue is not strictly first-in, first-out.

9
ARI cards granted
of 248 appointments in 2026
248
2026 biometrics appointments
223 done, 25 still upcoming
214
still waiting for a card
median 195 days since biometrics
225d
median biometrics → card
range 125–230 days, n=9

Biometrics appointments by month

63
72
40
20
16
10
11
2
8
6
32
41
31
14
Jan 26
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Jan 27
F
M
A
completed scheduled ahead 118 already booked into 2027

Where the 2026 cohort stands

Biometrics location — 2026 appointments already held

Lisbon128
Cascais65
Porto12
Faro5
Vila Real5
unrecorded5
Portimao3

Most recent cards issued in the 2026 cohort

BiometricsLocationCard receivedDays
8 Jan 2026Cascais26 Aug 2026230
7 Jan 2026Cascais25 Aug 2026230
7 Jan 2026Lisbon20 Aug 2026225
6 Jan 2026Cascais20 Aug 2026226
6 Jan 2026Cascais20 Aug 2026226
Explore the full NomadGate timeline database All 1,012 self-reported applications, filterable and sortable — the source behind every number here.