Manifestation-of-interest regularisation route closes

In force Residency In force 4 Jun 2024 · announced 3 Jun 2024

Decree-Law 37-A/2024 ended new residence applications based on a manifestation of interest. Protected transitional cases continued, but Law 61/2025 imposed a 31 December 2025 filing deadline for the specified transitional requests. New applicants ordinarily need the appropriate consular visa or another express statutory basis rather than relying on post-arrival social-security contributions.

Who it affects

Third-country nationals who might previously have attempted to regularise after entering without the appropriate residence visa.

Sources

Primary: Diário da República — Law 61/2025 and transitional deadline ↗

Corroborating: Diário da República — Decree-Law 37-A/2024 ↗

Verified 2026-08-02 · methodology

Related changes in Portugal

More recent updates

In force 19 May 2026

In force Citizenship

Nationality law raises ordinary residence periods to seven or ten years

Organic Law 1/2026 raised the ordinary legal-residence requirement to seven years for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries and EU member states, and ten years for nationals of other countries. It also added Portuguese culture, history, symbols, civic knowledge, democratic-commitment and subsistence requirements. Procedures pending when the law entered force continue under the previous law, and separate rules apply to stateless people, children and other acquisition grounds.

Who it affects: Future naturalisation applicants; pending applications remain under the previous law.

Diário da República — Organic Law 1/2026 ↗ · verified 2026-08-02

In force 1 Jan 2026

In force Visa & immigration

Remote-work income benchmark reaches EUR3,680 per month

Remote workers must evidence average monthly income during the preceding three months equal to at least four Portuguese minimum wages. With the mainland minimum wage at EUR920 in 2026, that benchmark is EUR3,680 per month. The route remains immigration permission rather than tax relief, and qualifying income must come from professional activity performed remotely for persons or entities outside Portugal.

Who it affects: Applicants for Portugal’s remote professional activity temporary-stay or residence route.

Portuguese Government — remote-work visa rules ↗ · Portuguese Government — 2026 minimum wage ↗ · AIMA — remote-work residence permit ↗ · verified 2026-08-02

In force 1 Jan 2026

In force Labour

Mainland minimum wage rises to EUR920 in 2026

The mainland monthly minimum wage rose from EUR870 to EUR920 on 1 January 2026. Portugal commonly pays employment remuneration in 14 instalments, but visa calculations must follow the wording of the particular immigration rule. The remote-work threshold uses four monthly minimum wages and is therefore EUR3,680 in 2026.

Who it affects: Employees and applicants whose immigration subsistence or income benchmark references the minimum wage.

Portuguese Government — minimum wage rises to EUR920 ↗ · verified 2026-08-02

In force 1 Jan 2026

In force Housing

2026 statutory rent-update coefficient is 1.0224

The published 2026 rent-update coefficient is 1.0224, corresponding to a maximum 2.24% update where the statutory mechanism applies. It is not an automatic increase in every lease: contract terms, notice, timing, supported-rent rules and other legal limits still matter.

Who it affects: Landlords and tenants in contracts eligible for annual statutory updating.

Portal da Habitação — rent update coefficients ↗ · verified 2026-08-02

In force 23 Oct 2025

In force Residency

Family reunification introduces sponsor waiting periods and exceptions

A sponsor generally must have held a valid residence permit for at least two years. For a spouse or partner who cohabited with the sponsor for at least 18 months before the sponsor entered Portugal, the period is 15 months. Dependent minors, their co-parent, and families of highly qualified, investment and EU Blue Card permit holders are exempt from the general wait; exceptional reduction or waiver is also possible on specified grounds.

Who it affects: Portuguese residence-permit holders and eligible family members.

Diário da República — Law 61/2025, Article 98 ↗ · AIMA — family reunification ↗ · verified 2026-08-02

In force 23 Oct 2025

In force Visa & immigration

General job-seeker visa is replaced by a qualified route

Law 61/2025 replaced the former general job-seeker visa with a qualified job-seeker visa for holders of specialised technical skills seeking highly qualified activity. The law retains a 120-day period, potentially extendable by 60 days, but requires a ministerial ordinance to define the eligible skills. Until those implementing rules and an application procedure are published, the former general route should not be presented as open.

Who it affects: People seeking to enter Portugal without a job offer in order to search for work.

Diário da República — Law 61/2025, Article 57-A ↗ · verified 2026-08-02