Portugal’s Immigration Policy Is Shifting — Expats, Take Note!

 

 

We have a saying... "Quem te avisa, teu amigo é!" – Meaning: only a real friend tells you the hard truth. Consider this your heads-up — from someone who lives here, works here, and cares about how you land.

Over the past few years, Portugal has been portrayed as a dream destination — beautiful, affordable, welcoming. But behind the scenes, a major policy shift is unfolding that every expat, or would-be expat, needs to be aware of.

1. The End of the “Manifestação de Interesse”

This mechanism once allowed undocumented migrants to regularize their status over time. It’s now gone. There’s no more post-facto legalisation for those who enter without proper documentation or contracts. From now on, it’s by-the-book, or nothing.

2. SEF is Dead. AIMA is Here — and Stricter.

Portugal’s immigration authority, SEF, has been officially dismantled. Its replacement, AIMA (Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum), is already operating with tighter controls.

Expect:
- Stricter screening
- Longer wait times
- Much lower tolerance for loosely prepared applications

Nationalisation requests? Prepare for longer delays, extra scrutiny, or simply dead ends that make people give up. This is not accidental — it’s a strategy.

3. Public Services are Under Massive Pressure

Portugal has welcomed over 1.5 million immigrants in a country of 10 million. That number alone tells the story. Our health system (SNS), education, and administrative infrastructure are stretched to the limit.

And yes — there’s growing perception that many newcomers are not contributing through work or taxes, especially those relying on passive income or remote work. This is fuel for policy tightening.

4. Real Estate and Expats: A Delicate Issue

Let’s be honest: many expats can afford much more than locals for rent or purchase. This has drastically inflated housing prices, especially in Lisbon, Porto, and the Algarve.

This is not about blame — but Portugal is no longer ignoring the effects of this imbalance. The country is not becoming anti-expat — it’s becoming anti-unregulated, unsustainable migration.

5. What’s Coming?

Still uncertain how the next format will configure exactly, but it has been unanimous, out of the mouth of most political candidates to form a new government after the coming 18^th of May election, what you can expect in the coming months:
- Much slower, filtered, visa and nationality processing
- Increased focus on labour-based and tax-contributing immigration
- Possible further changes to D7 and D8 visas
- A crackdown on visa mafias and “paper trail” intermediaries

So, What Should You Do?

If you're an expat, or planning to become one:
✅ Come prepared. Show how you’ll contribute to the local economy and society.
✅ Don’t rely on old advice. Rules are changing. Fast.
✅ Act responsibly. Portugal is a welcoming country — but not an unlimited one.

Portugal remains open — but not wide open.

We’re entering a new phase:
One where sustainability, contribution, and integration matter more than ever.

This isn’t fear-mongering. It’s a reality check. You owe it to yourself — and to the people of the country you’re moving to — to get informed.

— Written by Ulisses Carvalho – Real Estate Broker, Musician, and Conscious Observer of the Portuguese Social Landscape.
Let’s make relocation responsible.

#PortugalImmigration2025, #AIMAPortugal, #SEFreplacementPortugal, #VisapolicyPortugal, #LivinginPortugal, #ExpatsinPortugal, #D7VisaPortugal, #DigitalNomadPortugal, #RealestatePortugalexpats, #Portugalimmigrationchanges, #Portugalnationalisationdelays, #Responsiblerelocation, #Portugalresidencyissues