Adapted version of the text approved in Parliament by the right and center-right makes it more difficult for foreigners to enter and stay in the country and could affect Brazilians
The president of Portugal, (independent), promulgated this Thursday (October 16, 2025) the change in the Foreigners Law, which regulates the entry, exit and stay of foreigners in the national territory.
The text in the Assembly of the Republic on September 30 is a 2nd version. The 1st – the Court was called by the president.
In , the Portuguese Presidency stated that the new immigration law, revised and approved by 70% of deputies, “minimally corresponds to the essence of the doubts raised by the president and confirmed by the Constitutional Court”.
Therefore, it enacted the amendment to the . Here is the text approved by the Assembly of the Republic (PDF – 205 KB).
On Tuesday (Oct 14), Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa had stated that he would announce his decision this Thursday (Oct 16). The statement raised expectations that the text would be sent again to the Constitutional Court. This is because October 16th was the deadline for the president to submit the document for preventive inspection.
“I guarantee that I won’t make it past the 16th, I will meet that deadline, which also allows you to understand what my inclination is,” said the president on Tuesday (Oct 14). The document was available for presidential sanction since the 8th.
The text, produced by what governs the country, the (Democratic Alliance, PSD and CDS-PP), was approved on September 30, with the support of the anti-immigration party and the (Liberal Initiative).
The left and center-left parties – (Partido Socialista), , (Partido Comunista Português), (Bloco de Esquerda) and (People-Animais-Natureza)– voted against the proposal.
The new rule makes it more difficult for foreigners to enter and stay in the European country and may affect Brazilians residing in Portugal.
Among the main changes are:
- Family reunification: This is a right that allows family members of a person who already resides legally in another country to join them. It only applies to residents who have been legally in Portugal for more than 2 years. Exceptions apply to parents of “minor or incapacitated children”, to “spouses or equivalent” (the period is shorter) and for those who have high qualification work visas or with the “golden visas”investment residence permits;
- Members of the CPLP (Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries): People included in this category, such as Brazilians, will no longer be able to enter the country as tourists with the intention of requesting residence in the country. Now, they will need to enter Portugal with the appropriate visa for their case;
- Job search visa: This visa will only be granted to people considered highly qualified;
- Bilateral agreements for essential sectors: A PS proposal was accepted so that the government can make agreements with countries to grant work visas for sectors considered essential, such as agriculture, commerce and construction.
According to the latest report from the (Agency for Integration, Migrations and Asylum), from 2023, there were 368,449 Brazilians in Portugal (35.3% of the total number of foreigners that year).
This number does not include Brazilians who have citizenship of a country in the (European Union). In March this year, the Prime Minister of Portugal, (PSD, center-right), spoke of around 550 thousand Brazilians residing in the country.
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