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Immigration

Immigration policy, visa changes, and the expat experience in Portugal.

Immigrants in Portugal Will Soon Receive Their Social Security Number Automatically, No Office Visit Needed

Immigrants in Portugal Will Soon Receive Their Social Security Number Automatically, No Office Visit Needed

Portugal is about to remove one of the most tedious steps in settling into the country. From the end of July, foreign nationals will be handed their Social Security identification number — the Número de Identificação de Segurança Social (Social...

The Portugal Brief 14 Jul 2026

Heads of state and government of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries pose for a group photograph on a red carpet in front of a CPLP summit banner

The Portuguese-Speaking Bloc Turns 30 Still Short of Its Potential, Portugal's Foreign Minister Says, as He Courts Guinea-Bissau's Return

As the Community of Portuguese Language Countries turns 30 on 17 July, Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel says its full potential is nowhere near exploited, presses for suspended founder Guinea-Bissau's return, and reports progress on the CPLP Mobility Agreement that shapes Lusophone migration to Portuga

The Portugal Brief 12 Jul 2026

Portugal and Eight Other Countries Ask Brussels to Extend the Right to Pause the EU's New Biometric Border Checks Past September

Portugal and Eight Other Countries Ask Brussels to Extend the Right to Pause the EU's New Biometric Border Checks Past September

Portugal has joined eight other European countries in asking Brussels to keep the escape hatch open on the European Union's new biometric border system. In a joint letter to Magnus Brunner, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Portugal,...

The Portugal Brief 12 Jul 2026

Aerial view over the red rooftops of central Lisbon looking down the pedestrian Rua Augusta filled with people, under a cloudy sky

Portugal Rises to the EU's Ninth-Most-Populous Country as Its Resident Count Passes 11.4 Million

Portugal has become the EU's ninth most populous state, with 11,424,031 residents on 1 January 2026, up 36,809 on the year. With deaths outnumbering births, the entire increase comes from net migration — a reliance now at the centre of the country's politics.

The Portugal Brief 11 Jul 2026

The burgundy cover of a Portuguese European Union passport, embossed in gold with the national coat of arms and the words Uniao Europeia Portugal Passaporte

AIMA Opens Online Renewals for Residence Permits Expiring in July and August

AIMA has opened its online renewals portal to residence-permit holders whose cards expire in July and August 2026. Applicants file at portal-renovacoes.aima.gov.pt, generate a DUC to pay a fee of roughly EUR70 to EUR160 within ten working days, then attend for biometrics; expired cards stay valid fo

The Portugal Brief 10 Jul 2026

The departures level of Lisbon's Humberto Delgado Airport, with a 'partidas / departures' sign and Terminal 2 signage

The EU's €20 ETIAS Travel Permit Slips to 2027 After a Rocky Rollout of the New Border System

ETIAS, the EU's pre-travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors, looks set to slip from late 2026 into 2027 after the Entry/Exit System's troubled April debut caused airport queues. When it arrives it will cost €20, be free for under-18s and over-70s, and last three years. For now, Portugal-bound

The Portugal Brief 08 Jul 2026

The triumphal Arco da Rua Augusta and the yellow arcaded buildings of Praca do Comercio in downtown Lisbon, with crowds and buses gathered in the square under a cloudy sky

Portugal Has Become Brazilian Business's Doorway Into Europe — but the Bureaucracy Still Tests Their Patience

Brazilians are now Portugal's largest foreign community, and a growing share come to build businesses. With the Mercosur-EU deal in force, Portugal is pitching itself as their gateway to Europe — backed by a €1bn fund — even as AIMA's permit backlog tests everyone's patience.

The Portugal Brief 05 Jul 2026

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