Termo de Responsabilidade for AIMA: what it is, which form, and how to fill it in

A Termo de Responsabilidade is a signed statement in which someone in Portugal takes responsibility for your stay. If you’re the non-EU partner of an EU citizen, it’s the line on AIMA’s list that reads “Termo de Responsabilidade subscrito pelo nacional da UE”: your EU partner signs it for you.^[4]

The signer takes on real obligations. And since 4 November 2024, AIMA only accepts its termo form if the signature is certified by a notary, lawyer or solicitor, unless it’s signed in front of an AIMA representative.^[3]

If the person signing needs that certification, our signature notarisation service has a licensed Portuguese lawyer recognise the signature, for €79.

The same document turns up in visa applications and when someone in Portugal invites a visiting relative. There are two official forms, for different offices.

Below you’ll find which form fits your case, AIMA’s form box by box in English, and how the certification works. For the rest of the file, see our AIMA appointment checklist.

Neste guia9 sections

1. What is a Termo de Responsabilidade?
2. Who can sign a Termo de Responsabilidade?
3. Which form do you need: Modelo 4 or the visa invitation form?
4. Where do you download the official Termo de Responsabilidade PDF?
5. How do you fill in Modelo 4?
6. Does the signature have to be certified?
7. How does the termo fit into an Article 15 request to AIMA?
8. What about a visa or a "carta convite"?
9. Does a Termo de Responsabilidade expire?

What is a Termo de Responsabilidade?

It’s a signed declaration in which one person takes responsibility for another person’s stay in Portugal. In English you’ll see it called a statement or term of responsibility.

On AIMA’s form, the signer declares they’re responsible for three things.^[2]

• Living conditions: how you live while you’re in Portugal.
• Removal costs: the cost of removing you from the country, if it ever came to that.
• The law: you following Portuguese law.

Read the end of the form before anyone signs. It says the termo is an enforceable title (“título executivo”).^[2] AIMA’s announcement puts it as “tem força executiva”.^[3]

In plain words, the State can recover those costs from the signer without first taking them to court.

So nobody should sign one as a quick favour.

Who can sign a Termo de Responsabilidade?

A Portuguese citizen or a foreigner who is legally resident in Portugal, according to the Foreign Ministry’s visa portal.^[6] Who actually signs depends on why you need it.

If you’re applying for a residence card as the partner of an EU citizen

Your EU partner signs it. AIMA’s list for the residence card of a family member of an EU citizen asks for a termo “subscrito pelo nacional da UE”, which means signed by the EU national.^[4]

If you’re applying for a visa

The person or organisation backing your stay signs it. For work, research and internship visas, that’s the host entity (your employer, research centre or host organisation), with its signature certified.^[8]

If your family is joining you on your residence permit

You sign one for each family member, as the main applicant. In files we’ve worked on, the main applicant signs a separate termo for their spouse and for each child, and each family member takes their own copy to their own AIMA appointment.

If you’re applying alone, with no family members on your file, you won’t need one for this.

If you’re inviting a relative to visit

You sign it, as the host in Portugal. Many people call the host’s termo a “carta convite” (invitation letter).

If you’re related to the visitor, the consulate asks for proof of the relationship and may ask for proof of the accommodation. If you aren’t Portuguese, you have to prove your legal status in Portugal.^[5]

Which form do you need: Modelo 4 or the visa invitation form?

AIMA’s termo form is Modelo 4. Visitors who need a short-stay (Schengen) visa use a separate invitation form from the Foreign Ministry’s visa portal.

The two have different fields, so check which office the document is going to before anyone signs.

