Portugal Tightens Residence Routes Under New Immigration Law 62/2026

Portugal's new aliens legislation, Law No. 62/2026, has been in force since 11 September and reshapes the rules on residence permits, work mobility, family-based residence and border controls. The changes affect international students, workers and families seeking to settle in or remain in Portugal.

Key facts

• Law No. 62/2026 has applied since 11 September.
• Higher education students generally now need a residence visa before entering Portugal.
• Workers may change employer or the nature of their self-employment without a new residence permit, by notifying AIMA.
• Visa-exempt residence for parents is now limited to parents of Portuguese-national minors residing in Portugal.
• Seasonal workers may extend their stay more than once, but still only up to 9 months in any 12-month period.

What changed for students?

Certain higher education students can no longer obtain a residence permit after entering Portugal legally without a residence visa. As a general rule, the appropriate visa must now be obtained in advance, before travel.

A specific route to residence for certain vocational training courses has also been abolished. An exception remains for secondary school students who entered and stayed in Portugal legally, provided the legal requirements are met.

What changed for workers?

In situations provided for by law, foreign workers may now change employer, or change the nature of their self-employment, without having a new residence permit issued. The change must be notified to the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA).

For seasonal workers, the law now expressly allows more than one extension of stay. The overall limit remains 9 months within any 12-month period.

What changed for parents of minors?

Access to a visa-exempt residence permit is now limited to parents of minors of Portuguese nationality who reside in Portugal. The parents must effectively exercise parental responsibilities and ensure the maintenance and education of their children. Previously, this route did not depend on the nationality of the minors.

What changed at the border and on removal?

New screening and return procedures at the border cover identity, security and health checks, the identification of vulnerabilities and deciding which procedure applies. Compliance with fundamental rights is to be independently monitored by the Ombudsman.

Rules on protection against forced removal and expulsion have become more restrictive in some respects. Foreign nationals born in Portugal or present in the territory since before the age of 10 now face a minimum residence requirement of five years, and the legal residence of foreign minor children is also required.

At the same time, certain unaccompanied minors and foreign nationals with adult children who are effectively dependent because of disability, serious illness or incapacity are expressly covered, subject to statutory exceptions.

What this means for travellers

Anyone planning to study in Portugal should check whether a residence visa must be secured before departure rather than after arrival. Workers already in Portugal who plan to change employer or self-employment should notify AIMA rather than apply for a new permit, while seasonal workers should confirm how the 9-month limit applies to their stay.

Parents relying on a child's status for residence should verify whether the child is a Portuguese national residing in Portugal, and applicants for protection against removal should check the residence periods now required. The law stresses migration planning and an individual assessment of each case.