This measure has been implemented by the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) due to the Covid-19 pandemic to avoid in-person visits to the service desk.

This feature was launched in July last year in the “Personal Area” of the SEF Portal, where citizens can access the “Automatic Renewal” feature of their residence permit.

According to a note from SEF, “this exceptional measure aims to mitigate the consequences that resulted from the health emergency situation, adopting exceptional and temporary measures that allow a recovery of pending issues and a gain in efficiency in the document management of foreign citizens.”

To date, more than 100,000 automatic renewals have been carried out, according to SEF.