Your case	Which form	Who signs	Where it goes
Residence card as the family member of an EU citizen (Article 15)	AIMA’s list asks for a termo and names no form. AIMA’s standard termo form is Modelo 4	Your EU partner	AIMA, with your request
National (long-stay) visa where a termo is accepted	Modelo 4, which the visa portal also hosts	The person backing your stay; the host entity for work, research and internship visas	The consulate or visa centre
Short-stay (Schengen) visa for a visitor who needs one	A Foreign Ministry’s invitation form	Your host in Portugal	The consulate, as an original

Don’t mix up Modelo 4 with AIMA’s other numbered forms. AIMA publishes seven.^[1]

The one Article 15 applicants meet next to the termo is Modelo 5, the residence card application for EU citizens and their family members. Modelo 5 is the application. Modelo 4 is the declaration the other person signs.

Still not sure which route you’re on? An consulta de imigração can tell you which forms your case needs.

Where do you download the official Termo de Responsabilidade PDF?

From AIMA’s own website: Modelo 4 (PDF), listed on AIMA’s “Impressos e Minutas” (forms) page.^[1] AIMA publishes it as a PDF. Two pages, marked “Mod. 4”.

The invitation form for short-stay visas is on the Foreign Ministry’s visa portal: Termo de responsabilidade (PDF).^[5]

Use AIMA’s current file. The visa portal also hosts an older 2024 layout of Modelo 4 without the certification paragraph.^[7] The signature needs certifying either way, so start from the current file.

How do you fill in Modelo 4?

The signer’s details go on page 1, the details of the person they’re responsible for go on page 2, and then the signer signs. Every label is printed in Portuguese, English and French, so you can follow it in English.^[2]

At the top of page 1 there’s a box marked PROCESSO. That’s for AIMA’s case number.

Page 1: the person signing

This part is headed “Identificação do responsável”, the identification of the person responsible.

• 1. Surname (Apelido).
• 2. Given names (Nome(s) Próprio(s)).
• 3. Nationality, plus small boxes for the three-letter country code.
• 4. Place of birth.
• 5. Date of birth.
• 6. Sex.

Then “Residência”, the signer’s permanent address:

• 7.1 Street, 7.2 number, 7.3 floor.
• 7.4 Town e 7.5 postcode.
• 7.7 Phone number.

Then “Documento de identidade”, the signer’s ID document. You tick one type:

• B.I.: the old Portuguese identity card (Bilhete de Identidade).
• Passaporte: passport.
• A.R.: residence permit (Autorização de Residência).
• C.R.: residence card (Cartão de Residência).

For that document you give the number, issue date, expiry date and place of issue.

The last box on page 1 is for a visa (type and issue date) or an “Autorização de Permanência”, a stay authorisation (number, place of issue and validity).

Page 2: the person they’re responsible for

Page 2 identifies the person the signer takes responsibility for:

• 8. Surname.
• 9. Given names.
• 10. Nationality.
• 11. Place of birth.
• 12. Date of birth.
• 13. Sex.

Then come the signature box (“Assinatura”) and a fingerprint box (“Impressão Digital”).

Three things people look for aren’t on the form. There’s no passport number for the person on page 2, no date field, e no field for an amount of money or a length of stay.

The signer takes on what the form’s text says. There’s no limit written on it.

Common mistakes

• Signing without certification. Since 4 November 2024, AIMA doesn’t accept an uncertified signature on Modelo 4 unless it’s signed in front of an AIMA representative.^[3]
• Using the wrong form. The visa invitation form goes to a consulate. Modelo 4 is AIMA’s form.
• Working from the older copy. Download the current PDF from AIMA’s site.
• The two people swapped. The signer’s details go on page 1 and the family member’s on page 2. In files we’ve worked on, swapping them meant filling in the form again and paying for a second certification.
• Names that don’t match the ID. Copy each name exactly as it appears on that person’s passport or ID card, so every document in the file lines up.

Does the signature have to be certified?

Yes. Since 4 November 2024, AIMA only accepts Modelo 4 if the signature is certified by a notary, a lawyer or a solicitor (“Notário, Advogado ou Solicitador”).^[3]

The one exception: a termo signed in front of an AIMA representative.

