Expat rights news in Portugal

More than 27,000 foreign nationals received official orders to leave Portugal this year, but only around 800 complied with the voluntary departure notices (notificação para abandono voluntário). Government figures revealed that the overwhelming majority of recipients remained in the country after the departure period expired. The low compliance rate comes amid ongoing political debate over immigration enforcement and border inspection procedures.

Former Socialist minister Ana Catarina Mendes accused the government of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro of encouraging negative public sentiment toward immigrants that had not previously existed in Portugal. Mendes argued that Minister of the Presidency António Leitão Amaro has yielded to far-right rhetoric and warned that setting up a dedicated immigration and borders unit within the Public Security Police (Polícia de Segurança Pública or PSP) is a serious mistake. While she credited the current administration for clearing backlogged residency files, she defended the structural necessity of the civil immigration agency.

Tents spring up in Lisbon as Portugal housing protests spread

Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) Secretary-General José Luís Carneiro urged Prime Minister Luís Montenegro to shelve the newly approved rental legislation, warning it acts as a social fuse for the country. Carneiro argued that the measure, passed with support from the Democratic Alliance (Aliança Democrática or AD), Chega, and the Liberal Initiative (Iniciativa Liberal or IL), leaves young people and pensioners unprotected. He made the remarks during nationwide cost-of-living demonstrations, calling on authorities to ensure a proportional response to public gatherings.

Parliament voted unanimously to extend fully paid parental leave (licença parental) to six months starting January 1, 2027, provided the time is shared between parents. The legislation, jointly proposed by the Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD) and Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS), guarantees 100% wage replacement for 180 days. It also grants private sector employees with children up to 12 years old the right to request continuous working hours (jornada contínua), allowing a one-hour reduction in the workday with employer agreement.

Parliament approved two bills introduced by the Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD), CDS-PP, and Chega requiring non-resident foreigners to pay for healthcare in Portugal. The measures target non-EU citizens who do not reside in the country, seeking to curb health tourism by mandating full reimbursement for medical treatments. Complementary resolutions backed by the Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) and Liberal Initiative (Iniciativa Liberal) also supported charging non-residents for non-urgent care.

Parliament debated legislative proposals from the Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD), CDS – People's Party (CDS – Partido Popular or CDS-PP), and Chega to restrict access to the National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde or SNS) for non-resident foreigners. The bills would require non-resident foreign citizens to pay user fees (taxas moderadoras) for public medical care. Opposition lawmakers criticized the measures during parliamentary debate, arguing that the right-wing parties are blaming foreigners for operational pressures across public hospitals.

Parliament's Labor Committee unanimously approved a joint legislative proposal from the Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD) and the Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) to extend parental leave entitlements. The bill also broadens the right to continuous working hours (jornada contínua) to private sector employees with children up to 12 years of age. The measure now advances to a final plenary vote in the Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da República).

The Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da República) debated legislative proposals to regulate non-resident access to the National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde or SNS). Lawmakers considered introducing mandatory private health insurance requirements to prevent foreign visitors from misusing Portuguese medical facilities at public expense. The initiative follows findings that over 20% of the 19 million patient records in the national healthcare database lack full identification information.

Chief Superintendent Pedro Moura was sworn in as the new national director of the Public Security Police (Polícia de Segurança Pública or PSP), pledging to make the force accessible to both Portuguese citizens and foreign residents. At the inauguration ceremony, Minister of Internal Administration (Ministro da Administração Interna) Luís Neves also promised to prioritize pay and working conditions for frontline patrol officers.

A parliamentary working group approved a joint proposal by the Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD) and the Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) to extend 100% paid parental leave up to six months. Lawmakers also unanimously approved continuous working hours (jornada contínua) in the private sector for parents of children under 12. The schedule measure allows employees to leave work earlier by taking a shortened 30-minute lunch break, subject to employer agreement.

