Portugal’s New Immigration Law Passed:
September – October 2025
In late September 2025, Portugal’s parliament approved a revised Foreigners’ Law after overcoming Constitutional Court objections and a presidential veto.. The new law recalibrates rules on family reunification, residency requirements, and visa eligibility, while attempting to remain constitutionally sound.
Key Changes & Impacts
Family reunification delayed: Applicants now generally need two years of residence before reuniting spouses or dependents. However, this waiting period can be shortened to one year if the couple had a prior relationship, and special rules apply for children with disabilities
Citizenship timeline extended: The proposed changes would extend the naturalization requirement from 5 to 10 years for most applicants, with exceptions (7 years) for citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries.
Constitutional constraints remain: In a preventive review, the Constitutional Court struck down parts of an earlier draft (Acórdão 785/2025) that were too restrictive on family rights and access to justice.
Administrative backlog persists: Despite creation of AIMA (which replaced SEF) to streamline immigration processes, delays in processing temporary residence permits are causing major issues. Many foreign nationals face waits of several months beyond D visa expiry, hindering travel and legal securit
Why This Matters for Migrants & Applicants
If you had applications pending under old rules, the transitional provisions become critical: filing sooner may preserve eligibility under former, more generous rules.
Those seeking citizenship or family reunification must now factor in extended waiting periods, stricter eligibility, and increased legal competition.
Travel becomes riskier during administrative hold-ups: many are stuck unable to leave Portugal while waiting for their residence permit decision.
Summary:
In late September 2025, Portugal approved a new immigration law after a previous version was vetoed. The changes affect family reunification, citizenship timelines, and residency rules. Migrants now generally need two years of residence before reuniting with family, and citizenship may require up to ten years instead of five. Although the new agency AIMA was created to simplify immigration, processing delays remain severe, leaving many migrants without valid documents for months. The Constitutional Court also struck down overly restrictive parts of the law, ensuring basic rights remain protected. Applicants with pending cases may still benefit from older, more favorable rules if filed before the new changes took effect.