AIMA announced the change on 28 October 2024. The current PDF repeats it on page 2: the signature must be recognised by an entity the law allows, and the termo is an enforceable title.^[2]

In practice, the signer fills in and signs the form, and a notary, lawyer or solicitor certifies the signature. If you’d like a lawyer to do it, our signature notarisation service (linked at the top of this guide) costs €79.

In our experience, certifying the signature takes 10 to 15 minutes, and a month before your appointment is early enough to do it. For a termo you’ll use in Portugal, you don’t need an apostille on top.

The visa invitation form has the same requirement. Its last page says the declaration must be certified by the competent authority and handed to the consulate as the original.^[5]

How does the termo fit into an Article 15 request to AIMA?

It’s one item on AIMA’s document list for the residence card of a family member of an EU citizen, and your EU partner signs it.^[4]

“Article 15 request” is the name people use for this route: the non-EU partner of an EU citizen asking AIMA for a residence card as their family member.

“Do we have to use Modelo 4?”

AIMA’s list asks for a termo signed by your EU partner. It doesn’t say which form.^[4]

AIMA’s standard termo form is Modelo 4.

What else does AIMA’s list ask for?

AIMA’s page lists these requirements.^[4]

• A booked appointment at an AIMA office, requested through AIMA’s contact form with the subject “Cartão de Residente da União Europeia (CRUE)”.
• Your EU partner’s ID: their registration certificate, residence card, ID card or passport.
• Your valid passport, as the non-EU family member.
• Copies of the passport pages with stamps.
• Proof of your relationship: an apostilled marriage certificate or, for unmarried partners, both birth certificates and proof you’ve lived together for at least 2 years.
• Proof of dependency, where that applies.
• The Termo de Responsabilidade, signed by your EU partner.
• The application form, Modelo 5.

AIMA’s page gives three months from the request as its time to decide.

What comes before the AIMA request?

Your EU partner registers at the Câmara first. That’s where they get their registration certificate, and the AIMA request follows once it’s issued.

A nossa CRUE support covers that first step.

How we help with the termo

EU Family Setup covers both of you, from your partner’s CRUE to your AIMA request. For the termo, our partner lawyer reviews your AIMA file, and we draft the request letter and the termo your partner signs.

You book the appointment and send the request to AIMA yourselves.

AIMA sets the appointment date, and we can’t speed AIMA up.

When AIMA gives you a date, our Apoio na marcação na AIMA helps you get ready for it.

What about a visa or a “carta convite”?

For a short-stay (Schengen) visa, a termo can stand in for proof that the visitor has enough money for the trip.

Portugal’s short-stay reference is €75 per entry plus €40 per day. A termo signed by a Portuguese citizen or legal resident is accepted instead.^[6] The consulate’s checklist also accepts a termo in place of a hotel booking.^[5]

What goes on the visa invitation form?

The Foreign Ministry’s form follows the EU Visa Code’s invitation model. It asks for the following.^[5]

• What the host covers: tick boxes for accommodation, bearing the costs, or both.
• Who invites: a company or organisation, or a private person (with ID card number, passport number, occupation and address).
• The stay: accommodation dates from and until, and the address.
• The visitor’s details, and an optional box for the family tie.
• The purpose of the stay.
• How far the host’s cover goes: “accommodation and repatriation costs only”, or “all the other costs of the stay” as well.

Unlike Modelo 4, it has a date line and a box for the certification. The original goes to the consulate.

Does a termo help with a long-stay visa?

Sometimes. For national (long-stay) visas, the means-of-subsistence reference is the Portuguese minimum wage, €920 a month in 2026, counted per household.^[7]

• First adult: 100% (€920).
• Each other adult: 50% (€460).
• Each child under 18, and each dependent adult child: 30% (€276).

For a couple, that comes to €1,380 a month.

The visa portal accepts a termo for some temporary-stay cases, such as medical treatment, and it hosts a copy of Modelo 4.^[7]

If you’re applying for a D2 or D1 visa and your expected income is below one Portuguese minimum wage, files we’ve worked on have used a termo from someone in Portugal to cover the gap. If you’re applying for a D7 or D8, we don’t use it: those visas rest on your own income.

