SIS Alert: What It Is and How It Affects Your Residence Permit in Portugal
If you are in Portugal and have submitted your residence permit application, but suddenly your process was stopped by AIMA, it is possible that the reason is a SIS alert.
In this article, I explain what that means, why a SIS alert can completely block your application, and why it is essential to act as soon as possible.
What is a SIS alert?
The Schengen Information System (SIS) is a shared database used by all countries in the Schengen Area. When a SIS alert is issued, it means there is a restriction or warning registered against the foreign citizen — usually issued by another European country — that prevents or limits their entry or stay in Portugal and other EU countries.
This type of alert can be issued for several reasons, such as:
-
Illegal entry into a Schengen country;
-
Criminal conviction in another Schengen country;
-
Previous expulsion;
-
Administrative removal decision.
🚫 What happens if you have a SIS alert?
If your name is listed with a SIS, your residence permit process in Portugal will be blocked.
Many foreigners only discover the problem after submitting documents and completing biometric data with AIMA. Days or weeks later, they are notified that their application cannot move forward due to the SIS alert.
⚠️ Even worse: if the SIS alert is not resolved, your application will be definitively denied, and you may receive a removal order from Portugal.
Can a SIS alert be resolved?
Yes. In many cases, it is possible to:
-
Request access to the personal data recorded;
-
Request the correction or deletion of the alert.
⚠️ Important: Neither AIMA nor SEF (now extinct) can resolve or remove the SIS alert.
Our law firm can help
We are lawyers registered with the Portuguese Bar Association, and we assist clients from any region of Portugal.
We have experience helping foreigners whose residence permit applications were blocked by a SIS. We analyze each case individually, identify the source of the problem, and take legal action to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.
📞 Contact us today
If you have been informed that you are subject to a SIS Alert, do not wait for a final refusal or a removal order from Portugal.
Contact us now and see how we can help:
✅ WhatsApp: +351 91 543 1234 (text only – no calls)
✅ Online legal service available nationwide
Adriano Martins Pinheiro, lawyer in Portugal