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Portugal Lawmakers Approve Bill to Ban Full-Face Veils in Most Public Spaces

The measure now heads to committee review before a final vote and then to President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who can sign it, veto it or request Constitutional Court scrutiny.

FILE - Members of opposition parties stand to vote against a government confidence motion at the Portuguese parliament in Lisbon, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca, file)
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Overview

  • The approved text advances to the parliamentary committee on constitutional affairs for scrutiny ahead of a final plenary vote and presidential action.
  • The Chega-sponsored bill targets burqas and niqabs worn for “gender or religious” reasons, applying to most public places in a country where such veils are rare.
  • Penalties include fines from €200 to €4,000, and forcing someone to cover their face could carry prison terms of up to three years.
  • Exceptions include airplanes, diplomatic and consular premises, and places of worship, with additional carve-outs reported for health, professional, artistic or security reasons.
  • The measure passed with support from centre-right parties over opposition from left-leaning lawmakers, and if enacted Portugal would join France, Belgium, Austria and the Netherlands with similar bans.