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President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa signed the revised Foreigners Law into effect, after the legislation was approved by 70% of parliament. This new law represents one of the most significant overhauls of immigration rules in recent years.
While some changes are technical, others will have a direct impact on people who are moving to Portugal, applying for residency, or bringing family members here.
Below, we’ll break down the key changes — and what they might mean for you.
1. Family Reunification Just Became More Restricted
Previously, foreign residents could apply for family reunification relatively quickly after receiving their residence permit. That has now changed.
What’s new:
- Two-year rule: In most cases, you now need to have lived in Portugal with a valid residence permit for at least two years before you can apply for family reunification for a spouse or other family members.
- Some exceptions: This two-year period does not apply if:
- The family members are minor or incapacitated children.
- The resident holds a Golden Visa, has high qualifications, or a Blue Card.
- Spouses or partners: If your partner has lived with you for at least 18 months prior to your arrival in Portugal, you can apply for family reunification after 15 months of legal residence.
- Exceptional cases: The government can waive the two-year rule in exceptional situations, based on family ties and integration.
What this means for you:
- D7 applicants & Digital Nomads: If you’re moving on a D7 or Digital Nomad visa and want to bring a spouse or partner after the main applicant has moved, you may have to wait up to two years before applying.
- Families with children: If you have minor children, you can still apply for family reunification immediately.
- Golden Visa holders & highly qualified professionals: No change — these groups remain exempt from the waiting period.
Most Portugalist readers move to Portugal as a couple or family rather than one person moving first and then another moving a few months later. Because of this, this change is unlikely to affect the majority of Portugalist readers as they will still all be able to move at the same time.
If you are unable to move at the same time (e.g. if one person has to stay behind to sell the house, for example), this will require careful planning. Either the person staying behind will need to wait (and enter periodically on the Schengen Visa) or if they have sufficient income, they will be able to apply for their own visa.
Another option would be to apply for the Golden Visa instead of a visa like the D7 or Digital Nomad Visa as immediate family reunification is allowed. Along with the lower residency requirements, this change continues to make the Golden Visa the most flexible residency visa.
2. Stricter Housing & Financial Requirements for Reunification
The new law places greater emphasis on proving adequate housing and financial means for family members joining you in Portugal.
What’s new:
- Applicants must prove that their housing is suitable and adequate “taking into account the existing supply in the national territory.”
- When renewing a residence permit based on family reunification, social benefits can no longer be counted as income.
What this means for you:
- You may need to show rental contracts or property deeds and demonstrate sufficient income to support your family.
- This could make reunification more difficult for people on lower incomes or those living in smaller properties.
Anyone applying for a residency visa like the D7 will be aware of the requirement for adequate housing, which typically means a 12-month rental contract with a lease that’s registered with Finanças. Most Portugalist readers also move to Portugal with their own income (typically a pension or income for remote work).
For most Portugalist readers, this will not mean any real change to the application requirements.
3. Work-Seeking Visas Limited to “Qualified Workers”
In recent years, Portugal introduced a “work-seeking visa” that allowed people to come to Portugal for up to 120 days (extendable) while looking for a job — including in sectors like hospitality and tourism.
That has now changed.
What’s new:
- The work-seeking visa will now only be available to “highly qualified professionals.”
- The list of qualifying professions has not yet been published.
What this means for you:
- Lower-skilled workers — including those previously coming to work in tourism or hospitality — will likely no longer qualify.
- If you’re a professional in a high-demand field (e.g., tech, medicine, engineering), this could make your path clearer.
- If you were planning to use this visa as a first step toward living in Portugal, you may need to explore alternatives such as the D7, Digital Nomad, or student visas.
4. New Deadlines for AIMA Processing — and Legal Recourse
Many applicants have experienced long delays from Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo (AIMA).
What’s new:
- AIMA now has nine months to process residence applications.
- This can only be extended in exceptional circumstances.
- Applicants can appeal if AIMA fails to act within a reasonable time, under more clearly defined legal grounds.
What this means for you:
- You should expect more predictable timelines, at least in theory.
- If your application is stuck, the legal framework to challenge delays is now clearer.
- However, AIMA is still facing a major backlog, so real-world improvements may take time.
This change is definitely welcome news. However, the past few years have been filled with promises (applications should be processed within 60 days; AIMA is adding more support staff; the backlog will be cleared by June 2025) that the government has been unable to meet. The enthusiasm is welcome, as is the clearer legal framework, but the proof will be in the pudding.
5. Mobility Agreements for Strategic Sectors
The law also allows the Portuguese government to sign new mobility agreements with other countries.
What this means for you:
- If you’re from a country that signs such an agreement, your path to living and working in Portugal may become faster and easier.
- This could particularly impact citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries, but may also extend to other countries in strategic sectors.
6. A Reminder: The Citizenship Law Has Not Changed (Yet)
There has been a lot of discussion recently about extending the naturalization timeline from five years to ten years.
This has not yet been approved.
Currently, if you hold legal residency in Portugal for five years, you may still apply for Portuguese citizenship, subject to other eligibility requirements (such as language and criminal record checks).
We’ll update this as soon as there’s movement on this front.
Who Will Be Most Affected by These Changes
| Group | Impact |
|---|---|
| D7 Visa holders | Likely affected by the new two-year rule for family reunification (spouses/partners) if they don’t move at the same time as the main applicant. |
| Families with children | Can still reunify immediately, so impact is limited. |
| Golden Visa investors & Blue Card holders | Minimal impact — exemptions remain in place. |
| Digital Nomads | May face delays bringing family members if they don’t move at the same time as the main applicant. |
| Lower-skilled job seekers | Work-seeking visa route likely closed off. |
| High-skilled professionals | Work-seeking visa remains a viable option. |
| CPLP nationals | Conditions for residence permits are changing — more details to come. |
Final Thoughts
The new Foreigners Law represents a shift toward a more restrictive immigration policy in Portugal, particularly around family reunification and low-skilled migration.
However, for most Portugalist readers, there is unlikely to be a significant change.
If you’re planning a move to Portugal or are already living here, it’s important to:
- Review your immigration timeline.
- Plan ahead for family reunification.
- Make sure you can demonstrate adequate income and housing.
- Keep an eye on updates to the work-seeking visa profession list.
We’ll continue to track how these changes are implemented in practice — including the forthcoming publication in the Official Gazette — and provide practical updates as they happen.
