AIMA extended expired permits until mid-April, but without a new extension, these professionals cannot work, as platforms require valid documents to keep accounts active.

The main issue is the failure to meet the 60-day deadline for issuing physical cards. Some immigrants, many of whom are Brazilian, renewed in August 2025 and, after eight months, still have not received their definitive permit.

Lack of consensus

Faced with delays, the two main Portuguese operators took opposing positions, showing a lack of consensus on provisional documents. Uber immediately blocked drivers without valid licenses, stating that residency authorisation is mandatory and that it ensures a safe, regulated service.

Bolt, instead, introduced an exceptional 30-day measure. Drivers with pending or under review applications can keep working if they submit proof via the Renewal Portal. Bolt argues that no professional should be penalised for external delays and that proof of renewal confers legal legitimacy to live and work in Portugal.

Criticised response

AIMA's response to this blockage has been criticised for its legal ambiguity. The agency created a digital "proof of approval," stating that this should be sufficient to prove the existence of an ongoing process. However, the document contains a clause stating that the declaration "does not replace the residence permit in cases where its presentation is legally required," which has led Uber and several banking institutions to refuse to recognise its validity.

Although AIMA assures that 87% of the 90,000 processes decided since June 2025 have already resulted in the sending of cards, the remaining thousands of processes under analysis or held in the issuance phase at the Mint are economically suffocating a significant portion of the 39,000 TVDE drivers operating in the country.

This documentary instability reflects flaws in the transition of the Mission Structure and exposes the fragility of the automatic renewal mechanisms launched in July of last year.

Financial desperation

For the affected drivers, the situation is one of financial desperation, since the original renewal certificate, valid for 180 days, has already expired for most applicants, even though the physical card has not arrived.

While Bolt is offering to collaborate with professionals during this one-month grace period, the lack of a new government decree standardising the acceptance of these pending documents leaves thousands of workers in legal limbo, unable to work in a sector they represent almost half of the total workforce.