Overview

• Lawmakers passed the package 160–70 with support from the governing AD coalition, Chega and Iniciativa Liberal, while left parties voted against.
• Family reunification rules tighten to a one-year residence requirement when couples can prove prior cohabitation, with immediate reunification for minors and dependents with disabilities.
• The law ends the pathway for tourists to obtain residence after arrival, requiring applications to be filed from abroad, including for CPLP nationals such as Brazilians.
• Six‑month job-search visas will be restricted to highly qualified professionals; applicants who fail to secure work must leave and face a one‑year wait before reapplying.
• President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa signaled he will promulgate the bill rather than send it back to the Constitutional Court, as Chega touts a future push to debate a five‑year contribution threshold for social benefits.