The Public Security Police (Polícia de Segurança Pública or PSP) and the Porto Municipal Police (Polícia Municipal) cleared an encampment of approximately 50 tents in Praça Dom João I on Monday morning. Activists had occupied the square following a weekend demonstration protesting escalating housing costs and the rising cost of living. The Left Bloc (Bloco de Esquerda) demanded explanations from the Ministry of Internal Administration regarding the legal basis for dismantling the camp.

Update: Housing Activists Sleep Outdoors After Tents Dismantled

Roughly 200 housing activists spent Monday night sleeping in Praça Dom João I despite police removing their tents earlier in the day. The demonstrators vowed to maintain their presence in central Porto until local and national authorities address rising rents and housing scarcity.

Minister of the Presidency António Leitão Amaro announced that Portugal has resolved nearly all of its immigration backlog, with only 5,000 of 445,000 pending applications remaining. Speaking to parliament, António Leitão Amaro stated that immigrant entry flows slowed by 85% following regulatory changes, concluding the government's initial migration phase. The administration is now shifting toward a national integration plan alongside heightened enforcement against illegal immigration networks.

Portuguese schools received 380 new student registrations in the first week of October, with foreign pupils accounting for 73% of the total, according to Minister of Education Fernando Alexandre. Speaking in parliament, Fernando Alexandre said public services are coping with the demand and noted that late enrolments occur every year. The minister also reported that 1,301 teaching schedules remain unfilled across the country, with 40% of full-year openings located in Greater Lisbon and the Setúbal peninsula.

The European Parliament LGBTIQ+ Intergroup urged Portuguese authorities not to roll back legal protections for transgender and intersex individuals in the civil registry (registo civil). Left Bloc (Bloco de Esquerda) MEP Catarina Martins backed the call, pointing to existing protections established under 2018 legislation. Lawmakers expressed concern that proposed revisions could weaken guarantees regarding gender self-determination.

Around 350 former inspectors from the abolished Foreigners and Borders Service (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras) filed a lawsuit demanding seven million euros in damages from the Portuguese state. The plaintiffs claim at least 20,000 euros each for non-material harm, arguing their career transition was executed without required impact studies and ignored warnings from 13 consultative bodies. The Public Prosecutor's Office (Ministério Público) confirmed that the state has contested the claim.

The Migration Technicians Union (Sindicato dos Técnicos das Migrações or STM) called a 24-hour national strike covering all staff at the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo or AIMA) for Tuesday. Workers are demanding a dedicated technical career structure, salary supplements comparable to police forces, and permanent contracts for cultural mediators. The union also criticized leadership instability and a lack of transparency regarding the status of AIMA president Pedro Portugal Gaspar.

More than 134,000 Brazilian citizens residing in Portugal are eligible to vote in this Sunday's presidential election. Polling stations across the country, including in Lisbon, Porto, and Faro, are open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm for mandatory voting. Voters are encouraged to verify their polling location using the E-Título app.

The Ombudsman has recommended that the Public Security Police (Polícia de Segurança Pública or PSP) clarify to officers that irregular stay in Portugal is an administrative matter rather than a crime. This intervention follows a reported increase in erroneous arrests of immigrants in Beja since the abolition of the expression of interest regime.

The Ministry of Environment and Energy has given SDR Portugal, the entity managing the bottle deposit system known as Volta, two weeks to present an action plan to resolve urban cleaning issues. The system, which involves the Deposit and Refund System (Sistema de Depósito e Reembolso or SDR), has led to trash accumulation on streets as people remove containers from public bins. The government expects concrete solutions by October 16 to mitigate these impacts.

The Portuguese state recorded a budget surplus of 249.3 million euros through August, a decrease of nearly 1.8 billion euros compared to the same period in 2025. While tax revenue grew by 4.7% to 41.59 billion euros, the overall balance was affected by central administration spending and debt regularization for the National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde or SNS). Additionally, the state spending watchdog has flagged 526 million euros in public support that lacked clear justification in the 2025 accounts.

Air France-KLM and Lufthansa have submitted their final, improved proposals to Parpública for the acquisition of a 44.9% stake in the national airline, TAP. The state holding company will now evaluate the bids and submit a report to the government, which expects to select a new shareholder by mid-October. Both groups have emphasized their long-term commitment to Portugal, with Air France-KLM highlighting Lisbon as a key hub for Southern Europe.

