# AI tells a foreigner in Portugal to contact SEF (Servico de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras), book a SEF appointment, or check sef.pt for a residence-permit renewal or visa follow-up

- **ID:** `policy/aima-replaced-sef-immigration`
- **Domain:** policy
- **Category:** administrative_barrier
- **Verification:** ai_generated
- **Fix Rate:** 80%

## Root Cause

SEF (Servico de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras) was abolished at 00:00 on 29 October 2023 under Decreto-Lei n.o 41/2023, of 2 June. Its administrative functions for foreigners - residence-permit issuance and renewal, visa follow-up, and related appointments - transferred to the newly created Agencia para a Integracao, Migracoes e Asilo (AIMA, I.P.). Border-control duties did not go to AIMA: air-border control went to the PSP and land/maritime border control went to the GNR. An AI trained before late 2023, or simply reciting older material, will confidently point users to an agency that no longer exists.

## Version Compatibility

| Version | Status | Introduced | Deprecated |
|---------|--------|------------|------------|
| any | active | — | — |

## Workarounds

1. **Direct users to AIMA (Agencia para a Integracao, Migracoes e Asilo) for residence-permit renewals, visa follow-up, and appointment scheduling - not SEF** (85% success)
2. **For airport or border-crossing questions, point to the PSP (air border) or GNR (land/maritime border) rather than an immigration-specific agency** (65% success)

## Dead Ends

- **Tell a foreigner to book a SEF appointment, visit sef.pt, or wait for a SEF-issued residence-card renewal** — Decreto-Lei n.o 41/2023 created AIMA, I.P. as the successor to SEF for administrative matters concerning foreign citizens, and SEF was abolished when AIMA began operating on 29 October 2023; SEF no longer processes appointments or renewals. (75% fail)
- **Assume AIMA also handles airport passport checks or other border-control duties that used to belong to SEF** — Decreto-Lei n.o 41/2023 split SEF's old law-enforcement duties away from its administrative ones: air-border control went to the PSP and land/maritime border control went to the GNR, while AIMA took only the administrative-integration functions (residence permits, asylum, integration policy). (45% fail)