A commission in the Portuguese Assembly of the Republic approved, this Friday (20), a change in the legislation on citizens of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) that once again allows Brazilian tourists to apply for a residence permit in the country after having entered legally as tourists. The measure now awaits presidential sanction to come into force.
According to the Portuguese newspaper Público, the change consists of an amendment to article 75 of Law 23 of 2007 of Portugal and regulates a possibility that has been open since 2022, the year in which the country’s Foreigners Law was updated. In practice, it creates a regime similar to the Expression of Interest, which was abolished by the new Portuguese government this year.
Also according to the newspaper, (born in Timor-Leste, a country in Southeast Asia), who no longer need a visa to enter Portugal, will be able to apply for a residence permit when they are in the country, even if under the status of tourists. The only obligation is to have your passport stamped when arriving in Portuguese lands – which is not possible if the foreigner came from another European Union country.
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Foreigners from other CPLP countries, such as Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique and São Tomé and Príncipe, are authorized to make the same request, but need a visa to enter Portugal.
When does it come into effect?
The law does not come into force immediately. First, it will be assessed by the Portuguese president, who has 20 days to sign it, and may be sent for evaluation by the Constitutional Court, the Portuguese equivalent of the Federal Supreme Court. If there are considerations from the Judiciary, the matter returns to Parliament for final drafting.
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Regulation will be the responsibility of Aima, the government agency responsible for migration matters, which will provide an online form for this specific residence request. There is still no deadline for this action to be taken.