The government's proposal to revise the New Urban Lease Regime (Novo Regime do Arrendamento Urbano or NRAU) faces significant opposition in Parliament. The Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) and other parties have signaled they will vote against the bill, which includes measures like accelerating evictions after two months of rent arrears and removing the 2% cap on rent increases for new contracts.

Update: Rental law sent to committee stage

The government's rental reform proposal was discussed in Parliament this Wednesday but will be sent to the committee stage without a vote due to a lack of majority support. Meanwhile, protesters gathered outside the Ministry of Housing in Lisbon to demand the resignation of the minister over the proposed changes.

Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) Secretary-General José Luís Carneiro has accused the government of attempting to liberalise evictions through measures outside of parliamentary oversight. Carneiro described the proposed changes to the urban rental regime as inhumane and warned that they could disproportionately affect vulnerable elderly residents. The PS leader also drew parallels between the current housing situation in Portugal and recent public mobilisations in Spain.

The Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD) and the CDS – People's Party (CDS – Partido Popular or CDS-PP) have resubmitted a bill to restrict non-resident foreigners' access to the National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde or SNS). The proposal, which previously lapsed due to the dissolution of parliament, aims to limit care for those without residency status.

Data from the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) reveals that 17,359 residence permits were granted for family reunification in 2025, marking a 31% decrease compared to 2024. Over 24,000 applications remained pending at the end of the year, highlighting ongoing delays in the process for relatives joining family members already living in Portugal.

New statistical data reveals that foreign nationals now make up 13.9% of the total population in Portugal. The concentration of non-national residents varies significantly by region, reaching 30.4% in Lisbon and exceeding 50% in the municipality of Odemira.

A new parliamentary proposal aims to distribute legal cases involving the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo or AIMA) across courts nationwide. Currently, all such cases are concentrated at the Lisbon Administrative Court. Under the proposed change, cases would be handled by courts based on the home address or registered office of the individual or organization involved.

Minister of Internal Administration Luís Neves and police unions have failed to reach an agreement regarding a specific supplement for the National Unit for Foreigners and Borders (Unidade Nacional de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras or UNEF). The government proposed a 160-euro supplement for airport control staff for 2026, rising to 210 euros in 2027, but negotiations remain stalled. The minister is also reviewing patrol supplements for other police classes.

The National Republican Guard (Guarda Nacional Republicana or GNR) has intensified enforcement against illegal immigration and labour exploitation, leading to 232 arrests in August alone. Between October 2023 and August 2026, the GNR inspected over 103,000 people and issued approximately 1,000 notifications for voluntary departure. Officials describe the current inspection strategy as more assertive.

The Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo or AIMA) has increased its staff by over 20% compared to 2024, now employing 840 people. AIMA president Pedro Portugal Gaspar stated that complaints against the agency have fallen by half this year despite an increase in service volume.

President of the Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has officially enacted the new legislation governing the entry, stay, and removal of foreigners, as well as asylum procedures. This follows a preventive review by the Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional), which confirmed the law complies with the Portuguese Constitution.

The Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional) has unanimously approved the legal norms regarding foreign and asylum laws. The decision follows a review requested by the President of the Republic, with legal experts noting the rare unanimity in the court's ruling on these sensitive matters.

New regulations governing the recognition of stateless status will officially enter into force this September. The legislation, which passed through parliament with broad support despite opposition from the Chega party, aims to clarify procedures for individuals without citizenship.

The National Republican Guard (Guarda Nacional Republicana or GNR) has notified a farm owner in Bombarral to provide alternative housing for 31 seasonal workers. The workers were found living in an agricultural pavilion with poor conditions during a recent inspection.

Update: GNR fines farm owner for poor worker conditions

Authorities confirmed the farm owner was fined for illegally discharging wastewater into the public drainage system. The GNR ordered the immediate relocation of the 31 foreign workers to suitable housing following the inspection.

The Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional or TC) has ruled that the government's new bill regarding asylum, detention, and the return of foreign nationals is constitutional. While the Left Bloc (Bloco de Esquerda or BE) described the ruling as an important setback, the party confirmed it will continue its political opposition to the legislation.

The Constitutional Court has unanimously ruled that the Return Law, which streamlines deportation processes for foreign nationals, is constitutional. While the Social Democratic Party (PSD) welcomed the decision as a job well done, other political groups including the Communist Party (PCP) and Livre have expressed concerns regarding potential humanitarian injustices, with some calling for a presidential veto.

The Constitutional Court has ruled that the Return Law is constitutional, clearing the way for its implementation. President António José Seguro had previously referred the legislation to the court in July due to concerns regarding its compatibility with the Constitution.

Australia has suspended applications for its Work and Holiday visa program for Portuguese citizens. The Australian Department of Home Affairs cited high demand as the reason for the pause, which currently affects 23 countries participating in the program.

A Brazilian national has received two residence cards from the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo or AIMA) following a three-and-a-half-year wait. The cards were issued after the applicant appealed an abandonment notice, though the agency has not provided further clarification to the applicant or her legal counsel.

The Bar Association (Ordem dos Advogados or AO) has formally challenged the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo or AIMA) over its lack of dedicated service channels. Lawyers warn that staff shortages and inadequate digital systems are obstructing legal procedures and undermining the rights of immigrants.

A new government bill proposes that companies must disclose salary information to candidates by the time a contract is signed. The legislation also allows employees to request information regarding the salaries of colleagues performing the same functions, while introducing protections against workplace retaliation for those exercising these rights.

President António José Seguro has reiterated the need to fiercely combat illegal immigration while defending national borders. He declined to comment on his recent decision to refer a new decree regarding the return of foreign nationals to the Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional), noting that his reasoning is fully explained in the documentation sent to the court.

The right-wing populist party Chega has condemned President António José Seguro for referring the new law on asylum and the return of foreign nationals to the Constitutional Court. The party described the move as irresponsible, arguing it jeopardizes urgent security measures and could lead to the release of immigrants whose asylum requests have been rejected.

The head of state also notes that the “periods of deprivation of liberty, through administrative detention, of foreign citizens who have not committed any crime, are substantially increased”, stating that “proportionality of their duration and the possibility of judicial control” are necessary, even though “in the abstract, the Constitution allows for the deprivation of liberty”.

The Lisbon Administrative Court has ordered the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo or AIMA) to schedule a residency permit application for a 19-year-old Brazilian man within seven days. The individual was recently deported after being detained at the airport, a situation his legal team attributes to a two-year delay by AIMA in processing his family reunification request.

President of the Republic António José Seguro has submitted the recently approved Foreigners and Asylum law to the Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional or TC) for a preventive review. The President cited concerns regarding provisions that could allow for family separation, the expulsion of minor Portuguese children, and detention conditions in temporary centers. The court is expected to reach a decision by September 1.

Update: President also approves inheritance law

President António José Seguro has also promulgated a decree authorizing the Government to approve a new legal regime for undivided inheritances (heranças indivisas). This legislation allows for the sale of properties within such inheritances at the request of a single heir.

The recent migration crisis in Ceuta has prompted the Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD) to call for a reflection on Portugal's immigration regulation. While Prime Minister Luís Montenegro defended the government's current approach as providing dignity to migrants, opposition figures like André Ventura of the Chega party have criticized the government's handling of the situation. Meanwhile, European Union officials have expressed concern over mass regularization policies in Spain, fueling broader discussions about border security and the use of migration as a political tool.

A study by the Association for Civic Participation (Associação para a Participação Cívica or SJC) suggests that proposed amendments to Portugal’s nationality law could reduce economic activity by up to 15.9 billion euros over the next decade. The association has requested a meeting with Minister of the Presidency António Leitão Amaro to discuss concerns that these legislative changes might reduce the country's attractiveness to foreign residents.