Does a Termo de Responsabilidade expire?

“Does it expire?” is one of the first things people ask.

AIMA doesn’t publish an expiry rule, and neither official form states one. Modelo 4 doesn’t even have a date field.^[1][2]

So have it signed and certified close to when you’ll hand it in, once the rest of the file is ready.

Perguntas frequentes

Is a Termo de Responsabilidade the same as a carta convite?

Yes, in everyday speech. Many people call the host’s termo for a visiting relative a “carta convite”. For a visitor who needs a visa, the consulate’s checklist links the Foreign Ministry’s own invitation form.

Is there a Word version of Modelo 4?

AIMA publishes Modelo 4 as a PDF. Download it from AIMA’s “Impressos e Minutas” page so you have the current layout.

Does the signature still need to be certified in 2025 and 2026?

Yes. The rule has applied since 4 November 2024, and the current Modelo 4 PDF still states it. The only exception is signing in front of an AIMA representative.

Who can certify the signature?

A notary, a lawyer or a solicitor. That’s the list AIMA gives.

Who signs the termo in an Article 15 request?

Your EU partner. AIMA’s list asks for a termo signed by the EU national.

Is Modelo 4 the same as Modelo 5?

No. Modelo 4 is the Termo de Responsabilidade. Modelo 5 is the application form for the residence card of EU citizens and their family members.

Does the termo say how much money the signer has?

No. Modelo 4 has no field for an amount or a length of stay. For visas, the Foreign Ministry sets the means-of-subsistence figures separately.

Can a foreigner living in Portugal sign a termo?

Yes, if they’re legally resident. For a Schengen visa invitation, a host who isn’t Portuguese has to prove their legal status in Portugal.

Can a company sign a Termo de Responsabilidade?

Yes, for work, research and internship visas, where the host entity signs with a certified signature. The visa invitation form also has a section for an invitation by a company or organisation.

Can the signer be made to pay?

Yes. The form says the termo is an enforceable title, so the State can recover costs such as removal costs from the signer without first going to court.

Is the termo the same as a host’s accommodation declaration?

No. If you live free of charge in someone’s home, the host signs a separate accommodation declaration, also with a certified signature. If you rent under a registered lease, files we’ve worked on used the lease and recent rent receipts instead.

Can I fill in Modelo 4 in English?

Yes. The labels are printed in Portuguese, English and French, so you can follow every box in English. The names and details you enter should match each person’s ID document.

Sources and how we checked

We read each official page and form directly on AIMA’s site and the Foreign Ministry’s visa portal in November 2026. The full legal references are listed here, so the guide itself can stay in plain English.

1. AIMA, “Impressos e Minutas” (forms list, Modelos 1 to 7), checked November 2026.
2. AIMA, Modelo 4, Termo de Responsabilidade (PDF), current layout, checked November 2026. The form cites Lei n.º 23/2007, article 12(6), and Decreto-Lei n.º 41/2023.
3. AIMA, “Termo de Responsabilidade (Modelo 4): assinatura devidamente reconhecida obrigatória”, published 28 October 2024, updated 8 November 2024.
4. AIMA, “Cartão de Residência para Familiares de Nacionais UE”, checked November 2026. Legal basis: Lei n.º 37/2006, article 15.
5. Foreign Ministry visa portal, Schengen short-stay documents, with its termo de responsabilidade form, checked November 2026. The form follows Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 (EU Visa Code), article 14(4).
6. Foreign Ministry visa portal, Schengen means of subsistence, checked November 2026.
7. Foreign Ministry visa portal, national visa means of subsistence, checked November 2026, and the 2024 copy of Modelo 4 it hosts. The termo route refers to Lei n.º 23/2007, article 12.
8. Foreign Ministry visa portal, national visa documents by visa type, checked November 2026.