Latest news and stories about border control in immigration in Lisboa, Portugal for expats and residents.
The Portuguese government has acknowledged IT-related constraints affecting border control at Lisbon airport, resulting in missing passenger data and delays, though officials maintain national security remains intact.
Guinean students holding valid visas are facing detention, humiliation, and forced repatriation, highlighting systemic failures and aggressive practices in border control.
The European Union has fully implemented its new Entry/Exit System, replacing physical passport stamps with mandatory digital biometric registration for non-EU citizens to enhance Schengen Area border security.
Reports indicate 24 National Republican Guard (GNR) personnel were assigned to reinforce border checks at Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport to help reduce queues and bolster security. The GNR later clarified the 24 officers will be deployed as reinforcements from next Tuesday; the airport had previously been reinforced by 25 GNR personnel at 19:00 and around 80 PSP officers over the Christmas period.
The government of Guinea-Bissau today held Portuguese authorities responsible for the cases of Guinean students detained at Lisbon airport, alleging that there is a failure in the visa granting process.
The Guinean Minister of Justice says it is “unacceptable” that students with Portuguese visas are being barred at the airport. Since April, 18 have been stranded in Lisbon.
“If they have a visa, they should be allowed to enter,” the government stated regarding the incident.
The government of Guinea-Bissau has blamed Portuguese authorities for the detention of Guinean students at Lisbon airport, arguing that if a visa has been granted by the Portuguese embassy, entry should be permitted. The Guinean Minister of Justice, Carlos Pinto Pereira, stated that the situation is unacceptable, noting that while students under the 'special regime' face no issues, those applying through the 'international regime'—where students manage the process independently—are being barred upon arrival. Portuguese police have denied claims of poor conditions at the airport, stating that basic needs, including food and hygiene, are being met for those held due to lack of documentation.
At the beginning of April, eight other students were stranded for having incomplete documentation.
The PSP stopped 10 young people at Lisbon Airport, as they did not believe they were coming to start master's degrees.
Documentation presented by the students was reportedly insufficient to guarantee entry authorisation into the country. Five other young people were repatriated this Tuesday. The Association of Guinea-Bissau Students in Lisbon states that the young people are unable to bathe and there is not enough food for everyone.
The Council demanded that Portugal present a plan to correct the identified flaws. It states that measures must be adopted as quickly as possible because they could have an impact on other states.
The European Entry/Exit System is now operating at 100% across the EU. In Portugal, the phased implementation worsened waiting times, particularly at Lisbon airport, where contingency measures were adopted.
The new system became operational on October 12 in Portugal and the remaining Schengen area countries.
The new European border control system for non-EU citizens comes fully into force across the European Union today, following a phased implementation period that saw constraints in Portugal, mainly at Lisbon airport.
The new European border control system for non-EU citizens comes fully into force today across the European Union, following a phased implementation period that experienced constraints in Portugal, mainly at Lisbon airport.
In Portugal, since the entry into force of this new system, waiting times have worsened, especially at Lisbon airport.
Guinea-Bissau’s director-general of communities abroad, Braima Mané, has today denounced the “detention” of six students at Lisbon airport since Friday, for allegedly having incomplete documentation. Mané told a press conference The post Guinean government denounces airport detention of six students appeared first on Portugal Resident.
Of the six students “detained” by airport authorities, three have already received authorisation to enter Portuguese territory. The case is being monitored by the country's embassy in Portugal.
The deadline for former Immigration and Borders Service (SEF) inspectors to work at Portuguese airports ends next Thursday, April 9. However, according to the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI), not all professionals will leave. The ministry stated that inspectors with specific technical expertise, such as document analysis, will remain until PSP officers are fully trained. The PJ criminal investigation union expressed uncertainty regarding these extensions, noting that previous deadlines were changed at the last minute. Meanwhile, the union has criticised the transfer of 100 PSP officers to the Lisbon Municipal Police, arguing that these resources should be prioritised for border control.
Passengers from various parts of the world have once again faced long queues in Portugal's immigration areas, especially at Lisbon Airport. The PSP states that security is a priority.
Home News EES is fully operational in Portugal EES is fully operational in Portugal The European border control system for non-EU citizens, suspended in December at Lisbon airport due to constraints in the arrivals area, is back in operation, having been gradually resumed, the government revealed
The European border control system for non-EU citizens, which was suspended in December at Lisbon airport due to constraints in the arrivals area, is operational again and has been gradually resumed, the Government revealed today.
The European border control system for non-EU citizens, which was suspended in December at Lisbon airport due to constraints in the arrivals area, is operational again and has been gradually resumed, the Government revealed this Friday. In a response sent to the Lusa agency, the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI) states that the European system...
At the end of December, the Government announced contingency measures at Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon to reduce waiting times in the arrivals area, namely the three-month suspension of the EES, which has now returned to full operation.
The European border control system for non-EU citizens, which was suspended in December at Lisbon airport due to congestion in the arrivals area, is fully operational again. The Ministry of Internal Administration confirmed that the Entry/Exit System (EES) has been gradually resumed since the start of the year. To mitigate wait times, self-service kiosks have been installed for biometric data collection, and Portugal has adopted the 'Travel to Europe' mobile app to streamline pre-arrival processing. The government also deployed GNR military personnel to assist with documentation checks, while the PSP continues to manage border control operations.
Frontex's 'Travel to Europe' app has been available at Lisbon Airport since Monday. It generates a QR code after a questionnaire and can be used up to 72 hours before travel.
“By summer” is the new deadline for completing the hearing room where judges will be able to interview foreign nationals barred at Lisbon Airport. ANA - Aeroportos de Portugal states that the project is in the contracting phase and expects the renovation to be finished by summer. The room, proposed by the High Council of the Judiciary (CSM), is at least a year behind schedule due to bureaucratic delays and disputes over responsibilities between the police, the Ministry of Justice, and airport management. Currently, 1,867 passengers were denied entry in 2025, and the new facility aims to ensure that the legal right of these individuals to be heard by a judge is upheld more efficiently, preventing cases where people are deported before their legal proceedings can be completed.
Abner Ivan and his wife, Natália Marinho, travelled to Portugal at the invitation of the Óbidos International Chocolate Festival but were barred from entry at Lisbon Airport.
According to provisional data released this Wednesday by the PSP in a statement, authorities refused entry at Lisbon Airport to 1,867 people and detained 263.
