New Validity Periods for Residence Permits
5 August 2020
Portugal’s State Budget for 2020 approved changes to the Immigration Law in order to facilitate the granting and renewal of residence permits. As such, all temporary residence permits are now initially issued for 2 years instead of 1 year, and subsequently renewable every three years. The only exception to this rule is the Golden Visa, which is also granted for 2 years, but renewable every 2 years.
It is likely that with these new validity periods, SEF (Foreigners and Borders Service) will be able to speed up their procedures. This is especially relevant at the moment, considering that Portugal is dealing with an exponential growth of foreign citizens applying for legal residence.
Please note that these changes to the duration of the temporary residence permits validity do not affect the possibility of applying for permanent residence or citizenship. In these cases, the minimum time required to apply remains 5 years.
* - Maximum absence periods may be exceeded for duly proven professional or force majeure reasons.
Learn how Portuguese tax residence, Double Taxation Conventions and different income types can affect international individuals.
Working remotely does not automatically grant residence in Portugal. Understand the legal requirements and residence routes available to digital nomads.
Discover the legal options for recovering commercial debts in Portugal, including injunction procedures, enforcement actions and cross-border debt recovery.
Learn the legal routes to Portuguese nationality by descent for children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren under Portugal's updated Nationality Law.
Explore how DAC8 changes crypto-asset reporting in Portugal, including automatic information exchange and tax compliance requirements.
Hiring in Portugal involves more than an employment contract. Learn the labour, immigration, payroll, Social Security and compliance obligations every employer should address before onboarding employees.
Buying a renovated property in Portugal? Learn the legal risks, required property checks and why legal due diligence protects your investment.
Understand the 2026 changes to Portugal's nationality law and when children born to foreign parents may qualify for Portuguese nationality at birth.
Learn why incorporating a company in Portugal is only the first step and how ongoing legal, tax and corporate compliance supports long-term business success.